(2020). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 51, Language Politics in Africa, pp. 1-3.

Abstract The goal of the study reported on in this article was to determine whether the current biliteracy programme in Ghana (National Literacy Acceleration Program or NALAP) and the medium of instruction are considered as factors contributing to language and literacy learning of public school students according to teachers and parents. The target group (n = 126) consisted of 63 teachers and 63 parents

Abstract An evaluation of the link between the promotion of social cohesion and the introduction of a compulsory isiZulu language module for non-mother-tongue speakers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal was reported on in a quantitative study by Naidoo, Gokool, and Ndebele (2018). This follow-up study explores and describes students’ attitudes to the module, focussing specifically on attitudes towards

Abstract This article investigates the strategies that were adopted for the revitalisation of Tonga, an endangered, marginalised language in Zimbabwe. Using Yamamoto's (1998) nine-factor model for language revitalisation, the article analyses the strategies adopted by the marginalised Tonga ethnic group in Zimbabwe to revitalise their language. It argues that the Tonga revitalisation initiative was

Abstract The South African Parliament’s Constitutional Review Committee recommended in 2017 that South African Sign Language (SASL) be declared the country’s 12th official language and that the Constitution be amended accordingly. Since the officialisation of a language entails its routinised use in official language domains and functions, one would expect this to be applicable to SASL. This would

Abstract The language barrier continues to compromise adequate healthcare delivery in multilingual healthcare systems. This makes language an important issue for the policy agenda in such systems. This article highlights the silence of selected South African health policies on managing the language barrier in healthcare. The analysis establishes that the selected policies make limited provisions, if

Abstract This study analyses written and spoken corpora of three South African political party leaders (Jacob Zuma of the African National Congress [ANC], Mmusi Maimane of the Democratic Alliance [DA], and Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters [EFF]) in different discourse contexts. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect the data, while Critical Discourse Analysis and text analysis constituted

(2020). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 1-2.

Abstract This study discusses Kasietaal, a continuum of language practices associated with youth in the low-income areas of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. To what extent does Kasietaal fit the description of an urban youth speech style or of a new lingua franca? To answer this question, this study discusses sociolinguistic perceptions of younger and older residents of Katutura, Windhoek's historically

Abstract Increased multilingualism and mobility have witnessed an increased focus on multilingual immigrant learners. This study aims to help educators understand experiences of immigrant students in South Africa that relate to language and identity by comparing such experiences across three different school settings: an urban school with a high (Black) immigrant and indigenous population, a former

Abstract Afrikaans has two degree modifiers translatable as “much,” “many,” or “a lot,” namely veel and baie. However, the default excessive and equative constructions in Afrikaans are te veel (too much) and ewe veel (as much), not te baie and ewe baie. This article argues that veel is dominant in these constructions because the atypical/marked status of te baie and ewe baie can lend these formulations

Abstract New lexical items have entered the Igbo lexicon through the indigenous music of the Igbo people. This study aims to explicate how cultural and linguistic resources are harnessed by Igbo indigenous musicians in creating new expressions to convey new ideas, and how these expressions diffuse into the mainstream lexicon of the language. A total of 19 innovated words from 10 musicians both from

Abstract This article examines the status of translation and interpretation as disciplines and professions in Zimbabwe. A critical appraisal of both past and present Zimbabwean language policy documents, triangulated with data from semi- structured interviews and observations, reveals that the two disciplines and professions are still in their formative stages despite their long history. It emerged

Abstract Likpakpaln is a little-described Mabia (Gur) language of northern Ghana. Drawing on primary data, this first study of adjectives in Likpakpaln concludes that the language has a small, closed adjective class of about 20 members that shares grammatical properties with nouns and verbs to varying degrees. Contrary to what is the case in other Mabia languages, Likpakpaln adjectives lack inherent

Abstract The Nigerian youth language phenomenon has often been labelled, albeit reductively, as Pidgin or Pidgin-based—to the exclusion of other varieties which co-constitute the ecology of youth argots in the country. Drawing on the notion of indexicality, this article presents a range of Pidgin and non-Pidgin exemplars and illuminates their linguistic as well as discursive strategies. Though ostensibly

(2020). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 1-2.

