Intellectualisation of African indigenous language at the University of the Free State and academic implications for the speakers

The University of the Free State Language Policy 2024 takes off from the premise that, firstly, students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, of which the majority come from a Sesotho language background. Secondly, when our students join the university, they are confronted by English as the med...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal for Language Teaching = Ijenali Yekufundzisa Lulwimi = Tydskrif vir Taalonderrig Vol. 58; no. 1; pp. 1 - 16
Main Authors Ngubane, Nomalungelo, Khohliso, Xolani
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published South African Association for Language Teaching (SAALT) 01.06.2024
Subjects
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

Loading…
Abstract The University of the Free State Language Policy 2024 takes off from the premise that, firstly, students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, of which the majority come from a Sesotho language background. Secondly, when our students join the university, they are confronted by English as the medium of instruction which is not their language, thus, it creates a barrier to effective learning. Thirdly, when our students join their specific disciplines, they are also confronted by unfamiliar environments of new disciplinary terminology and concepts which they are expected to learn and master in a foreign language. The language policy made a conscious commitment to develop and intellectualise Sesotho so that it becomes an academic language and a resource for supporting academic access and success for African students, in alignment with the Language Policy Framework for Higher Education 2020. This paper employs a literature-based methodological approach, focusing on a single university as a qualitative case study. Underpinned by the Language Management Theory, we argue that the African indigenous language, Sesotho, requires an effective and conscious process of intellectualisation. Strategies like terminology development are proposed to effectively support the learning of new concepts and theories across disciplines and thus reduce the burden imposed by English instruction among Sesotho speakers. The paper also argues that the intellectualisation of African languages in higher education is critical for ensuring that African students are not provided access without support in the persistent English monolingual higher education fraternity.
AbstractList The University of the Free State Language Policy 2024 takes off from the premise that, firstly, students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, of which the majority come from a Sesotho language background. Secondly, when our students join the university, they are confronted by English as the medium of instruction which is not their language, thus, it creates a barrier to effective learning. Thirdly, when our students join their specific disciplines, they are also confronted by unfamiliar environments of new disciplinary terminology and concepts which they are expected to learn and master in a foreign language. The language policy made a conscious commitment to develop and intellectualise Sesotho so that it becomes an academic language and a resource for supporting academic access and success for African students, in alignment with the Language Policy Framework for Higher Education 2020. This paper employs a literature-based methodological approach, focusing on a single university as a qualitative case study. Underpinned by the Language Management Theory, we argue that the African indigenous language, Sesotho, requires an effective and conscious process of intellectualisation. Strategies like terminology development are proposed to effectively support the learning of new concepts and theories across disciplines and thus reduce the burden imposed by English instruction among Sesotho speakers. The paper also argues that the intellectualisation of African languages in higher education is critical for ensuring that African students are not provided access without support in the persistent English monolingual higher education fraternity.
Author Ngubane, Nomalungelo
Khohliso, Xolani
Author_xml – sequence: 1
  givenname: Nomalungelo
  surname: Ngubane
  fullname: Ngubane, Nomalungelo
  organization: University of the Free State, South Africa
– sequence: 2
  givenname: Xolani
  surname: Khohliso
  fullname: Khohliso, Xolani
