Language in South Africa (LiSA) debates the role of language and language planning in the reconstruction, development and transformation of post-apartheid democratic South Africa. The 1996 constitution of South Africa is founded on the political philosophy of pluralism and is directed at promoting democratic values, equity and non-discrimination, human rights, national unity and the development of all the country’s communities. The question asked in LiSA is how language planning can contribute towards the attainment of these national ideals. Set against the language political realities of the country — the a-symmetric power relations between the languages; the striking differences in the structural; functional and symbolic adaptation of the official languages; and the many language-related problems in the country — it debates the role of language in state administration, national integration, educational development and economic development. The volume concludes with a discussion of language development and language management.
“This volume is an impressive piece in many ways. It is well-intentioned, comprehensive and contains a wealth of useful detail and good ideas. Its main contribution is to firmly situate language planning in South Africa in an encompassing sociopolitical and economic framework, and its main failing the lack of an adequate theorisation with which to do this. Perhaps most importantly, it could be read as a statement on the limitations of trying to pursue a politics of democratic social transformation within a framework of conventional language planning.”
Christopher Stroud,National University of Singapore, in Language and Education 19:4, 2005
“The book does offer a wealth of information about the South African context and those interested in the ins- and- outs of language planning will undoubtedly learn a lot from Webb's (2002) arguments, ideas, and suggestions.”
Aneta Pavlenko,Temple University, inEstudios de Sociolingüística 6:1, 2005
“Webb's Language in South Africa is an important contribution to the study of language policy and planning in this country. It will most definitely be used as a standard textbook in this field for quite some time.”
L. Theo Du Plessis, University of the Free State, Tydskrift vir Letterkunde, Jan. 2005
Cited by (114)
Cited by 114 other publications
Utsey, Shawn O., Janae Baker, Micah White, Candace Moore & Jason Bonilla-Landers
2026. Zulu Ethnic Identity, Social Connectedness (Ubuntu), and Resilience as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being Among “Born Free” Black South Africans. Journal of Black Psychology
2025. The words that keep people apart: official language and accountability. Journal of Institutional Economics 21
Chauke, Lidon
2025. Uncovering the relationship among body placements, colour and linguistic associations. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies► pp. 1 ff.
Mao, Feng, Ye Zhu & Biyu Wu
2025. Language ideologies, policies, and media discourse in census questionnaires: a historical comparative analysis of four multilingual societies. Current Issues in Language Planning► pp. 1 ff.
Mhute, Isaac
2025. Introduction: Situating the Imminent Cultural Genocide in the African Context. In Resuscitation of African Languages, ► pp. 1 ff.
Mudau, Ndidzulafhi
2025. Missionary teachers and indigenous language preservation in Vhembe. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478) 14:8 ► pp. 430 ff.
Nel, Joanine Hester & Melissa Rust
2025. Perspectives of Translanguaging in Afrikaans First Additional Language and South African Classrooms. In Global Perspective on Issues and Trends in Educational Translanguaging, ► pp. 1 ff.
Zhang, Chen, Ronghui Zhao & Yan Huang
2025. A Bibliometric Analysis of Language Legislation Research From 2005 to 2023. Sage Open 15:1
Mavesera, Miidzo & Innocent Madziko
2024. Multilingualism in Crisis and Disaster Management Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Enigma for Zimbabwe. In The Palgrave Handbook of Language and Crisis Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa, ► pp. 81 ff.
Costley, Tracey, Nancy Kula & Lutz Marten
2023. Translanguaging spaces and multilingual public writing in Zambia: tracing change in the linguistic landscape of Ndola on the Copperbelt. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 44:9 ► pp. 773 ff.
Jordaan, Mari & Joanine Nel
2023. Material Evaluation of Communicative Competence in a Setswana Beginner Language Learning Course. Language Matters 54:1 ► pp. 121 ff.
Ndlovu, Eventhough & Zifikile Makwavarara
2023. The Teaching and Learning of Sign Language at the University of Zimbabwe. EAST AFRICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 4:2 ► pp. 10 ff.
Mashatole, Abram & Metji Makgoba
2022. Institutional Identity and Multilingualism at University of Limpopo. In Language and Institutional Identity in the Post-Apartheid South African Higher Education [Language Policy, 27], ► pp. 33 ff.
