Record Details

Exploring multilingualism at the national department levels in South Africa post the Use of Official Languages Act of 2012

Literator

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Exploring multilingualism at the national department levels in South Africa post the Use of Official Languages Act of 2012
 
Creator Mohlahlo, Abel L. Ditsele, Thabo
 
Subject Sociolinguistics multilingualism; language policy and planning; language attitudes; national departments; South Africa
Description The main objective of this article is to explore how multilingualism (i.e. the use of three or more languages) is practised at the level of national departments in South Africa since the passing of new language legislation called the Use of Official Languages Act (No. 12 of 2012). In support of this main objective, the article seeks to establish the attitudes held towards languages and official multilingualism (i.e. multilingualism which is recognised by government) by national departments’ employees responsible for matters related to language and communication. It also seeks to establish the perception of the general public on how public servants treat language when communicating with them. Data were gathered through document analyses, survey questionnaires (completed by employees at two national departments), and face-to-face interviews (with members of the public). Participants (i.e. national departments’ employees and members of the public) held positive attitudes towards official multilingualism by supporting the development and use of all 11 official languages, particularly the historically marginalised Black South African languages (BSALs). Also, as far as these two national departments are concerned, the Use of Official Languages Act (No. 12 of 2012) was yet to be fully implemented as per its objects set out in its Preamble, as the language policies developed by these national departments were yet to be implemented.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2022-01-31
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Survey/Interview —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/lit.v43i1.1819
 
Source Literator; Vol 43, No 1 (2022); 9 pages Literator; Vol 43, No 1 (2022); 9 pages 2219-8237 0258-2279
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://literator.org.za/index.php/literator/article/view/1819/3585 https://literator.org.za/index.php/literator/article/view/1819/3586 https://literator.org.za/index.php/literator/article/view/1819/3587 https://literator.org.za/index.php/literator/article/view/1819/3588
 
Coverage South Africa — first language; sex; age group; highest qualification; designation
Rights Copyright (c) 2022 Abel L. Mohlahlo, Thabo Ditsele https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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