Sample views of African post-graduate students regarding English and the African languages as media of education in African schools in South Africa

Abstract

Although African post-graduates recognise the importance of African languages in the education of African children in South Africa, most of them are of the opinion that English should not only be taught as a language from grade 1, but should also be preferred as the main language of instruction for African children from the outset of schooling. In the ensuing pilot study which involved 50 post-graduates, 68% expressed this opinion as against the rest who preferred a variety of other options. The study comments on the implications of these findings for the new democratic language in education policy. Hoewel die belangrikheid van Afrikatale in die onderwys van leerlinge wie se huistale dit is, deur nagraadse studente wat ook Afrikatale praat, er ken word, me en die meeste van hulle dat Engels nie slegs as 'n taal onderrig moet word van graad 1 af nie, maar ook verkies behoort te word as die hooftaa/ van onderrig vir sulke leerlinge van die begin van hul skoolloopbaan af In die /oodsstudie wat onderneem is onder 50 nagraadse studente, het 68% hierdie mening uitgespreek Hierdie studie behandel die implikasies van hierdie bevindinge vir die nuwe demokratiese taal-in-onderwysbeleid