Ndebele, Hloniphani
2022. Exploring the challenges of information and communication technology localization in South African higher education: a language management approach. International Journal of Multilingualism 19:3 ► pp. 368 ff.
Botha, Werner, Bertus van Rooy & Susan Coetzee‐van Rooy
2021. South African Englishes: A contemporary bibliography. World Englishes 40:1 ► pp. 136 ff.
De Silva, Radhika
2021. Assessment Literacy and Assessment Practices of Teachers of English in a South-Asian Context: Issues and Possible Washback. In Challenges in Language Testing Around the World, ► pp. 433 ff.
Mthombeni, Zama Mabel
2021. Towards an African Linguistic Renaissance: A Case Study of a South African University. In Social Justice and Education in the 21st Century [Diversity and Inclusion Research, ], ► pp. 273 ff.
White, Michelle J.
2021. The development of English proficiency and working memory in 5–6 year old ELLs in their first year of formal education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 24:9 ► pp. 1340 ff.
Darquennes, Jeroen, Theo du Plessis & Josep Soler
2020. Language diversity management in higher education: towards an analytical framework. Sociolinguistica 34:1 ► pp. 7 ff.
Grohmann, Marcus
2020. A Foolish Proposal? Vulnerability as an Alternative Attempt to Contribute to Decolonisation and Reconciliation in Post-Colonial South Africa. Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies 37:2 ► pp. 140 ff.
Mthombeni, Zama M & Olusola Ogunnubi
2020. An appraisal of bilingual language policy implementation in South African higher education. South African Journal of African Languages 40:2 ► pp. 186 ff.
Harran, Marcelle & Howard William Theunissen
2019. Navigating the engineering literacy divide: design report collaboration practice realities. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology 17:1 ► pp. 77 ff.
Hickey, Raymond
2019. English in South Africa: Contact and Change. In English in Multilingual South Africa, ► pp. 3 ff.
Kaschula, Russell H.
2019. Econo-Language Planning and Transformation in South Africa: From Localisation to Globalisation. In English in Multilingual South Africa, ► pp. 196 ff.
Koai, Mojalefa & Brenton Grant Fredericks
2019. Sesotho is still a marginalised language. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 37:4 ► pp. 303 ff.
Annick De Houwer & Lourdes Ortega
2018. The Cambridge Handbook of Bilingualism,
Kirsten, Johanita
2018. Afrikaans. In The Social and Political History of Southern Africa's Languages, ► pp. 13 ff.
Mabiletja, Matome M
2018. Parents’ direct or indirect involvement in the choice of language of learning and teaching. South African Journal of African Languages 38:3 ► pp. 355 ff.
Ravyse, Natasha
2018. Against All Odds: The Survival of Fanagalo in South African Mines. Language Matters 49:1 ► pp. 3 ff.
Sibanda, Lucy & Mellony Graven
2018. Can mathematics assessments be considered valid if learners fail to access what is asked of them?. South African Journal of Childhood Education 8:1
Black, Steven P. & Elizabeth A. Falconi
2017. Linguistic Anthropology and Ethnolinguistics. In The Handbook of Linguistics, ► pp. 479 ff.
Divan, Jagals & van der Walt Marthie
2017. A South African Perspective on the Mathematics Curriculum. In International Perspectives on Mathematics Curriculum, ► pp. 165 ff.
Gora, Ruth Babra
2017. (Re-)Integrating African Languages into the Zimbabwean School Curriculum. In Re-thinking Postcolonial Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century, ► pp. 141 ff.
Möller, Jana & Beth le Roux
2017. Implementing constitutional language provisions through the Indigenous Language Publishing Programme. South African Journal of African Languages 37:2 ► pp. 203 ff.
Kamwangamalu, Nkonko M.
2016. Toward Prestige Planning for African Languages: A Response to the Language Question in Africa?. In Language Policy and Economics: The Language Question in Africa, ► pp. 157 ff.
Kamwangamalu, Nkonko M.
2016. The Language Question in Africa. In Language Policy and Economics: The Language Question in Africa, ► pp. 1 ff.
Koska, Geeta
2016. Corporate accountability in times of transition: the role of restorative justice in the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Restorative Justice 4:1 ► pp. 41 ff.