Abstract South Africa is home to the world’s largest population of rhinoceroses. Over the past decade there has been a dramatic increase in the number of rhinos poached for their horns. These horns are smuggled out of South Africa and sold on the black markets of Southeast Asia, either as a party drug or as traditional medicine. The aim of this article is to analyse news reports on rhino poaching by

Abstract The article presents a netnographic study in the area of language and media studies. The purpose of the study was to identify challenges faced by Ndau users on the Rekete ChiNdau—Leave a Legacy Facebook page. Using an ethnolinguistic vitality model to explore speaker-writers’ motivations for online civic engagement, the article provides evidence that the group encounters several orthographic

Abstract Literacy in the early years is crucial but attained amidst various challenges, especially in the Global South. Based on fieldwork conducted in October 2018 in four primary schools in Gulu district, Acoli region, northern Uganda, this study investigates school characteristics and facilities available to learners and teachers to scaffold the acquisition of literacy in the early years of schooling

(2020). Kora: A Lost Language of the Early Cape and the Gariep. Language Matters: Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 113-119.

Abstract South Africa is a country with 11 official languages. However, teaching and learning in South African universities continue to be dominated by a language that was imposed by colonialism. Drawing on a broader doctoral study which explores students’ experiences of (de)coloniality in post-apartheid education, this article reports on how access to education is hindered by the absence of indigenous

(2019). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 50, Language Politics in Africa, pp. 1-3.

Abstract This article reviews published research on South African learner corpora, focussing on available corpora and a synthesis of research themes and findings. Previous corpora for English amount to 4.2 million words of undergraduate writing and 1.85 million words for Afrikaans. Research yielded findings on cohesion, coherence, metadiscourse, grammatical features, vocabulary, spelling errors, and

Abstract This article uses a case study to interrogate the politics of French in Africa. It examines French involvement in the Rwandan Civil War (1990–1994), and argues that by conceptualising institutions such as La Francophonie as “cultural” bodies, we risk obscuring their properly political functions. Through a consideration of the history of language in French colonial thought, and the translation

Abstract This article investigates the motivation behind the Tonga people’s initiation of the language revitalisation process. It is based on research conducted in the Binga District, which was the epicentre of the Tonga language revitalisation project in the Zambezi Valley. The participants in the study were purposively sampled from various stakeholders in the project, inter alia, traditional chiefs

(2019). New Frontiers in Forensic Linguistics: Themes and Perspectives in Language and Law in Africa and Beyond. Language Matters: Vol. 50, Language Politics in Africa, pp. 90-92.

Abstract Vocabulary development is positively associated with reading development, reading comprehension and academic achievement. This article explores how integrating storybook reading with explicit, interactive vocabulary instruction affects Grade 1 second-language vocabulary acquisition. The study participants comprised 69 Grade 1 English second- language learners from three classes in two schools

(2019). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 1-2.

Abstract This article examines the effectiveness of computer-assisted language instruction using Mavis Computel’s English–Yoruba talking books and pen. Using a developmental design, 21 children, aged 10, from highly educated Yoruba families were divided into an experimental and a control group. The groups were subjected to a study session in the same venue and at the same time but in different classes

Abstract The current Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) officially ended Ndau's status as a dialect of Shona by recognising it as a separate language. The linguistic status of Ndau has been debated since Clement Doke's unification of Shona dialects in 1931. The question “Is Ndau a dialect of Shona or rather a separate language?” has proven disputable in academia. This intellectual debate exposes the extent

