Language teaching for the New South Africa

Abstract

This paper describes some of the challenges facing the language teacher as South Africa moves into a new era. The discussion is structured around three areas of change: change in the country, changes brought about by the official language policy, and changes in the school system itself. It explores the implications for language teaching of jour key words of the new era: inclusive, non-racial, democracy, and empowerment. In relation to the 11 official languages policy, it examines the status of English, language development issues, linguistic standards, the role of grammar in teaching, and the politics of language and cultural identity. Three areas of teacher need arising from the multicultural classroom are highlighted: understanding ihe cultural and linguistic diversity of the class, ongoing language learning as essential experience, and developing teaching practices which accommodate diversity as an asset. In hierdie artikel word sommige van die uitdagings vir die taalonderwyser in 'n veranderende Suid-Afrika beskryf Die bespreking word om drie veranderingsgebiede gestruktureer: maatskaplike veranderinge, veranderinge meegebring deur die amptelike taalbeleid en veranderinge in die skoolste/sel. Vier sleutelwoorde van die nuwe bedeling in Suid-Afrika - inklusief, nie-rassig, demokrasie, en bemagtiging - word ontleed met die oog op hulle implikasies vir taalonde"ig. Mb.t. die 11 amptelike talebeleid, word die status van Engels, taalontwikkelingsaspekte, taalstandaarde, die rol van grammatika in die onderwys, en die politiek van taal en kulturele identiteit ondersoek . Drie behoejtes van onderwysers t. o. v. die multikulturele klaskamer word uitgelig: om die kultuur- en taalverskeidenheid van die klas te verstaan, die voortgesette aanleer van ander tale as kemondervinding en die ontwikkeling van onderrigpraktyke waarin diversiteit as 'n bate beskou word