The hegemony of English in Primary school education : South Africa's language identity struggle

Abstract

Contemporary society has seen the English language rise to great heights. It has become the most important language in trade, industry and education. In South Africa, speakers of Indigenous African Languages (IALs) consider English to be indispensable for economic emancipation, despite only a small percentage of the population being fully versed in the language. Moreover, the status of English as a global language and its reputation as the language of opportunity has been reported by researchers as being an enticing incentive for parents to opt for English for their children. However, the hegemony of English has been reported to have adverse effects on IALs and, importantly, on learners in term of their use of the language in the education sector. Despite the many years of enquiry and the numerous policies drafted, mother-tongue education remains an ideal that has not been achieved and English continues to dominate. Therefore, it is important to investigate the current state of affairs and to identify the definite the whys and wherefores of the English hegemony. This minidissertation shows that South Africa?s language history impacts greatly on parents? choices of language of learning and teaching (LoLT); it makes various recommendations for creating a sound and successful education system.