Abstract This article reports on an evaluation of the Sepedi Helper (http://www.sepedihelper.co.za/), an online writing assistant. The focus of the evaluation is on the verbal moods in Sepedi (Northern Sotho). The evaluation takes the form of a user study, and data collection was done by means of a questionnaire, administered to 81 first- and second-year students at a tertiary institution who do not

Abstract African writers represent and reflect their cultural and sociolinguistic realities in their writings in spite of the necessity of acceding to the globalising and hegemonic dictates of English. This linguistic hybridisation is asserted through the use of indigenous linguistic practices. This article studies the use of proverbs and its relationship with power and politics in Femi Osofisan's

Abstract The literature on language, immigration and the labour market mostly links destination language proficiency to higher earnings. Thus, it emphasises economic motivation for immigrants’ destination language learning. A questionnaire with open-ended and close- ended questions was used to survey 100 Ghanaian immigrants living in Johannesburg with regard to factors that stimulate or impede the

Abstract This study addresses the question of how multilectal behaviours can become stylistically functional. It proposes as a case study informal multilectal behaviours in Namibia, where indigenous languages co-exist with English and Afrikaans, the country’s lingua francas. The data involve informal intra-ethnic interactions featuring five Namibian ethnicities. A turn-by- turn analysis seeks to establish

Abstract The expectation of the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) of Uganda is that, using a thematic curriculum, learners in rural schools will learn at least 800 English words after three years of instruction in the language as a subject. This article draws on available literature on vocabulary learning by children and on results from a study conducted in four rural Ugandan primary schools

Abstract In 2018 there were demands for the creation of new regional states in Ethiopia by ethnolinguistic groups seeking greater self-determination. Two examples of this were the Sidama and Wolaita, with some members of the latter advocating for the creation of an “Omotic Peoples” regional state. The idea of Omotic unification is not new to southern Ethiopia. When the amalgamated language of Wogagoda

(2019). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 1-2.

Abstract The Zimbabwean land reform programme’s inception and impact have been studied from various disciplinary perspectives chronicling and profiling its negatives and positives. However, very few discourse-linguistic studies have been carried out on this topic, even though the media is evaluative in its reporting of relevant news. The media’s digestion and subjectivity in news reporting is well

Abstract The study explored how Spanish is learnt at a South African university by analysing students’ self-reports on the use of language learning strategies. A mixed methods design was used. Considering that learning a foreign language poses particular and distinct challenges (as opposed to learning a second language), special attention was paid to aspects related to the learners’ ability to learn

Abstract While Zimbabwe's 2013 Constitution officially recognises previously marginalised languages, existing studies expose the dominance of Shona and Ndebele in the public domain. Among existing newspapers, only two use indigenous languages. These are Kwayedza and Umthunywa, which publish in Shona and Ndebele respectively. However, presently Kwayedza publishes a column in Ndau, and uMthunywa includes

Abstract A selection of idiomatic expressions is analysed here using Conceptual Metaphor Theory as an analytical framework. This theory is critiqued with reference to the “invariance principle,” which aims to explain the mechanisms behind the mapping of metaphors, including the factors which restrict these mappings. Following cognitive linguists like Gibbs, idioms are seen as analogous to any other

Abstract After a brief overview of the historical bilingual and parallel-medium language policies of universities in South Africa, this article highlights the limited implementation of the Language Policy for Higher Education in South Africa (2002), the resulting linguistic challenges faced by students in university classrooms, and the coping mechanisms they have developed. Thereafter, it reflects

Abstract This article provides an overview of the process and initial outcomes of designing a multilingual corpus of academic texts produced by university students with different mother tongues in South Africa, with a view to making it available as an open resource for pedagogical applications and research. We first give an overview of the history of corpus development for pedagogical purposes world-wide

(2018). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 1-2.