Mhlongo, Bonakele Y.
2016. Beyond The Policy Rhetoric: IsiZulu in a Dual-medium Postgraduate Language Teacher Programme. Studies of Tribes and Tribals 14:2 ► pp. 138 ff.
Abongdia, Jane-Francis Afungmeyu
2015. The Impact of a Monolingual Medium of Instruction in a Multilingual University in South Africa. International Journal of Educational Sciences 8:3 ► pp. 473 ff.
Kubayi, Sikheto Joe & RN Madadzhe
2015. The non-derived ideophone in Xitsonga. South African Journal of African Languages 35:2 ► pp. 261 ff.
Ndlovu, Eventhough
2015. Mother-Tongue Education in Venda: An Ethnolinguistic Vitality Critique. Language Matters 46:3 ► pp. 364 ff.
Ndlovu, Eventhough
2024. Language Planning and Policy in Zimbabwe: Past and Present. In The Palgrave Handbook of Language Policies in Africa, ► pp. 595 ff.
Berndt, Adele & Jane P. Wayland
2014. Evaluating the readability of marketing research textbooks: an international comparison. Journal of International Education in Business 7:1 ► pp. 47 ff.
Bokamba, Eyamba G.
2014. EricA. Anchimbe. Language Policy and Identity Construction: The Dynamics of Cameroon's Multilingualism (IMPACT: Studies in Language and Society, 32). Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 2013. xxiii + 250 pp. Hb (9789027218735) €99.00 / US$149.00.. Journal of Sociolinguistics 18:3 ► pp. 408 ff.
Coetzee-Van Rooy, Susan
2014. Explaining the ordinary magic of stable African multilingualism in the Vaal Triangle region in South Africa. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 35:2 ► pp. 121 ff.
Herman, Agatha
2014. Are We There Yet? Exploring Empowerment at the Microscale in the South African Wine Industry. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 46:8 ► pp. 1927 ff.
Hinskens, Frans
2014. The Lenition and Deletion of Medial Voiced Obstruents in Afrikaans: Some Internal, External, and Extralinguistic Factors. Journal of Germanic Linguistics 26:3 ► pp. 248 ff.
STELL, GERALD
2014. Uses and functions of English in Namibia's multiethnic settings. World Englishes 33:2 ► pp. 223 ff.
2013. The translation of cultural aspects in South African children's literature in Afrikaans and English: a micro-analysis. Perspectives 21:2 ► pp. 156 ff.
Moto, Francis
2013. Language, Power and Society. Language Matters 44:3 ► pp. 149 ff.
Napier, Astrid & Alfred H. Makura
2013. Students’ and Staff Perceptions of the Efficacy of English Language Literacy Support Programmes for Students at a Previously Disadvantaged Higher Education Institution in South Africa. International Journal of Educational Sciences 5:1 ► pp. 1 ff.
Rudwick, Stephanie & Andrea Parmegiani
2013. Divided loyalties: Zulu vis-à-vis English at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Language Matters 44:3 ► pp. 89 ff.
Bargueño, David P.
2012. The Politics of Language in Education: TheMikroCase in South Africa. Journal of Language, Identity & Education 11:1 ► pp. 1 ff.
Barnes, Lawrie
2012. The role of code-switching in the creation of an outsider identity in the bilingual film. Communicatio 38:3 ► pp. 247 ff.
Barnes, Lawrie
2012. The function and significance of code-switching in South African poetry. English Academy Review 29:2 ► pp. 70 ff.
Marten, Lutz & Carola Mostert
2012. Background languages, learner motivation and self-assessed progress in learning Zulu as an additional language in the UK. International Journal of Multilingualism 9:1 ► pp. 101 ff.
Ngcobo, Mtholeni N
2012. The constitutional dynamism of a multilingual language policy: A case of South Africa. South African Journal of African Languages 32:2 ► pp. 181 ff.
Orman, Jon
2012. Language and ‘new’ African migration to South Africa: an overview and some reflections on theoretical implications for policy and planning. Language Policy 11:4 ► pp. 301 ff.
Pooe, Antonio & L Labuschagne
2012. 2012 Information Security for South Africa, ► pp. 1 ff.
Webb, Lyn
2012. Multilingual teachers’ voices: Perceptions about the impact of language. Education as Change 16:2 ► pp. 231 ff.
Webb, Lyn
2015. Conflicting Perspectives of Power, Identity, Access and Language Choice in Multilingual Teachers’ Voices. In Selected Regular Lectures from the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education, ► pp. 843 ff.
Blumenau, Jeanine & Yvonne Broom
2011. Performance of South African Adolescents on Two Versions of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. South African Journal of Psychology 41:2 ► pp. 228 ff.
Brand, Gerrit
2011. African philosophy and the politics of language in Africa. Language Matters 42:2 ► pp. 173 ff.
Edwards, Viv & Jacob Marriote Ngwaru
2011. African language publishing for children in South Africa: challenges for translators. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 14:5 ► pp. 589 ff.
Milton, Viola Candice
2011. Speak ill of me … but speak, or How to be Afrikaans on the SABC. Communicatio 37:2 ► pp. 242 ff.
Mwaniki, Munene
2011. Language management in Africa: The dialectics of theory and practice. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 29:3 ► pp. 243 ff.
Mwaniki, Munene
2013. Language practice as games: Implications for sociology of translation in development contexts in Africa. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 31:4 ► pp. 481 ff.
Mwaniki, Munene
2017. Language management and devolved governance in Kenya. South African Journal of African Languages 37:2 ► pp. 211 ff.
Olivier, Jako
2011. Acknowledging and protecting language rights on SABC TV through the use of subtitles. Communicatio 37:2 ► pp. 225 ff.
Olivier, Jako
2011. Accommodating multilingualism in IT classrooms in the Free State province1. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 29:2 ► pp. 209 ff.
Posel, Dorrit & Jochen Zeller
2011. Home language and English language ability in South Africa: Insights from new data. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 29:2 ► pp. 115 ff.
Posel, Dorrit & Jochen Zeller
2016. Language shift or increased bilingualism in South Africa: evidence from census data. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 37:4 ► pp. 357 ff.
Posel, Dorrit & Jochen Zeller
2019. Language Use and Language Shift in Post-Apartheid South Africa. In English in Multilingual South Africa, ► pp. 288 ff.
Postma, Mariette & Dirk Postma
2011. Who is laughing last in the South African classroom? A critical reflection on language in education. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 29:1 ► pp. 43 ff.
Rwantabagu, Hermenegilde
2011. Tradition, globalisation and language dilemma in education: African options for the 21st century. International Review of Education 57:3-4 ► pp. 457 ff.
Rwantabagu, Hermenegilde
2011. Tradition, globalisation and language dilemma in education: African options for the 21st century. In Bordering, Re-Bordering and New Possibilities in Education and Society, ► pp. 457 ff.
Auleear Owodally, Ambarin Mooznah
2010. From home to school: bridging the language gap in Mauritian preschools. Language, Culture and Curriculum 23:1 ► pp. 15 ff.
Deumert, Ana
2010. Tracking the demographics of (urban) language shift – an analysis of South African census data. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 31:1 ► pp. 13 ff.
Deyi, Somikazi
2010. A multilingual approach to conceptual development in technical contexts. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 28:3 ► pp. 259 ff.
du Plessis, Theodorus
2010. Language planning from below: the case of the Xhariep District of the Free State Province. Current Issues in Language Planning 11:2 ► pp. 130 ff.
Mathebula, Nikiwe & Theodorus du Plessis
2010. Language policy-making in the Free State: an analysis of language policy activities between 1994 and 2007. Language Learning Journal 38:3 ► pp. 307 ff.
Ndimande-Hlongwa, Nobuhle, Robert J. Balfour, Nhlanhla Mkhize & Charlotte Engelbrecht
2010. Progress and challenges for language policy implementation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Language Learning Journal 38:3 ► pp. 347 ff.
Beukes, Anne-Marie
2009. Language policy incongruity and African languages in postapartheid South Africa. Language Matters 40:1 ► pp. 35 ff.
