The development of African languages as mediums of instruction in higher education: from policy to practice

Abstract

African languages and speakers were severely disadvantaged under South African colonialism and apartheid due to a "Eurocentric" linguistic worldview . Apart from English, Afrikaans was the sole language used as a medium of instruction across all disciplines in the country's higher education system. The Language Policy for Higher Education ordered in 2002 that indigenous African languages be developed and promoted as "Languages of Learning and Teaching" (LoLTs) at university level. UKZN has taken the effort to cultivate, modernize, and elaborate isiZulu as a medium for knowledge production and dissemination through its language strategy and plan.