Cover not available

Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 46:3 (2022) ► pp.318–348

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
EPUB logo with download linkDownload EPUB
authorization required

Between two fires

Linguistic justice vs language policy at a South African higher education institution

ORCiD logo with link | North-West University
 | North-West University
Published online: 10 October 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.21053.rav
Abstract
This article focuses on the advocacy of social justice through the implementation of language policies in South African universities. Noting the multilingual complexity of South Africa with 11
official languages and the intricacies surrounding South Africa’s political and sociocultural borders, the submission explores the advocacy of social justice in informing the reappraisal and the ensuing implementation of such a language policy by exploring constitutive dimensions (specifically identity) and instrumental dimensions (non-identity/functional aspects) from a linguistic justice perspective. The institution used as a case study is the North-West University (NWU) which is a by-product of three campuses that were merged in 2004. The authors use survey data eliciting opinions about revising the institution’s language policy. Central to the analysis is how linguistic justice could be exercised in consideration of constitutive vs instrumental dimensions based on the work of De Schutter, H. (2007). Language policy and political philosophy: On the emerging linguistic justice debate. Language Problems and Language Planning, 31(1), 1–23. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar. With 20, 000 responses, the authors used a qualitative analysis, supplemented by frequencies, to tease apart identity and non-identity aspects to determine which of these had a closer relationship with linguistic justice and the selected institution’s language policy. The results of this study aim to offer insight into future revisions of higher education language policies in order to fulfil the mandate of linguistic justice.
Tshobokanyo
Magareng ga melelo e mebedi: Bosiamisi jwa puo fa e bapisiwa le pholisi ya dipuo kwa ditheong tse dikgolo tsa thuto tsa Aforika Borwa
Athikele eno e itebagantse le go buelela bosiamisi jwa loago ka go tsenya mo tirisong pholisi ya dipuo mo diunibesething tsa Aforika Borwa. Ka go lemoga marara a bontsipuo jwa Aforika Borwa e e nang le dipuo tsa semmuso di le 11
le matswakabele a sepolotiki sa Aforika Borwa mmogo le melelwane ya tsa seloago le dingwao, patlisi e lebelela puelelo ya bosiamisi jwa loago ka go rotloetsa tekolosesha le go tsweledisa tirigatso ya pholisi ya dipuo ka go leba dikarolo tsa botlhokwa (segolo boitshupo) le tse dingwe tse di tlhotllheletsang (dintlha tsa botlhokwa tse eseng tsa boitshupo) ka leitlho la bosiamisi jwa puo. Tlhotlhomiso e tla dirwa mo Unibesithi ya Bokone-Bophirima (YBB) e e bopilweng ke dikhamphase tse tharo tse di neng tsa kopangwa ka ngwaga wa 2004. Bakwadi ba tla dirisa dinewane tsa kadisiso ya patlo maikutlo ka ga go leba sesha pholisi ya dipuo ya setheo. Sa botlhokwa go tshekatsheko eno ke go netefatsa gore bosiamisi jwa puo bo ka diragadiwa jang go lebeletswe dikarolo tsa botlhokwa le tse di tlhotlheletsang go ikaegilwe ka ditiro tsa ga De Schutter, H. (2007). Language policy and political philosophy: On the emerging linguistic justice debate. Language Problems and Language Planning, 31(1), 1–23. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar. Ka dikarabo tsa dipatlisiso tse 20,000 bakwadi ba dirisitse tshekatsheko ya khwalitheitifi, o tlaleletswa ke go ipoeletsa ga dinewa, go farologanya boitshupo le dintlha tse eseng tsa boitshupo go lemoga gore ke dife tse di nang le kamano e e gaufi le bosiamisi jwa puo le mo dikaralo tse di tlhophilweng tsa pholisi ya dipuo ya setheo. Diphitlhelelo tsa patlisiso eno di ikaelela go neela dipaakanyo tsa isago tsa dipholisi tsa dipuo tsa thuto e kgolwane ka ditemogo gore go tle go diragadiwe taolelo ya bosiamisi jwa puo.
Resumo
La artikolo fokusiĝas je rekomendado de socia justeco per realigo de lingvopolitikoj en sudafrikaj universitatoj. Notante la multlingvan kompleksecon de Sudafriko kun ties 11 oficialaj lingvoj kaj la komplikojn ĉirkaŭ la sudafrikaj politikaj kaj socikulturaj limoj, la referaĵo priesploras la rekomendadon de socia justeco en formiĝo de la repritakso kaj posta realigo de tia lingvopolitiko, tion farante per ekzameno de la konsistigaj dimensioj (specife: identeco) kaj instrumentaj dimensioj (ne-identecaj aŭ funkciaj aspektoj) el la perspektivo de lingva justeco. La institucio uzata kiel studokazo estas North-West University (NWU), kiu estas flanka produkto de tri kampusoj kiujn oni kunigis en 2004. La aŭtoroj uzas enketorezultojn kiuj eligis opiniojn pri refaro de la lingvopolitiko de la institucio. Kerna en la analizo estas la maniero laŭ kiu lingva justeco povus aplikiĝi en konsidero de (unuflanke) la konsistiga kaj (aliflanke) la instrumenta dimensioj, surbaze de la esploroj de De Schutter, H. (2007). Language policy and political philosophy: On the emerging linguistic justice debate. Language Problems and Language Planning, 31(1), 1–23. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar. Rikoltinte 20 000 respondojn, la aŭtoroj uzis kvalitan analizon, suplementatan de oftecoj, por disfibri la identecajn disde la ne-identecajn aspektojn por decidi kiuj aspektoj havas pli proksiman rilaton kun lingva justeco kaj la lingvopolitiko de la selektita institucio. La rezultoj de la studo celas proponi enrigardon al estontaj reredaktoj de lingvopolitikoj en supera edukado cele al plenumo de la mandato de lingva justeco.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Linguistic justice and language policy
  • Language policy in South African public higher education institutions
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Qualitative approach
  • Results and discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (69)
References
