Why Black South African English should not be standardized

By: Aviwe Ndyaluvane

 

This assignment aims to argue against Black South African English to be standardized. Black South African English does exist; however, it is not homogeneous and uniform across all Black South Africans. Thus, it does not represent all Black South Africans. Secondly, this assignment will prove that BSAE differs from individual to individual, because of individualistic competence. Additionally, an individual’s mother tongue affects their English literacy. Furthermore, one’s background, economical status and situational demands (of English) need to be considered when evaluating one’s English competence. Lastly, “individual features previously claimed to characterize BSAE at large need to be understood as pragmatically conditioned forms which are not peculiar to BSAE “ (Meierkord;2005) but they are present also in Standard English.

South Africa has 11 official languages, and nine of them are African languages spoken by the diverse black community. However, English is upheld as prestigious and superior. Nonetheless, Black South Africans speak English to communicate amongst themselves i.e. “language-shift variety” (Meierkord;2005), as a second language and third language to some as they marry out of their tribes. However, English is a mother tongue to a small percentage of black people, who are labelled as “coconuts”; they are accused of forsaking their languages/culture. Moreover, Black South Africans speak English as a foreign language.

Black people acquire English differently, because of inequalities and hierarchies among them. This in turn results to various accents and dialects. Furthermore, blacks primarily learn English in schools i.e. institutional context. Additionally, they acquire English through social interaction from a variety of English speakers. For example, I am from rural Transkei and I attended cheap government township schools that had a low school fee of R550 to cover the whole year. Our school held a policy of English as a medium of instruction, however, we were taught subjects in both Xhosa and English for easy understanding. My English teacher, Mrs Mphahlwa, was 64-years-old; meaning she was a product of Bantu Education. These factors influenced my phonological structure; how I pronounce words, accent and dialect. Secondly, people easily stigmatize who I am.

However, not every black person in South Africa has had the same experience as mine, many have porch English, because their families could afford to send them to expensive white private schools. Additionally, some grew up amongst speakers of English, unlike me where everyone around me was an IsiXhosa speaker; English is of low demand in Transkei and school children only speak it during an English period that is just one hour a day for two days a week.

 

The existence and evolution of BSAE needs to be explained before further arguing for it not to be standardized, so as to tighten arguments that are yet to be raised. During Apartheid black people where denied education (English) and where isolated from white people by many government laws. It is only in 1955 that Bantu Education was introduced, yet according to our country’s history the 16^th century is known as the era of “White Invasion.” (SA History; 2013)

Secondly, Bantu Education was designed strictly for Black South Africans not to receive the same quality and standard of education as white people. In essence it provided no intellectual development of blacks. Additionally it was consciously introduced to make blacks an “enslaved exploitable of cheap labour.” (SA History; 2013)

However, “the great capitalist economy brought about the need for skilled labour which is indirect conflict with the primary need for cheap labour,” (SA History;2013). Thereby, this produced a serious crisis in black schools. Statistics from South African History online website show that under Bantu Education Black South African’s poverty and cost of education combined to produce a high dropout rate. “By 1976, less than 10% of Black South African’s were receiving secondary education and 0.24% were in form five” (the final year of high school).

Therefore, the government was forced to introduce some changes because of skills blockage. The changes included reducing the length of schools career from 13 to 12 years and the pass mark for admission to secondary school was reduced by 10 per cent i.e. from 50 per cent to 40 per cent therefore increasing the intake.

 

The standardization of BSAE would mean the legacy the Apartheid government left behind would be disseminated and spread across the whole black community even to those who were fortunate enough to go to proper schools. For example, my experience shows that Bantu Education is still in place because about 70 per cent of black teachers qualified through Bantu Education and are still teaching us today. They cannot be fired because the state cannot pay them out. So, standardization of BSAE would mean the mass spread of Bantu Education.

It is primarily during Apartheid that BSAE emerged, because blacks were forced to learn a foreign language without being taught it properly. Therefore, during this time BSAE received “virtually no attention” (Alderidge; 1987). It is most recently, during the 1990’s that people took notice of it and a vast number of studies have been produced. However, all these studies fail to acknowledge that black in our country means diversity amongst a single race; black in our country means 9 different languages and culture, black in our country means variety in social class and individuality competence. This is something that the Apartheid government ignored and is still being ignored. According to Meierkord (2005) many studies “present BSAE as a consistent, uniform variety.”

 

It is only after the Soweto Uprising of 1976 did schools start to be instructed in English. During Bantu Education students were taught in their mother tongue, then suddenly they were forced to be instructed in Afrikaans; a tribal foreign language.

The late acquition of English by blacks, means they are not in the same level with white South Africans and standard English, however, they are still catching up to years and years of education that they were deprived of.

Therefore, standardization of BSAE would mean that again blacks would be oppressed by the state, because they would be constrained to work in certain positions in South Africa. Additionally, they would not be able to work abroad; where Standard English is a requirement. Secondly, blacks would be stigmatized, labelled and only offered jobs of lower standards, because BSAE is of lower standard to Standard English. It would be Apartheid all over again, as blacks would suffer from inferiority complex; because of the language they speak i.e. BSAE.

During Apartheid blacks were fighting for human rights, equality and to be in the same hierarchical position as whites. Black people are still experiencing the glory of 1994; the abolishment of Apartheid, the sweetness of a long awaited democracy that adopted a new constitution that allows multiracial schools. Additionally, it gives blacks the freedom of choice i.e. to choose schools they want to study at. “As a result, children today encounter and acquire English in a much greater variety,” (Meierkord;2005). Meierkord (2005) further continues that children of :newly emerging black middle class, enrol in private schools, which used to be reserved to whites during Apartheid times” this means that they are in “close regular contact with speakers of white South African English, which is spoken both by their peers and many of their teachers.” Therefore, instead of standardizing BSAE we need to aid those in understaffed and under sourced black schools in black townships and rural areas.

 

These students need all the help they can get to improve their ability and input to acquire competence in English-in all aspects i.e. reading with understanding, writing meaningfully and speaking properly. Yet another problem is “even if children have the possibility to attend a more prestigious school, they do not necessarily manage to complete their education,” (Meierkord;2005).

These are young children living in urban areas who drop out of school due to financial reasons- quality education is expensive in this country. Severe cases include being chased away from school for not paying school fees. For example, in my primary school, Excelsior Comprehensive School, we were chased away from school twice a year; in May and in September. School children would wait outside the school yard for their transports to come pick them up at 3pm yet they were chased away after assembly i.e. 8am.

 

Lastly, it would not be wise to have BSAE standardized, because we are not just black but we represent many mother tongues and cultures that in turn influence how we acquire a new language and speak an inter-language.

In conclusion, BSAE should not to be standardized; however, black children need to be taught proper Standard English so that they too can compete in the world with other children of different racial groups. Secondly, standardizing BSAE would result to a mass spread of Bantu Education. Thirdly, it is important to know that black in our country does not mean a single tribe/language but nine different and diverse tribes.

 

 

Also read about other piece "Language Apartheid in South Africa" here>> http://mythoughtsadventures.blogspot.com/2012/10/language-apartheid-in-south-africa.html?showComment=1367333981153#c3917786554821658645

Or youtube Language Apartheid In South Africa ( I made a documentary about it)

References:

• Meierkord, C (2005). Black South African Englishes- towards a variationist account. http://webdoc.gwdg.de/edo/ia/eese/artic25/meierk/1_2005.html. Posted date: 1 January 2005. Aceess Date: 14 April 2013
• South African History online. Britain takes control of the Cape. www.sahistory.org.za/topic/britaintakescontrol-cape. Acess Date: 12 April 2013