Download or read book Examine the representation of the relationship between language and power inSouth African Literature written by Evelyn Naudorf and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2003-05-27 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essay from the year 2001 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: B, University of London (Faculty of English Literature), course: Literature in History: Race and Subjectivity in South African Writing, language: English, abstract: ‘The choice of language and the use to which language is put is central to a people’s definition of themselves in relation to their natural and social environment, indeed in relation to the entire universe.’1 This quote by the Kenyan writer Ngugi expresses the exceedingly important relationship between language and the individual in general. This relationship is gaining even more importance for a continent such as Africa, in which large parts of the native population were oppressed by European colonial powers for centuries. One important instrument of oppression was definitely language and the feeling of European superiority resulting out of cultural traditions, such as literature. In South Africa, where two major colonial powers were fighting for supremacy and many different native ethnic groups were combined in one state, the question of language would almost naturally provoke conflicts and crisis. In this essay, I should like to have a closer look at this delicate relationship between language and power in South African literature with the example of a Black and a White African writer, Sol T. Plaatje and Nadine Gordimer. In his historical overview, Leonard Thompson already describes the South Africa of the 18th century as a ‘linguistic Babel’2. Afrikaans, a simplified form of Dutch and at first only used in oral communication, would gradually develop into the lingua franca of South Africa. Today, its greatest competitor among European languages is English and both languages, together with nine African languages, belong to the eleven official languages of the postapartheid South African State. The right of every South African to use the language of his or her choice is now embedded in the constitution. However, the situation of having eleven official languages is truly unique world-wide. One of the most pressing question is whether there is a necessity to agree on a single language as the official one, with the other ten languages receiving an equally high status, in order to support the current process of nation-building? If so, should it be English, Afrikaans or one of the African languages? [...] 1 Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Decolonising the Mind, page 4

Download or read book Spaces and Crossings written by Rita Wilson and published by Peter Lang Gmbh, Internationaler Verlag Der Wissenschaften. This book was released on 2001 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays includes a variety of approaches to different interpretations of 'space'. Some deal with aspects of (post)colonialism, mapping, and identity formation, while others grapple with the positionality of 'in between' as well as with issues of multiculturalism and intertextuality. The spaces of art, beliefs and institutions are examined, as are the intellectual and artistic activities involved in articulating and defining space. It is a book of tendencies, which gives some indication of the new work being done in South Africa as well as in the broader global context, and reflects different moments of conflict and negotiation within the social relations of different societies from pre-apartheid South Africa to the present. The essays chosen for this volume broach the fantastic and sexual dimensions of cultural spaces and cultural production, issues of marginality and power, hybridity, gender identity, ideology and technology.

Download or read book The Sociolinguistics of South African Television written by Kealeboga Aiseng and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Aspects of the English language in South Africa focusing on language identity and language varieties written by Hildegard Schnell and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2007-03-14 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,7, University of Duisburg-Essen, course: English in Africa, language: English, abstract: Due to the spread of English to so many parts of the world which was triggered during the colonial era and by migration of English-speaking people, the importance of English not only as a language of commerce, science and technology but also as an international language of communication has been realized (Platt, Weber, Ho 1984: 1). In my research paper I will provide an overview of the English language in South Africa by looking at its origins concerning the historical background. Furthermore, I am going to focus on the English language in South Africa in more detail in order to point out the influence of the immigrants’ speech from England and Scotland on some phonetic features of South African English. Eventually, I am going to discuss whether the spread of English can be seen as an evidence of a “killer language” which has been used as a tool for subtle linguistic imperialism, occurring at the expense of local languages, stabilizing hierarchical structures and reinforcing existing status differentials (de Klerk 1996: 7-8). So, the main purpose of my paper is to show that the English language in South Africa before, during and after apartheid policy is one of the official languages since there is more than one local language in a multilingual nation. While English in South Africa is seen by many “as a medium of achieving and announcing independence and maturity, for many others English represent colonialism, power and elitism, and acts as a vehicle of values not always in harmony with local traditions and beliefs” (de Klerk 1996: 7). In this chapter, I will focus on the historical and social background of the English language in South Africa in regard to different language varieties. In the following, based on Roger Lass’s article “South African English”, I will, as I mentioned before, refer to the historical background of the English language in South Africa and so discuss the aspect of different language varieties that were influenced by the English language. Then, concerning L.W. Lanham’s The Standard in South African English and its Social History, I will point out in which way the English language developed there. By referring to the historical background in more detail, I will eventually focus on Josef Schmied’s English in Africa, thus stressing the strategic importance of South Africa for the British.