  organization: Central University of Technology, South Africa
BookMark eNotj8FOwzAQRC1UJErpD3DyDwRsJ06cY1UoVELiAOVqbexN6-I6Ve1U4sifkwCn1c7OPM1ek0noAhJyy9mdLIWS93ufPjovlYuRQylVcUGmopYqq3PBJmTKhKyzWlbsisxjdM2wc14XLJ-S73VI6D2a1IN3EZLrAu1aumhPzkCgLli3xdD1kXoI2x62SCHRtEO6Ce6Mp-jS1xgYldUJkb4lSIMnWAoGLB6coe5w9ANtZEfadqdfczwifA75G3LZgo84_58zslk9vi-fs5fXp_Vy8ZIZzgqZ1WC5sEKUDRheq5YJBkoYkGVVgMRKcKtsrtAWJeSmaaoWWGGbnKOteMEhn5GHP26ExgVMOgIe-0bvUjpGvbNe74bSHvV440wKpnFv9Ph10mepdOAaZP4DHUh2Nw
ContentType Journal Article
DBID AEIZH
JRA
DOI 10.56285/jltVol58iss1a6584
DatabaseName Sabinet:Open Access
Sabinet Open Access Journals
DatabaseTitleList
Database_xml – sequence: 1
  dbid: JRA
  name: Sabinet Open Access Journals
  url: http://www.journals.co.za/content/collection/open-access
  sourceTypes: Publisher
DeliveryMethod fulltext_linktorsrc
EISSN 2958-9320
EndPage 16
ExternalDocumentID https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-langt_v58_n1_a5
GroupedDBID AEIZH
ALMA_UNASSIGNED_HOLDINGS
JRA
SCVUT
SUGNK
ID FETCH-LOGICAL-c1045-9ad12d226bac198f020a82ca5674a5e721d8d38ed46a3cbb7fa04db31ed7141a3
IEDL.DBID JRA
ISSN 0259-9570
IngestDate Wed Nov 13 09:24:30 EST 2024
IsDoiOpenAccess true
IsOpenAccess true
IsPeerReviewed false
IsScholarly true
Issue 1
Language English
LinkModel DirectLink
MergedId FETCHMERGED-LOGICAL-c1045-9ad12d226bac198f020a82ca5674a5e721d8d38ed46a3cbb7fa04db31ed7141a3
OpenAccessLink https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-langt_v58_n1_a5
PageCount 16
ParticipantIDs sabinet_saepub_https_hdl_handle_net_10520_ejc_langt_v58_n1_a5
PublicationCentury 2000
PublicationDate 20240601
PublicationDateYYYYMMDD 2024-06-01
PublicationDate_xml – month: 06
  year: 2024
  text: 20240601
  day: 01
PublicationDecade 2020
PublicationTitle Journal for Language Teaching = Ijenali Yekufundzisa Lulwimi = Tydskrif vir Taalonderrig
PublicationYear 2024
Publisher South African Association for Language Teaching (SAALT)
Publisher_xml – name: South African Association for Language Teaching (SAALT)
SSID ssib025119403
ssib056692392
ssib000640576
ssib051329836
Score 2.30891
Snippet The University of the Free State Language Policy 2024 takes off from the premise that, firstly, students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, of which the...
SourceID sabinet
SourceType Publisher
StartPage 1
SubjectTerms African languages
Higher education
indigenous Sesotho language
Intellectualisation
language management theory
Terminology development
Title Intellectualisation of African indigenous language at the University of the Free State and academic implications for the speakers
URI https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-langt_v58_n1_a5
Volume 58
hasFullText 1
inHoldings 1
isFullTextHit
isPrint
link http://utb.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwpZ09T8MwEIatUhYWBALEtzywWo1rO7EHhgq1qpDKgCjqFp1jR2qpUtSGFYl_zjlJP-jKkiG2peguyj127r0j5EEKYQB4zHSsPJNKe2Yzk7DcGWml7QpIgnZ49BIPx_J5oiYtEq21MHv1BXhI0-j4WcbC8R1aX-m04CmoA3KIkV1WXctfe3_-S6ltgA38bHYKzqnQVl2LzTiyDAJO1TkZ5xpmVBLVyhoVpIWd2bx8X8yVRhtwCLEaKTlUvsVH24lCgxNy3OAj7dX-PiUtX5yRn10tSJOeQxc5rXsAFXS6qcVK18eTFEqK6Ee3eRlhQbgzWHpPKwSlaCAKTf48ne6knlMk3Wry6tPDB64_J-NB_-1pyJrWCizD_ZdiBhzvOkQvCxk3OkdoBN3NQMWJBOVxW-i0E9o7GYPIrE1yiKSzgnuXcMlBXJB2sSj8JaHhVyNY45XPHNKINMIlCmyU5RK_FdpfkcfGZOkKgtCvUhKtUvR0Wns6DWOVp1P0dLrn6et_rr8hR10EkTq965a0y-WXv0OQKO199e7gdfTd_wXDl8pS
link.rule.ids 314,780,784,27924,27925,39242
linkProvider Sabinet Online Ltd.
openUrl ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fsummon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Intellectualisation+of+African+indigenous+language+at+the+University+of+the+Free+State+and+academic+implications+for+the+speakers&rft.jtitle=Journal+for+Language+Teaching+%3D+Ijenali+Yekufundzisa+Lulwimi+%3D+Tydskrif+vir+Taalonderrig&rft.au=Ngubane%2C+Nomalungelo&rft.au=Khohliso%2C+Xolani&rft.date=2024-06-01&rft.pub=South+African+Association+for+Language+Teaching+%28SAALT%29&rft.issn=0259-9570&rft.eissn=2958-9320&rft.volume=58&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=1&rft.epage=16&rft_id=info:doi/10.56285%2FjltVol58iss1a6584&rft.externalDocID=https%3A%2F%2Fhdl.handle.net%2F10520%2Fejc-langt_v58_n1_a5
thumbnail_l http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/lc.gif&issn=0259-9570&client=summon
thumbnail_m http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/mc.gif&issn=0259-9570&client=summon
thumbnail_s http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/sc.gif&issn=0259-9570&client=summon