Linguistic practices, language ideologies, and linguistic repertoires of isiXhosa-speaking families in Western Cape homes

Date
2023-03
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : This dissertation investigated the linguistic repertoires, language ideologies and language practices of three isiXhosa-speaking families in the Western Cape. It investigated how the linguistic repertoires, language ideologies, and language practices shaped the family language policy (FLP) of each of the families. Cape Town, the capitol of the Western Cape Province, is regarded as South Africa’s most segregated city (Turok et al. 2021: 71). Since I was interested in how contextual factors shaped the families’ FLPs, I deliberately chose families living in different residential areas within the Cape Metropole. One family resides in the township Langa, where 92% of the inhabitants are isiXhosa mother tongue speakers (General Census 2011). The second family resides in Parklands, a predominantly English-speaking neighbourhood (General Census 2011). The third family resides in Belhar, which was previously classified as a coloured area and in which the language that is widely used is Afrikaans (see General Census 2011). Currently, sociolinguistic and applied linguistics studies on isiXhosa are mostly conducted in the school system, and a focus on home linguistic practices are almost entirely absent. Home linguistic practices and FLP are severely under-investigated in African contexts. I relate the data obtained from this study with Ricento and Hornberger’s (1996) notion of the multilayered onion: They argued that various components, including “agents, levels and processes”, form layers that together make up the whole of language planning and policy. The various components of this onion “permeate and interact with each other in a variety of ways and to varying degrees” (Ricento and Hornberger 1996: 401). This metaphor resonated with me as I saw in my data how both explicit and implicit decisions about language in the families I studied was shaped by a variety of factors: Their linguistic practices were shaped by the linguistic repertoires they had access to, the language ideologies they held, and their lived experience of language. In addition, factors such as time and space, and institutions and access to these institutions also shaped the decisions (or non-decisions) that parents made concerning their FLPs. Based on the data obtained, these factors are entangled with South Africa’s apartheid and colonial past and affect families in non-uniform manners.
Hierdie proefskrif het die linguistiese repertoires, taalideologieë en taalpraktyke van drie Xhosa-sprekende gesinne in die Wes-Kaap ondersoek. Dit het ondersoek ingestel na hoe die linguistiese repertoires, taalideologieë en taalpraktyke die gesinstaalbeleid (GTB) van elk van die gesinne gevorm het. Kaapstad, die hoofstad van die Wes-Kaap, word as Suid-Afrika se mees gesegregeerde stad beskou (Turok et al. 2021: 71). Aangesien ek belang gestel het in hoe kontekstuele faktore die gesinne se GTBe gevorm het, het ek doelbewus gesinne gekies wat in verskillende woongebiede binne die Kaapse Metropool woon. Een gesin woon in die township Langa, waar 92% van die inwoners isiXhosa-moedertaalsprekers is (Algemene Sensus 2011). Die tweede gesin woon in Parklands, ʼn oorwegend Engelssprekende buurt (General Census 2011). Die derde gesin woon in Belhar wat voorheen as ʼn Bruin woongebied geklassifiseer is en waar die taal wat wyd gebruik word, Afrikaans is (kyk Algemene Sensus 2011). Tans word sosiolinguistiese en toegepaste taalwetenskaplike studies oor isiXhosa meestal in die skoolsisteem uitgevoer, en 'n fokus op taalpraktyke in die huishouding is byna heeltemal afwesig. Daar is oor die algemeen ʼn gebrek aan studies oor taalpraktyke in die huishouding en GTB in Afrika-kontekste. Ek bring die data wat uit hierdie studie verkry is, in verband met Ricento en Hornberger (1996) se idee van die meerlagige ui. Hulle het aangevoer dat verskeie komponente, insluitend “agente, vlakke en prosesse” lae vorm wat saam die geheel van taalbeplanning en-beleid uitmaak. Die verskillende komponente van hierdie ui “deurdring en interakteer met mekaar op 'n verskeidenheid maniere en in verskillende grade” (Ricento en Hornberger 1996: 401). Hierdie metafoor het by my aanklank gevind toe ek in my data gesien het hoe eksplisiete en implisiete besluite oor taal in die gesinne wat ek bestudeer het, deur 'n verskeidenheid faktore gevorm is: Hul linguistiese praktyke is gevorm deur die linguistiese repertoires waartoe hulle toegang gehad het, die taalideologieë wat hulle gehad het, en hul geleefde ervaring van taal. Daarbenewens het faktore soos tyd en ruimte, en instellings en toegang tot hierdie instellings die besluite (of nie-besluite) wat ouers oor hul GTB geneem het, gevorm. Op grond van die verkreë data, is hierdie kwessies verweef met Suid-Afrika se apartheids- en koloniale verlede, en hierdie kwessies affekteer gesinne op nie-uniforme wyses.