Download or read book Decolonising the Mind written by Ngugi wa Thiong'o and published by Boydell & Brewer. This book was released on 1986 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ngugi wrote his first novels and plays in English but was determined, even before his detention without trial in 1978, to move to writing in Gikuyu.

Download or read book Pen and Power written by Sue Kossew and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2022-04-25 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book International Journal for the Study of Southern African Literature and Languages written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 760 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Power Marginality and African Oral Literature written by Graham Furniss and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1995-09-14 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: African oral literature, like other forms of popular culture, is not merely folksy, domestic entertainment but a domain in which individuals in a variety of social roles are free to comment on power relations in society. It can also be a significant agent of change capable of directing, provoking, preventing, overturning and recasting social reality. This collection examines the way in which oral texts both reflect and affect contemporary social and political life in Africa. It addresses questions of power, gender, the dynamics of language use, the representation of social structures and the relation between culture and the state. The contributors are linguists, anthropologists, folklorists, ethnomusicologists and historians, who present fresh material and ideas to paint a lively picture of current real-life situations. The book is an important contribution to the study of African culture and literature, and to the anthropological study of oral literature in particular.

Download or read book Black White Writing written by Pauline Fletcher and published by Bucknell University Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The volume closes with an essay by Gerald Monsman that takes the reader back to an earlier South Africa, examining Olive Schreiner's writing in the broader context of other stories from an imperialist past. Two poems by Dennis Brutus open the volume. They speak eloquently of human suffering and the desire for peace.

Download or read book The Anglophone Literary Linguistic Continuum written by Michael Andindilile and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2018-11-05 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Andindilile in The Anglophone LiteraryLinguistic Continuum: English and Indigenous Languages in African Literary Discourse interrogates Obi Walis (1963) prophecy that continued use of former colonial languages in the production of African literature could only lead to sterility, as African literatures can only be written in indigenous African languages. In doing so, Andindilile critically examines selected of novels of Achebe of Nigeria, Ngugi of Kenya, Gordimer of South Africa and Farah of Somalia and shows that, when we pay close attention to what these authors represent about their African societies, and the way they integrate African languages, values, beliefs and cultures, we can discover what constitutes the Anglophone African literarylinguistic continuum. This continuum can be defined as variations in the literary usage of English in African literary discourse, with the language serving as the base to which writers add variations inspired by indigenous languages, beliefs, cultures and, sometimes, nation-specific experiences.

Download or read book Language and Power Relations in Further Education and Training Band in South Africa written by Celestine Emeka Amaechi and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In South Africa, the debate around the status of the official languages debate has remained a perennial issue among educators, academics and stakeholders, especially after the constitu-tional enshrinement of the 1997 multilingual language-in-education policy in the school cur-riculum. Using classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis, this qualitative study investigates and analyses linguistic power relations in the Further Education and Training band based on an inquiry in eight selected secondary schools in rural and urban areas in four provinces across South Africa. It aims to examine the relationship between lan-guage and economy; how language differences affect non-native speakers of English in Eng-lish-medium classrooms; and how school language choice re-creates economic inequalities in South Africa. The study aims to make recommendations on which policy responses best ad-dress the inherent asymmetrical linguistic power relations in the South African education sys-tem. The inquiry is informed by Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory, the notion of cultural deficit and or the articulation gap, and Bourdieu’s cultural capital and concept of field. The main findings of the study indicate that English has economic value for learners’ future out-comes and is preferred to African indigenous languages as medium of instruction. There is a mismatch between home language and classroom language practice. Lack of reading culture is prevalent among many learners. Findings further show that local languages can promote learning; poor academic performance is traced to poor schooling in learners’ formative years; and the influence of learning styles, self-esteem and socio-economic factors on learning and performance. Most of the study participants support the use of English as a language of learning and teaching (or medium of instruction) in secondary schools although indigenous languages dominate dialogue outside the classroom, especially in rural and township schools. This demonstrates the mismatch between home language and school language practice. One of the reasons for English-only classroom discourses is informed by the schools’ language policy. Lastly, recommendations suggest that national and provincial governments should incorporate teachers in education policymaking decisions and train or re-train language teachers to align with constitutional multilingualism. This may close the existing gap in the language power relations in FET band in particular and in the South African education system in general. ‘‘When we read a book, the intrinsic and the extrinsic rules govern our study. The intrinsic concurrently involves understanding, interpreting and evaluating the book. The intrinsic rules of study, however, are in themselves inadequate. To read successfully, we need the extrinsic aids of experience, other books, and live discussion. Experience is the only way we can interpret and relate to what we read. Books have meaning only when we read them in relation to other writings. Live discussion refers to the ordinary interaction that occurs among human beings as they pursue a particular course of study.’’

