English as Medium of Instruction: Epistemic Violence or Enabling Violation

• Published in: English in Africa Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 11 - 109
• Main Author: Chetty, Rajendra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Grahamstown Institute for the Study of English in Africa 01.12.2024
• Subjects: African languages; Alternative approaches; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Colonial languages; Colonialism; Consciousness; Critical race theory; Cultural capital; Curricula; Education policy; English language; Epistemology; Exclusion; Higher education; Indigenous languages; Knowledge; Language; Learning; Literacy; Local knowledge; Medium of instruction; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Politics; Race; Schools; Students; Transnationalism; Violence; Xenophobia; South Africa

It is evident that African countries viewed colonial languages like English as significant for development, and schools and universities placed greater value on English to the detriment of local languages. The exclusion of indigenous knowledge in favour of Western ways of knowing and languages is a...