English in the Era of Globalization

I was fairly impressed by the overall goals of the South African language-in-education policy. It seemed to be a great principle of action that could promote bilingualism in the classroom. Both African and European would be emphasized if the policy was carried out as it is presented. South Africa’s failure to implement this policy shows reveals many of the obstacles to creating a non-biased language education system. A lot of what this class has taught us to avoid are the things that are keeping this policy from being implemented.

It seems impossible to separate language learning from social prestige. In American, as in South Africa, English is the language of the elite, and a simple change in policy won’t change the attitudes of teachers and citizens who want to maintain the standard social hegemony.

Beside the factor of prestige, there are very real advantages to speaking English in South Africa. It “represents a unifying force, a vehicle for economic advancement, and an appropriate choice in prestigious domains such as the classroom” (McKay 41). Since English is the language of the white collar worker and Zulu the language of the blue collar worker, to advance economically, South Africans need to know English. Interestedly enough, the chart on page 70 shows that only 37% of students are taught in a Bantu language even though over 80% of the population speaks it. Contrasted to 50% and 5% with English. It is the focus of education as a result. While the school systems may get flak in the book, (deservedly so) I don’t think that changing how the education system functions will change the problem. Students are not prepared for universities or the work force if they speak a language other than English. (Reminiscent of the US) If the nation’s privilege of English is to end, then a simultaneous national effort will have to be implemented. Tertiary education will have to change, along with primary education and businesses, their English only focus to a bilingual focus. Until then, language will solidify class hierarchies and make the diglossia that McKay spoke of in the third chapter from ever becoming a large-scale reality.

Colonialism has had a great influence the primacy of English in the minds of South Africans. Language was and is just as much a tool of colonialism as armies and occupation. McKay outlines the three types of education available under colonial rule. They are “English medium... reserved for the elite members of society; two tier medium” and “vernacular medium” which was seen as inferior to English training (McKay 64). (This was the system in India, but I assume South Africa’s colonial education system would be similar) South Africa had already been exposed to authorities reinforcing English superiority for decades under colonialism. English is seen as the language of the rational and practical whereas Bantu languages are viewed as the language of the mystical and irrational. The later appears to be something that needs to be controlled and the former the thing to control it. In the end, it is only a new type of colonialism. There is Us and an Other that needs controlling for there own good.