Language and Identities in a Postcolony

The book's chapters address issues that are important not only in Southern Africa but also in other parts of the world. Although the focus and much of the data on language and identity are Southern African, most of the writers deal with their material in such a way as to locate it within theoretical debates and/or illuminate it with insights from related research in other parts of the world. The collection belongs to the constructivist paradigm and is one of the few works within this line of research. The issue of language and identity examines how language can become symbolic of the individual or group's identity. This aspect of language is explored from a variety of angles exhibiting different methods of investigation, and this «smorgasbord» of methods provides ample inspiration for further studies in the field.

Autorentext

The Editors: Rosalie Finlayson (Ph.D., London) is professor in the Department of African Languages at the University of South Africa, Pretoria. She has published two books and many articles mostly on sociolinguistics. She also serves on the Minister of Arts and Culture s Advisory Panel on Human Language Technologies and the Minister of Education s Committee on the Development of Indigenous African Languages as Mediums of Instruction in Higher Education. She is a full member of the Academy of Science. Sarah Slabbert (Ph.D., Wits), formerly in the Department of Afrikaans and Nederlands, University of the Witwatersrand, has had a wealth of experience in the linguistics field. Since leaving the university to start her own company and work as an independent consultant, she has remained an Honorary Research Associate with Wits, and as an academic researcher has published widely. The subjects include, inter alia, language and identity, transformation discourse, language and education, reaching the critical mass, code switching and the urban varieties of the African Languages.

Inhalt

Contents: Edwin N. Wilmsen: Preface - Sarah Slabbert/Rosalie Finlayson: Introduction: Language and Identity - Nkonko M. Kamwangamalu: Language, Social History, and Identity: The coloured community of Wentworth, Durban - Juliet Thondhlana: Language and Identity in Zimbabwe - Nigel Crawhall: Too Good to Leave Behind: The N | u language and the Khomani people of Gordonia District - Ernst Kotzé/Theresa Biberauer: Language and Identity: The case of Afrikaans in the United Kingdom - Elizabeth de Kadt/Busayo Olamide Ige: Finding «Space» in South Africa: Constructing identity as a Nigerian - Neville Alexander: Linguistic Diversity, Harmonization and Sub-National Identities in Post-Apartheid South Africa - Andrew Chebanne: Language and Identity Across the Borders: The case of Setswana in Botswana and South Africa - Mbulungeni Madiba: Integration and National Identity in South Africa: A dilemma for linguistic minorities - Karen Calteaux: I am ... I said ... Language Planning for Identity.