Abstract Abako (Alliance des Bakongo), one of the main political parties rallying for Congolese independence in the late 1950s, started off as a linguistic-cultural movement to promote the use of the Kikongo language and Kongo identity in Leopoldville against a dominance of the Lingala language and “Bangala.” In reaction to this, members of the “Bangala” elite also organised themselves, after which

Abstract People, as members of a society and members of the intelligentsia, are, inevitably, involved in discourse and conversational systems which define their diverse positions of power in the discourse. The term “discourse” is used mostly to label the forms of representation and routines of language that yield certain reactions and customarily located denotations. This article examines the unsuccessful

ABSTRACT The use of and attitudes towards the languages of Tanzania have always been closely related to language policies, the most recent policy having been issued in 2014. However, most studies on language attitudes are relatively dated (e.g. Schmied 1990). In light of policy changes and the results of earlier studies, this article aims to shed light on current language use and attitudes among Tanzanians

Abstract This article examines changes in the linguistic landscape of Zimbabwe which resulted from the post-2000 land reforms. When veterans of Zimbabwe’s War of Liberation assumed occupancy of former white-owned farms, they immediately pronounced their take-over of the land through changes in place names. The resultant toponyms are anchored in the discourses of the First and Second Chimurenga. Through

Abstract This article explores the nexus between parents’ language ideologies and children’s language practices in the home. It focuses on the perspectives of 34 L1 Kalanga-speaking parents to understand the extent to which their language ideologies impact on children’s language choices, in light of the diminished use of Kalanga in Zimbabwe generally. Drawing on insights from Family Language Policy

Abstract There is evidence in South Africa that multilingual language-in-education policies are not realised in practice. Researchers offer comprehensive lists of reasons for the observed policy failure. International and national researchers identify a lack of congruence between language-in-education policies and the natural language practices of learners as a contributing factor in the perceived

ABSTRACT This study investigates the specific patterns and functions of impolite and face-threatening acts (imp/FTAs) among undergraduates of state universities in the southwestern part of Nigeria in order to find out whether imp/FTAs necessarily lead to a disruption and breakdown of conversations. The study is further concerned with investigating the hearer’s response to imp/FTA and reasons for such

ABSTRACT This article analyses metaphors in traditional Bemba narratives and demonstrates their thematic relevance in African literature classrooms today. Based on Sharifian's theory of cultural conceptualisations and Lakoff and Johnson's view of metaphor as a conceptual phenomenon, the article explores African cultural views relating to land, food and ubuntu. The ongoing contestation over land is

Abstract There is a lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate tools for assessing the speech and language development of South African infants and toddlers, particularly those who speak southern African Bantu languages. This article sets out to describe our experiences of the pre-pilot phase of the Xhosa adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs). To this

(2018). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 1-2.

ABSTRACT This article investigates clause linkage in Setswana arguing that, just like in other languages of the world, Setswana complex sentences cannot be classified simply into coordinate and subordinate structures. Using syntactic evidence such as scope facts (involving modality/mood, tense and polarity) as well as morphological evidence, we demonstrate that conjoined clauses in Setswana can be

ABSTRACT This study investigates errors of English usage among younger and older users of educated Nigerian English. Based on an electronic written language corpus of 64 129 words, written by 60 Nigerians and containing four different text types (academic writing, informal letters, formal letters and novels), several syntactic features described as typical errors occurring in Nigerian English (NE)

(2018). Of the Same Breath: Indigenous Animal and Place Names, by Lucie A. Möller. Language Matters: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 128-133.

ABSTRACT This article investigates the calls of birds (vocalisation) and the way these are put into words (verbalised), mainly in English, but with some reference to Afrikaans and Zulu. The emphasis is on how the authors of bird guides for bird watchers render the calls of different species as an aid to identification. Distinctions are made between descriptive strategies, which may include the use

(2018). Editorial. Language Matters: Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 1-2.

ABSTRACT The presence of culture-specific items in a source text demands that the translator be well acquainted with both the source and target culture in order to render a comprehensible and reader-friendly translation. The translator can either opt for the norms and conventions of the source culture (foreignisation) or those of the target culture (domestication) in dealing with the hurdle of translating