Die impak van Engels op Afrikaans, Nederlands en Portugees as universiteitstaal : ʼn kritiese diskoersanalise

Abstract

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: University languages around the world are increasingly under the pressure from English (Mikanowski, 2018). The study aimed to determine how three universities in three different countries respond to the pressure from English, as well as the impact of English on the chosen official languages of these three countries as languages of instruction in higher education. The study sought to determine through a critical discourse analysis what the impact of English is on Portuguese, Dutch and Afrikaans as university languages. Afrikaans, one of South Africa's official languages that is also a university language, has made frequent headlines in recent years due to decisions that have put the language under pressure in higher education. The study's relevance is supported by several newspaper headlines and articles dealing with English, the language so often referred to as the global, international or language of the world (Clark, 2012; Center for Applied Linguistics, s.a .; BBC NEWS, 2010). History, politics, economics, ideology and power are all factors that emerged and were needed to be taken into account during the study. The field of language planning includes not only the consideration of changes within a language, but also the differences and changes within a group of diverse languages, specifically the communication patterns within a society (Lo Bianco, 2010: 37). In today's multicultural societies, multilingualism is also becoming more and more common. The three selected universities, namely Stellenbosch University, the University of Groningen and the State University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) all have several languages that are relevant and were to be examined as smaller versions of Shohamy's concept of the multilingual society. From the very beginning of the study, it was clear that English plays a role in all three of these countries. However, whether the size and impact of that role is the same in each country and at the different universities, only became clearer towards the end of the study. Internationalization - the result of the need to be seen as an international university and to increasingly attract international students - are factors that have emerged repeatedly at all three universities. These are goals and drivers that serve as motivations for the iv decisions made. The textual analysis uncovered that diversity and inclusivity are two other goals that SU and the UG have particularly in common. It can be assumed that diversity, inclusivity and the need to internationalize served as underlying goals when these two institutions decided to give preference to English, the language considered to be the lingua franca of the world. The impact that English has on Afrikaans, Dutch and Portuguese as university languages was therefore found not to be consistent. The possibility is there that this may change in the future. At this stage Afrikaans and Dutch suffer more from the power of English than Portuguese. In the case of most South African and Dutch universities, the study found that they chose to be more accommodating for the sake of factors such as inclusivity, internationalization and diversity and argue that English is the solution. As a result, the impact of English is much greater on Afrikaans and Dutch as university languages, than on Portuguese.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Universiteitstale reg oor die wêreld verkeer toenemend onder die druk van Engels (Mikanowski, 2018). Die studie se doel was om vas te stel hoe drie universiteite in drie verskillende lande op die druk van Engels reageer, asook die impak van Engels op die gekose ampstale van hierdie drie lande as onderrigtale in die hoër onderwys. Die studie het daarna gestrewe om deur middel van 'n kritiese diskoersanalise vas te stel wat die impak van Engels op Portugees, Nederlands en Afrikaans as universiteitstale is. Afrikaans, een van Suid-Afrika se ampstale wat ook ¢n universiteitstaal is, het in die afgelope paar jare gereeld opslae gemaak weens besluite wat geneem is wat die taal in die hoër onderwys onder druk geplaas het. Die studie se relevansie is ondersteun deur verskeie koerantopskrifte en artikels wat handel oor Engels – die taal waarna daar so dikwels verwys word as die globale, internasionale of wêreldtaal (Clark, 2012; Center for applied linguistics, s.a.; BBC NEWS, 2010). Die geskiedenis, politiek, ekonomie, idologieë en mag is alles faktore wat in geneem en ondersoek moet word tydens die bestudering van taal en die rol wat dit vertolk (Shohamy, 2006:8). Taalbeplanning behels nie net die inagneming van veranderinge binne ¢n taal nie, maar ook die verskille en veranderinge binne ¢n groep diverse tale, met klem op die kommunikasiepatrone binne ¢n samelewing (Lo Bianco, 2010:37). In vandag se multikulturele samelewings is veeltaligheid ook al hoe meer algemeen. Die drie gekose universiteite naamlik, die Universiteit Stellenbosch, die Universiteit van Groningen en die Staatsuniversiteit van Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) het almal verskeie tale wat ter sprake is en kan ondersoek word as kleiner weergawes van Shohamy se konsep van die meertalige samelewing. Dit was van die begin van die studie af reeds duidelik dat Engels 'n rol in al drie hierdie lande speel. Dit sou egter eers teen die einde duideliker word of die grootte en impak van hierdie rol by elke land en by die verskillende universiteite dieselfde is of nie. Internasionalisering – die gevolg van die behoefte om as 'n internasionale universiteit gesien te word en om toenemend internasionale studente te lok - is faktore wat by herhaaling by al drie universiteite na vore gekom het. Dit is doelwitte en dryfvere wat as motiverings dien vir die besluite wat geneem word. Die teksontleding het ontbloot dat diversiteit en inklusiwiteit twee ander doelwitte is wat die US en die UG veral in gemeen het. Daar kan aanvaar word dat diversiteit, inklusiwiteit en die behoefte om te internasionaliseer as onderliggende doelwitte gedien het toe hierdie twee instellings besluit het om voorkeur te gee aan Engels, die taal wat as die lingua franca van die wêreld gesien word. Daar is dus gevind dat die impak wat Engels op Afrikaans, Nederlands en Portugees as universiteitstale het, nie konsekwent is nie. Die moontlikheid is daar dat dit in die toekoms kan verander. Afrikaans en Nederlands ly in hierdie stadium meer onder die mag van Engels as Portugees. In die geval van die meeste Suid-Afrikaanse en Nederlandse universiteite het die studie bevind dat hulle verkies het om meer tegemoetkomend te wees ter wille van faktore soos inklusiwiteit, internasionalisering en diversiteit en redeneer dat Engels die oplossing is. Gevolglik is die impak van Engels baie groter op Afrikaans en Nederlands as universiteitstale, as op Portugees.