Perspectives of black students on the use of the mother tongue at higher education institutions in South Africa (original) (raw)

2013

Abstract

Research indicates that mother tongue is an important medium of learning. It is also perceived as a medium of identity formation. The first six years of schooling are critical years in the development of the child. These are the years that are crucial in making certain that the child is educated in a familiar medium. A study was conducted among African students at two institutions, one a formerly white institution, and the other a formerly black institution, to determine the level of usage of their respective mother tongues (African languages) on campus in and outside of the lecture hall. Language is a situated practice and is reordered differently depending on different spaces. The ethos, culture and character of each institution determine to a large extent how language identities are constructed and actualised. Whilst all students have high regard for mother tongue, those at formerly white higher education (HE) institutions feel that speaking mother tongue there had a discriminato...

Nkidi Phatudi hasn't uploaded this paper.

Let Nkidi know you want this paper to be uploaded.

Ask for this paper to be uploaded.