1. Dr Elbie Adendorff AILA 2014
The teaching of Afrikaans as a Second Language at a South African university
Dr Elbie Adendorff
AILA 2014

2. Information Dr Elbie Adendorff Department of Afrikaans and Dutch
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
University of Stellenbosch
South Africa

3. Presentation structure
Introduction
Background information:
Constitution
Higher Education language policy
University of Stellenbosch
Language Policy of US
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Afrikaans Language Acquisition modules
Conclusion

4. Introduction Constitution of South Africa – 11 official languages
Position of Afrikaans:
Constitution of South Africa – 11 official languages
Multilingualism
Statistics – next slides

6. LANGUAGE
1980
1991
1996
1998
2001
2011
isiZulu
isiXhosa
Afrikaans
English
Sepedi
n/a
Setswana
Sesotho
Xitsonga
siSwati
Tshevenda
isiNedebele
Other
Sign language
Unspecified
10 868

7. Introduction supports multilingualism
Language policy of Higher Education:
supports multilingualism
promotes use of Afrikaans as a medium of academic teaching and communication
access for non-Afrikaans speakers should be accommodated in higher education institutions
Statistics – next slides

8. Student population

9. Total Afrikaans students

10. Total Afrikaans student population at 5 universities

11. Introduction Student population Context of feeder schools
University of Stellenbosch:
Student population
Context of feeder schools
Afrikaans majority (diagram):
Racial demographic (diagram)

12. Enrolments by Afrikaans home language, race and year

13. Enrolments by race and year

14. Enrolments by race and year

15. Enrolments by geographical origin

16. Language policy of US
Status of Afrikaans as academic language – promotes it as a language of teaching and science in multilingual context
Afrikaans default language of US – undergraduate courses
Sensitivity
Multilingualism an asset: proficiency in at least 3 languages
Commitment to Afrikaans
Role of English and IsiXhosa

17. Language model Language model of 2002:
A option (Afrikaans – default option)
T option (Afrikaans and English in one lecture)
E option (English)
AE option (duplicated Afrikaans and English lectures)
New teaching models in 2009 and in 2013

18. A Specification Afrikaans as main medium of instruction Rationale:
Default mode for all undergraduate modules
Characteristics:
Teaching materials mainly in Afrikaans
Study materials in Afrikaans and/or English
Study framework in Afrikaans and English

19. T Specification (Bilingual classes)
Rationale:
Characteristics
Extended use of English in particular learning and instruction contexts
Students language competence requires greater use of English
Programme unique to University
Multilingualism important in context of specific occupation
Lecturer does not have adequate command of Afrikaans
Oral teaching in Afrikaans and English in same class – Afrikaans minimum 50 %
Textbooks and reading materials: in Afrikaans and/or English
Study notes, transparencies and electronic learning and teaching material: fully in Afrikaans and fully in English or alternately in Afrikaans and English
Tests and examination papers: fully in Afrikaans and English on same question paper

20. E Specification Rationale: Characteristics:
English as main medium of instruction
Programmes unique in South Africa
Programmes in which students do not have adequate language skills
Modules in which lecturer does not have a command of Afrikaans
Regional co-operation and strategic aims
Teaching is primarily in English
Notes in English with core notes in Afrikaans
Textbooks and reading materials Afrikaans and/or English
Transparencies and electronic learning and teaching material English

21. A&E Specification
Separate streams in Afrikaans and English – PARALLEL MEDIUM
Rationale:
Modules with large numbers of students
Regional co-operation and attaining strategic goals
Programmes with satellite technology or interactive telematic education
Characteristics:
A and E characteristics
Academic language proficiency in Afrikaans and English essential

24. Implementation A option decreased T option increased
Statistics:
A option decreased
T option increased
AE option increased
Examples of Faculties:
Education
Economics
Engineering
New teaching model from 2009:
AE option in 4 Faculties
new teaching model

25. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Language approach
Continuum L1 and L2/L3 use
Bilingual lectures and monolingual tutorials
Multilingualism sought-after asset
Additive multilingualism
Typology of L1 and L2/L3 students (diagram)
Teaching model (diagram)

26. Typology of L1 and L2/L3 students
Afrikaans L1
(usually higher level of proficiency) ↕
English L2
(usually high level of proficiency)
English L1
Afrikaans L2
(not so high level or ptoficiency)
Afrikaans Home Language L1
(English School language (MOI)
Afrikaans L2 academic language
(not so high level of proficiency)
African language dominant home language
English School language (MOI)
English L2/Afrikaans L3
(poor level of proficiency)

27. Model of bilingual and monolingual teaching
BILINGUAIL: MAINLY RECEPTIVE SKILLS
Period 1:
Lecture
Period 2:
Period 3:
TUTORIAL/SEMINAR: MAINLY MONOLINGUAL: PRODUCTIVE AND RECEPTIVE SKILLS
Recapitulation, consolidation, application to new problems, reinforcement of weekly subject content and discipline-specific concepts, principles and methods, and writing skills
AFRIKAANS
ENGLISH
ISIXHOSA

28. Orbital structure of bi-/monolingual teaching and learning
3 Bilingual lectures
Englsih tutorial
Afrikaans tutorial
Isixhosa tutorial

29. Afrikaans language acquisition
Modules:
Afrikaans Language Acquition 178
Afrikaans Language Acquition 188

30. Summary
Afrikaans is default language of US and of undergraduate instruction
English also used in undergraduate instruction; and language of communication
Afrikaans and English: postgraduate instruction
Academic literacy developed systematically
Afrikaans, English and IsiXhosa: lanuages of external communication
IsiXhosa: developed as an academic language
Language services
Position within multicultural and multilingual context of SA