Deumert, Ana & Nkululeko Mabandla
2009. I-Dollar EYI One!1–Ethnolinguistic Fractionalisation, Communication Networks and Economic Participation–Lessons from Cape Town, South Africa. The Journal of Development Studies 45:3 ► pp. 412 ff.
Dyers, Charlyn
2009. Fromibharutoamajoin: translocation and language in a new South African township. Language and Intercultural Communication 9:4 ► pp. 256 ff.
Heugh, Kathleen
2009. Into the cauldron: An interplay of indigenous and globalised knowledge with strong and weak notions of literacy and language education in Ethiopia and South Africa. Language Matters 40:2 ► pp. 166 ff.
Ngcobo, Mtholeni
2009. The politics of compromise and language planning: The case of South Africa. Language Matters 40:2 ► pp. 205 ff.
2019. Afrikaans, Language of Oppression to Language of Freedom: ‘Dit is ons erns’. In Linguistic Legitimacy and Social Justice, ► pp. 243 ff.
Reagan, Timothy
2020. A twelfth official language? The constitutional future of South African Sign Language. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 38:1 ► pp. 73 ff.
Reagan, Timothy
2022. Wat is ’n Suid-Afrikaner? Constructions of Identity in the New South Africa
. In Language and Identity, ► pp. 411 ff.
Singh, Penny
2009. Trawling through language policy: practices and possibilities post-1994. Language Learning Journal 37:3 ► pp. 281 ff.
Bianco, Joseph Lo
2008. Bilingual Education and Socio‐Political Issues. In Encyclopedia of Language and Education, ► pp. 1499 ff.
Lo Bianco, Joseph
2004. Language Planning as Applied Linguistics. In The Handbook of Applied Linguistics, ► pp. 738 ff.
Madiba, Mbulungeni & Matome Mabiletja
2008. An evaluation of the implementation of the new Language-in-Education Policy (LiEP) in selected secondary schools of Limpopo Province. Language Matters 39:2 ► pp. 204 ff.
McLaughlin, Eric S.
2008. Book Review: Laitin, D. D. (2007). Nations, States, and Violence. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Comparative Political Studies 41:12 ► pp. 1657 ff.
Ndinga-Koumba-Binza, Hugues Steve
2007. Gabonese Language Landscape: Survey and perspectives. South African Journal of African Languages 27:3 ► pp. 97 ff.
Niesler, Thomas
2007. Language-dependent state clustering for multilingual acoustic modelling. Speech Communication 49:6 ► pp. 453 ff.
Reagan, T.G.
2007. Language-in-education policy in South Africa: The challenge of sign language. Africa Education Review 4:2 ► pp. 26 ff.
van Huyssteen, Gerhard B
2007. Designing an e-Learning System for Language Learning: A Case Study. In Innovations in E-learning, Instruction Technology, Assessment, and Engineering Education, ► pp. 105 ff.
Barkhuizen, Gary
2006. Immigrant Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Language Practices: Afrikaans Speakers Living in New Zealand. Language Awareness 15:2 ► pp. 63 ff.
Barkhuizen, Gary & Vivian de Klerk
2006. Imagined identities: Preimmigrants' narratives on language and identity. International Journal of Bilingualism 10:3 ► pp. 277 ff.
Barkhuizen, Gary & Ute Knoch
2006. Macro-Level policy and Micro-Level planning. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 29:1 ► pp. 3.1 ff.
Barkhuizen, Gary & Ute Knoch
2006. Macro-Level policy and Micro-Level planning. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 29:1 ► pp. 3.1 ff.
Reagan, Timothy, Claire Penn & Dale Ogilvy
2006. From policy to practice: sign language developments in post-apartheid South Africa. Language Policy 5:2 ► pp. 187 ff.
Deumert, Ana, Brett Inder & Pushkar Maitra
2005. Language, Informal Networks and Social Protection. Global Social Policy 5:3 ► pp. 303 ff.
Spolsky, Bernard
2005. Language in its social context. Journal of Baltic Studies 36:3 ► pp. 254 ff.
[no author supplied]
2009. Bibliography. In Language Matters, ► pp. 211 ff.
[no author supplied]
2013. Reference Guide for Varieties of English. In A Dictionary of Varieties of English, ► pp. 363 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 march 2026. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.
