Multilingualism and Language Policy in South African Higher Education

In South African higher education, multilingualism and language policy have emerged as both a reflection of the country’s constitutional commitment to linguistic diversity and a site of pedagogical and institutional contestation. The current environment is shaped by the recognition of eleven official languages, a growing awareness of medium-of-instruction debates and the drive to ensure equitable epistemological access for all students. Key policy documents mandate that universities develop language plans balancing the prominence of English as a global academic lingua franca with the promotion and intellectualisation of indigenous African languages. In practice, this involves curriculum design that integrates multiple languages, the development of multilingual glossaries and terminologies, and institutional support for code-switching and translanguaging as legitimate cognitive resources. While English remains dominant in lectures, assessment and research output, universities are increasingly embedding mother-tongue languages in tuition, academic literacies and student support services. This dual focus aims to enhance comprehension, foster a sense of cultural belonging and guard against the marginalisation of non-English speakers. Despite these advances, challenges persist: uneven implementation of language policies across institutions, resource constraints for developing language materials and divergent attitudes among staff and students regarding the value of indigenous languages. These issues have global resonance, offering insights for multilingual societies worldwide on how to reconcile the hegemony of global languages with the imperative to sustain and valorise local linguistic repertoires in higher education.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Multilingualism and Language Policy in South African Higher Education publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in multilingualism and language policy in south african higher education across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Multilingualism: The use of multiple languages within a society, institution or individual repertoire, particularly in educational contexts.
Medium of Instruction (MoI): The language(s) officially sanctioned for teaching and learning in a particular educational setting.
Epistemological Access: The capacity of students to understand and produce discipline-specific knowledge, influenced by language proficiency and pedagogical support.
Translanguaging: A pedagogical practice in which speakers draw on their full linguistic repertoire to meaningfully engage with academic content.
Lexicographical Function Theory: A theoretical framework guiding the compilation of reference materials to meet specific communicative and educational needs.

References

1. Critical perspectives on language planning and policy in Africa: Accounting for the notion of multilingualism. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus (2012).
2. Problematizing the concept ‘epistemological access’: A review of literature. South African Journal of Childhood Education (2014).
3. The Compilation of Multilingual Concept Literacy Glossaries at the University of Cape Town: A Lexicographical Function Theoretical Approach. Lexikos (2012).
4. An intercultural approach to implementing multilingualism at Rhodes University, South Africa. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus (2013).