dc.contributor.author | Tsebe, Aubrey T. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2022-02-08T10:20:52Z | |
dc.date.available | 2022-02-08T10:20:52Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Tsebe, A.T. 2021. The epistemology of (m)other tongue(s): What does this mean for language in education?. TD: The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 17(1):1 - 8. [http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/handle/10394/3605] | en_US |
dc.identifier.issn | 1817-4434 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 2415-2005 (Online) | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10394/38318 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.4102/td.v17i1.1068 | |
dc.description.abstract | Background: The promotion of ‘mother tongue’ is at the core of the global education agenda.
Aim: This article explored the problematic nature of the mother tongue concept, and the
subsequent effects it has on language use in education.
Method: Although the African continent is referred to wherever necessary to indicate this
problem’s broadness, South Africa (SA) as one of the most developed African countries was
used to contextualise the current study. This article adopted a transdisciplinary approach that
intersected the theological and educational disciplines. The biblical text is used as the
background for the current research about the concept of mother tongue as viewed within the
broader context of language problems in education.
Results: This article has argued that the concept of mother tongue and its use in education
serves as one of the root problems underpinning South African education’s language
challenges. However, this article was not meant to be polemical, but rather, it was intended to
stimulate debate on the concept of mother tongue and its use in education.
Conclusion: This article was concluded with advocacy towards the adoption of an alternative
term to the concept of mother tongue. The term, dominant language (DL), was proposed
which seemed to be clearer and more precise in describing what the concept ‘mother tongue’
ambiguously tries to express. Recommendations and policy guidelines were also provided
should either the proposed term be adopted or a need arise to explore the mother tongue
concept’s continued use. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | AOSIS | en_US |
dc.subject | Dominant language | en_US |
dc.subject | Education | en_US |
dc.subject | Language in education | en_US |
dc.subject | Mother tongue | en_US |
dc.subject | Second language | en_US |
dc.title | The epistemology of (m)other tongue(s): What does this mean for language in education? | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |