Open AccessCommunity support - the missing link in indigenous language promotion in South Africa?
Author(s) -
Yu Ke,
S. Dumisa
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
per linguam
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2224-0012
pISSN - 0259-2312
DOI - 10.5785/31-1-588
Subject(s) - indigenous , promotion (chess) , state (computer science) , language policy , political science , indigenous language , economic growth , sociology , public relations , politics , pedagogy , economics , law , computer science , ecology , algorithm , biology
Literature on the challenges facing indigenous languages in South Africa often highlights the proverbial policy-practice gap among many other constraints. Drawing on lessons from language policy implementation programmes in other countries, this article offers a critical examination of how the policy-practice gap is potentially driven by a glaring lack of cultivating community support. Although community support has been proven to be crucial in implementing language policies around the world, in South Africa the language policy is designed and implemented from a largely top-down approach. The article provides a brief analysis of the activities of selected non-state actors who promote indigenous languages in the country. It concludes by proposing that greater attention be paid to community support as a necessary and critical step towards ensuring more positive outcomes in promoting indigenous languages in South Africa