Alcalde, J. (2018). Linguistic justice: An interdisciplinary overview of the literature. Language Policy and Linguistic Justice, 65–149. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Alexander, N. (2004). The politics of language planning in post-apartheid South Africa. Language Problems and Language Planning, 28(2), 113–130. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Altbach, P. G. (2005, May 23–May 25). The political economy of international higher education cooperation: Structural realities and global inequalities. [Paper presentation]. Nuffic Conference on ‘A Changing Landscape’, The Netherlands. [URL]
Avineri, N., Graham, L. R., Johnson, E. J., Riner, R. C., & Rosa, J. (Eds.). (2019). Language and social justice in practice. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bangani, S. (2018). The linguistic-cultural impact of the institutional repository of North-West University, South Africa. African Journal of Library, Archives & Information Science, 28(2), 159–209.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blommaert, J. (2006). Language policy and national identity. In: T. Ricento (Ed.), An introduction to language policy: Theory and method (pp. 238–254). Blackwell Publishing.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bonotti, M., & Chríost, D. (2019). Introduction: Linguistic justice in an interdisciplinary context. Sociolinguistica, 33(1), 1–8. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Harvard University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brock-Utne, B. (2001). Education for all – in whose language? Oxford review of education, 27(1), 115–134. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brubaker, R., & Cooper, F. (2000). Beyond “identity”. Theory and Society, 29(1), 1–47. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bunting, I. (2006). The higher education landscape under apartheid. In Transformation in higher education (pp. 35–52). Springer, Dordrecht. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cele, N. (2021). Understanding language policy as a tool for access and social inclusion in South African Higher Education: a critical policy analysis perspective. South African Journal of Higher Education, 35(6), 25–46. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Corson, D. (1996). Language, minority education and gender: Linking social justice and power. Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
DeGraff, M. (2020). Toward racial justice in linguistics: The case of Creole studies (Response to Charity Hudley et al.). Language, 96(4), e292–e306. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
De Schutter, H., & Robichaud, D. (2015). Van Parijsian linguistic justice–context, analysis and critiques. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 18(2), 87–112. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Docrat, Z., & Kaschula, R. H. (2015). ‘Meaningful engagement’: Towards a language rights paradigm for effective language policy implementation. South African Journal of African Languages, 35(1), 1–9. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
eNCA. (2014). Language debate continues in SA schools. [URL] Accessed 25 May 2022.
Fearon, J. D. (1999). What is identity (as we now use the word)? Unpublished manuscript, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
García, O. (2009). Education, multilingualism and translanguaging in the 21st century. Social justice through multilingual education, pp.140–158. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gazzola, M., Templin, T., & Wickström, B. (eds.). (2018). Language policy and linguistic justice. Economic, philosophical and sociolinguistic approaches. Springer International Publishing. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gobbo, F. (2018). How to measure linguistic justice: theoretical considerations and the South Tyrol case study of the Calvet Language Barometer. In P. Kraus, & F. Grin (Eds.), The politics of multilingualism: Europeanisation, globalisation and linguistic governance (pp. 145–165). John Benjamins Publishing Company. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Granville, S., Janks, H., Mphahlele, M., Reed, Y., Watson, P., Joseph, M., & Ramani, E. (1998). English with or without g(u)ilt: A position paper on language in education policy for South Africa. Language and Education, 12(4), 254–272. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grin, F. (2006). Economic considerations in language policy. An introduction to language policy: Theory and method, pp.77–94.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2011). Using territoriality to support genuine linguistic diversity, not to get rid of it. The linguistic territoriality principle: Right violation or parity of esteem, pp.28–33.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Head, T. (2022). South Africa is getting a new official language – taking us up to 12! The South African. [URL] Accessed: 27 May 2022.
Hornberger, N. H. (1998). Language policy, language education, language rights: Indigenous, immigrant, and international perspectives. Language in Society, 27(4), 439–458. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kymlicka, W. (1995). Multicultural citizenship. A liberal theory of minority rights. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kymlicka, W., & Patten, A. (2003). Language rights and political theory. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 23(1), 3–21. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Margalit, A., & Raz, J. (1995). National self-determination. In W. Kymlicka (Ed.), The rights of minority cultures (pp. 439–461). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mayaba, N. N., Ralarala, M. K., & Angu, P. (2018). Student voice: Perspectives on language and critical pedagogy in South African higher education. Educational Research for Social Change, 7(1), 1–12. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mkhize, D., & Balfour, R. 2017. Language rights in education in South Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 31(6), 133–150. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mowbray, J. (2012). Linguistic justice: International law and language policy. Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mwaniki, M. (2012). Language and social justice in South Africa’s higher education: insights from a South African university. Language and Education, 26(3), 213–232. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Namyalo, S., & Nakayiza, J. (2015). Dilemmas in implementing language rights in multilingual Uganda. Current Issues in Language Planning, 16(4), 409–424. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