Download or read book The Muzzled Muse written by Margreet de Lange and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 1997-04-10 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The long history of censorship is a parallel and equally powerful history of literature. Censors bear witness to the power of the word even more forcefully than the writers and the readers they consider dangerous.” (Index on Censorship 6/1996) A critical assessment of literature produced under censorship needs to take into account that the stategies of the censors are answered by strategies of the writers and the readers. To recognize self-censoring strategies in writing, it is necessary to know the specific restrictions of the censorship regime in question. In South Africa under apartheid all writers were confronted with the question of how to respond to the pressure of censorship. This confrontation took a different form however, depending on what group the writer belonged to and what language he/she used. By looking at white writers writing in Afrikaans and white and black writers writing in English, this book gives the impact of censorship on South African literature a comparative examination which it has not received before. The book considers works by J.M.Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer, André Brink, and others less known to readers outside South Africa like Karel Schoeman, Louis Krüger, Christopher Hope, Miriam Tlali and Mtutuzeli Matshoba. It treats the censorship laws of the apartheid regime as well as, in the final chapter, the new law of the Mandela government which shows some surprising similarities to its predecessor. Margreet de Lange teaches Comparative Literature at Utrecht University and coordinates the University’s interdisciplinary program of South African Studies. She received her Ph.D. from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. “De Lange expertly sketches in the historical and literary backgrounds as she goes, taking us right up to the recent (unsatisfactory) revision of the censorship laws, making The Muzzled Muse a vitally important summary of literary censorship in South Africa, and a handbook of what to guard against in the future.” Shaun de Waal, Mail & Guardian Sept. 26 to October 1, 1997

Download or read book The Transformative Power of Language written by Russell H. Kaschula and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-10 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Language has played a pivotal role in societal transformation in postcolonial Africa towards the creation of globally competitive knowledge societies; however so far, this role has been under-researched and under-estimated. This volume addresses this gap in the literature, by bringing together a team of globally-recognised scholars to explore the effect of language on African postcolonial societies, and how it has contributed to achieving 'mental decolonisation'. A range of languages are explored, both imported (ex-colonial) and indigenous African, and case studies from different spheres of public discourse are investigated, from universities to legal settings. Demonstrating that multilingualism is a resource for, rather than barrier to, successful transformation, this book brings the intellectualisation and institutionalisation of African languages to the forefront of development discourse, and provides an insightful snap-shot of how current academic research, public discourse, political activism and social community engagement have contributed to societal transformation in South Africa.

Download or read book African Perspectives on Literary Translation written by Judith Inggs and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-03-03 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection serves as a showcase for literary translation research with a focus on African perspectives, highlighting theoretical and methodological developments in the discipline while shedding further light on the literary landscape in Africa. The book offers a framework for understanding key approaches and topics in literary translation situated in the African context, covering foundational concepts as well as new directions within the field. The first half of the volume focuses on the translation product, exploring such topics as translation strategies, literary genres, and self-translation, while the second half examines process and reception, allowing for an in-depth look at agency, habitus, and ethics. Each chapter is structured to allow for the introduction of a given theoretical aspect of literary translation followed by a summary of a completed research project with an African focus showing theory in practice, offering a model for readers to build their own literary translation research projects while also underscoring the range of perspectives and unique challenges to literary translation work in Africa. This unique volume is a key resource for students and scholars in translation studies, giving visibility to African perspectives on literary translation while pointing the way forward for future research directions.

