dc.description.abstract | English undeniably holds high status in South Africa and several people opt to learn
English as a second language (L2). Despite overwhelmingly positive attitudes, low
levels of English L2 proficiency are widely reported. The low levels of English L2
proficiency indicate that acquisition planning for English as a L2 is not effective
enough.
Research indicates that successful implementation of language planning is dependent
upon a thorough understanding of the linguistic and social attitudes of the learners for
whom language plans are developed. This information is not readily available for
South African learners of English as a L2. Furthermore, social approaches to L2
learning are inherently unable to provide information applicable to the South African
context, because these approaches: ( 1) focus on integrative motivation that overlooks
the influence of cultural identity on L2 proficiency and (2) hold essentialist and static
views of cultural identity. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain the information required
for effective acquisition planning for English as a L2 in South Africa.
The main purpose of the study is to determine how a better understanding of cultural
identity can improve acquisition planning for English as a L2. The secondary aims of
the study are:
* to analyse the acquisition planning context for English as a L2 in South Africa,
*to determine the English L2 proficiency of two groups ofL2learners of English in
South Africa (Ll speakers of Afrikaans and Southern Sotho respectively) as
representatives of the broader L2 community in South Africa,
*to describe their cultural identities,
*to determine if aspects of cultural identity are related to the English L2
proficiency of the subjects (Pearson Product Moment correlations), and
*to determine if aspects of cultural identity contribute to variance in the English L2
proficiency (stepwise multiple regression analysis) of the subjects.
The final outcome of this study is to draft a proposal to improve acquisition planning
for English as a L2 in multilingual South Africa. This implies that both the
unintentional acquisition planning that resulted from language in education policies
for South African education in the past, as well as the tentative acquisition planning
goals put forward by, for example, the Langtag (1996) report, could be improved.
Two methods are utilised in this study: a literature survey and an empirical
investigation. Literature about acquisition planning in multilingual contexts, cultural
identity and social approaches to L2 learning are reviewed. The empirical
investigation is mainly focused on the realisation of the secondary aims of the study.
The dependent variable of this study is English L2 proficiency. Independent variables
are aspects of cultural identity. Cultural identity is regarded as an umbrella term for
values, lifestyle, ethnicity, racial identity, attitudes towards groups, language usage
and ethnolinguistic vitality.
The most important findings from this study are that:
*acquisition planning for English as a L2 is not effective for Southern Sotho
learners;
*cultural identities of Afrikaans and Southern Sotho respondents are complex;
*there is a relationship between the cultural identities of Afrikaans and Southern
Sotho learners and their English L2 proficiency; and
*language planning can be improved on the basis of the new knowledge about the
cultural identities of Afrikaans and Southern Sotho learners and their relationship
to English L2 proficiency.
Based on these findings, the following recommendations are made:
*Recommendation I: that transformation, affirmative action and reconstruction and
development plans have overt language requirements.
*Recommendation 2: that English L2 learning contexts take cognisance of the
multilingual nature of South African society and the resultant multidimensional
cultural identities of English L2 learners.
*Recommendation 3: that the L 1 is used in English L2 learning contexts to enhance
literacy-related (academic) language proficiency development.
*Recommendation 4: that in-group pride and a more inclusive attitude towards
humanity in general be reflected in English L2 learning contexts.
*Recommendation 5: that learning activities in the English L2 learning context
focus on developing a more autonomous lifestyle among learners.
The complex nature of the cultural identities of Afrikaans and Southern Sotho
respondents makes it difficult to find a way to use this information effectively in order
to improve acquisition planning for English as a L2. The cultural identities are
complex, because they incorporate seemingly conflicting notions. Attitudes from
government and South Africans in general towards these complexities inherent to
multilingual societies show that few people understand the general societal benefits of
engaging with these complexities. Reorienting the minds of South Africans about
these matters present the biggest challenge to implementation. | en_US |