XHOSA ISISHWANKATHELO : Le dissertation iphande ngeengqokelela ezihamba nezakhono zolwimi, iingcamango zolwimi kunye nezenzo zolwimi kwiintsapho ezintathu zesiXhosa eNtshona Koloni. Ijonge indlela iingqokelela ezihamba nezakhono zolwimi, iingcamango zolwimi, kunye nezenzo zolwimi ukuba ziwakhe njani umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi wosapho (FLP) kusapho ngalunye. IKapa, iyidolophu enkulu yeNtshona Koloni, Ibonwa njengesona sixeko saseMzantsi Afrika esakhe sohluka-hlukana ngokungalingani (Turok et al. 2021: 71). Kuba ndandinomdla kwindlela imiba yomxholo ezibumbe ngayo iintsapho, ndikhethe iintsapho ezihlala kwiindawo zokuhlala ezahlukeneyo ngabom kwiNqila yeKapa. Olunye usapho luhlala kwaLanga. ULanga yenye yeelokishi zaseKapa, kwaye uninzi lwabantu abangama-92.0% kwaLanga ngabantu abantetho isisiXhosa (uBalo Jikelele luka-2011/ General Census 2011). Usapho lwesibini luhlala eParklands, kwaye abemi baseParklands ikakhulu bathetha isiNgesi (uBalo Jikelele luka-2011). Kwaye usapho lokugqibela luhlala eBelhar, eyayifudula ichazwa njengendawo yabeBala. Ulwimi olusetyenziswa kakhulu eBelhar sisiBhulu (Jonga kuBalo Jikelele luka-2011). Kungoku nje, uphando ngesiXhosa lutenxile, kukho izifundo ezininzi ezigxile ekufundiseni ngolwimi, kwaye ugxininiso kwiilwimi zasekhaya luphantse lwangabikho. Iinkqubo zolwimi lwasekhaya kunye ne-FLP aziphandwa kakhulu kwiimeko zaseAfrika. Ndidibanisa idatha efunyenwe kolu phando kunye nolukaRicento noHornberger (1996) notion of the multilayered onion. Baxoxa ukuba amacandelo ahlukeneyo, aquka “ii-agents, amanqanaba kunye neenkqubo” zenza iileya ezithi xa zidibene zenze isicwangciso solwimi siphela kunye nomgaqo-nkqubo. Amacandelo ahlukeneyo ale onion "agqobhozela kwaye asebenzisane ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo kunye namazinga ahlukeneyo" (Ricento noHornberger 1996: 401). Esi safobe siye sanxulumana nam/savakala nzulu kum njengoko ndiye ndabona kwidatha yam ukuba izigqibo ezicacileyo nezingacacanga ncam malunga nolwimi kwiintsapho endenze uphando kuzo zabunjwa yimiba eyahlukeneyo. Ukongeza, iinkqubo zolwimi zosapho zabunjwa ziingqokelela ezihamba nesakhhono ababefikelela kuzo kunye neengcamango zolwimi ababeziphethe, kunye namava olwimi abanawo ngokokuphila. Kodwa akupheleli apho. Imiba efana nexesha/indawo, namaziko kunye nokufikelela kuzo nako kuye kwabumba izigqibo (okanye ezingezizo izigqibo ezenziwa ngabazali). Le miba ibotshelelwe kwixesha elidlulileyo localucalulo kunye nobukoloniyali eMzantsi Afrika.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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