Download or read book Roads to Decolonisation written by Amy Duvenage and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-04-16 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Roads to Decolonisation: An Introduction to Thought from the Global South is an accessible new textbook that provides undergraduate students with a vital introduction to theory from the Global South and key issues of social justice, arming them with the tools to theorise and explain the social world away from dominant Global North perspectives. Arranged in four parts, it examines key thinkers, activists and theory-work from the Global South; theoretical concepts and socio-historical conditions associated with 'race' and racism, gender and sexuality, identity and (un)belonging in a globalised world and decolonisation and education; challenges to dominant Euro-American perspectives on key social justice issues, linking decolonial discourses to contemporary case studies. Each chapter offers an overview of key thinkers and activists whose work engages with social justice issues, many of whom are under-represented or left out of undergraduate humanities and social sciences textbooks in the North. This is essential reading for students of the humanities and social sciences worldwide, as well as scholars keen to embed Southern thought in their curricula and pedagogical practice.

Download or read book The Construction Negotiation and Representation of Immigrant Student Identities in South African schools written by Saloshna Vandeyar and published by IAP. This book was released on 2015-02-01 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a ground-breaking research study on Black immigrant identities in South African schools. It is the first major book on racial integration and immigrant children in South African schools. The overall aim of this study is to investigate how immigrant students negotiate and mediate their identity within the South African schooling context. This study set out to explain this complex phenomenon, guided by the following research objectives: One, to describe how immigrant student identities are framed, challenged, asserted and negotiated within the institutional cultures of schools. Two, to evaluate the extent to which the ethos of these schools has been transformed towards integration in the truest sense and to determine how immigrant students perceive this in practice? Three, to explore the ‘transnational social fields’ in terms of social networks and cross-border linkages of immigrant students and how this impacts on their identity formation. Four, to determine if there are any new forms of immigrant student self-identities that are beginning to emerge? Five, to determine the extent to which racial desegregation has been accompanied by social integration between immigrant and local students. Six, to determine the impact of the South African social/schooling context on immigrant student identity formation. And seven, to identify critical lessons and ‘good practice’ that could be learnt and used to accelerate the racial desegregation and social integration of immigrant students in South African schools.

Download or read book A Companion to African History written by William H. Worger and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2018-11-28 with total page 549 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covers the history of the entire African continent, from prehistory to the present day A Companion to African History embraces the diverse regions, subject matter, and disciplines of the African continent, while also providing chronological and geographical coverage of basic historical developments. Two dozen essays by leading international scholars explore the challenges facing this relatively new field of historical enquiry and present the dynamic ways in which historians and scholars from other fields such as archaeology, anthropology, political science, and economics are forging new directions in thinking and research. Comprised of six parts, the book begins with thematic approaches to African history—exploring the environment, gender and family, medical practices, and more. Section two covers Africa’s early history and its pre-colonial past—early human adaptation, the emergence of kingdoms, royal power, and warring states. The third section looks at the era of the slave trade and European expansion. Part four examines the process of conquest—the discovery of diamonds and gold, military and social response, and more. Colonialism is discussed in the sixth section, with chapters on the economy transformed due to the development of agriculture and mining industries. The last section studies the continent from post World War II all the way up to modern times. Aims at capturing the enthusiasms of practicing historians, and encouraging similar passion in a new generation of scholars Emphasizes linkages within Africa as well as between the continent and other parts of the world All chapters include significant historiographical content and suggestions for further reading Written by a global team of writers with unique backgrounds and views Features case studies with illustrative examples In a field traditionally marked by narrow specialisms, A Companion to African History is an ideal book for advanced students, researchers, historians, and scholars looking for a broad yet unique overview of African history as a whole.