North-West University. 2020. Our unique language policy. [URL]
Orman, J. (2008). Language policy and nation-building in post-apartheid South Africa (Vol. 101). Springer Science & Business Media.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ortega, L. (2020). The study of heritage language development from a bilingualism and social justice perspective. Language Learning, 701, 15–53. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Patten, A. (2001). Political theory and language policy. Political Theory, 29(5), 683–707. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Perry, T. (2004). The case of the toothless watchdog: Language rights and ethnic mobilization in South Africa. Ethnicities, 4(4), 501–521. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Prah, K. K. (2008, May 2–May 3). The language of instruction conundrum in Africa (Keynote address), Implications of Language for Peace and Development (IMPLAN). University of Oslo.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ravyse, N. (2018). Against All Odds: The Survival of Fanagalo in South African Mines. Language Matters, 49(1), 3–24. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rawls, J. (1999). A theory of justice. Harvard University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Reagan, T., Penn, C., & Ogilvy, D. (2006). From policy to practice: Sign language developments in post-apartheid South Africa. Language Policy, 5(2), 187–208. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Reddy, T. (2004). Higher education and social transformation: South Africa case study. Pretoria, South Africa: Council on Higher Education.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rhodes University. Language policy. [URL]
Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (2006). Language policy and linguistic human rights. In T. Ricento (Ed.), An introduction to language policy: Theory and method (pp.273–291). Blackwell Publishing.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Skutnabb-Kangas, T., & Phillipson, R. (Eds). (1994). Linguistic human rights: Overcoming linguistic discrimination. Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sol Plaatje University. General rules and information book. [URL]
Stellenbosch University. 2018. Language at SU. [URL] Date of access: 1 Sep. 2021.
Tan, Y. (2018 July 5–July 10). Linguistic imperialism meets linguistic justice: Coming to terms with new English worlds. ICL20 [Conference]. Cape Town, South Africa.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Taylor, C. (1994). The politics of recognition. In A. Gutmann (Ed.), Multiculturalism and the politics of recognition (pp.25–73). Princeton University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ugwu, E. O. (2020). Language policy and planning in Nigeria: moving beyond rhetoric. Language Problems and Language Planning, 44(1), 1–9. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
University of Cape Town. (2013). University of Cape Town Language Policy. [URL]
University of Kwazulu-Natal. (2006). Language policy of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. [URL]
University of Limpopo. (2021). Admission requirements. [URL]
University of Pretoria. (n.d). Language policy. [URL]
University of the Free State. (2016). University of the Free State language policy. [URL]
University of the Witwatersrand. (2020). Wits Language Policy. [URL]
Van Parijs, P. (2004). Europe’s Linguistic Challenge. European Journal of Sociology, 45(1), 113–154. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2010). Linguistic justice and the territorial imperative. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 13(1), 181–202. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2011). Linguistic Justice for Europe and for the World. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2012). On linguistic territoriality and Belgium’s linguistic future. In P. Popelier, D. Sinardet, J. Velaers, & B. Cantillon (Eds.), België: Quo Vadis? Waarheen na de zesde staatshervorming ? (pp. 35–60). Intersentia.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Webb, V. (2009). Multilingualism in South Africa: The challenge to below. Language Matters, 40(2), 190–204. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wee, L. (2010). Language without rights. Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Weinstock, D. (2003). The antinomy of language rights. In W. Kymlicka & A. Patten (Eds.), Language rights and political theory (pp. 250–270). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zikode, N. P. (2017). An evaluation of the implementation of the language policy for higher education: African languages as medium of instruction at selected South African universities (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria).
Zembylas, M., & Keet, A. (2019). Critical human rights education: Advancing social-justice-oriented educational praxes (Vol. 131). Springer Nature. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Nakhooda, Muhammad, Helena Kruger-Roux & Ignatius Khan Ticha
2025. Multilingual Pedagogies for Student Access across Diverse Curricula. In Bilingualism and Multilingualism - An Interdisciplinary Perspective [Working Title], DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 27 november 2025. 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.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue