Incorporating indigenous African languages in higher education: Student attitudes towards learning materials in isiXhosa at the University of the Western Cape

Abstract

There have been extensive studies conducted on the language attitudes of students or their parents at primary, secondary as well as tertiary levels of education in South Africa. Many scholars have found that African language speakers hold negative attitudes towards their own languages (De Klerk, 2000; Barkhuizen, 2002; Dyers, 1999; and Conduah, 2003). This is rather unfortunate, given the several constitutional and other policy provisions in South Africa promoting multilingual education (see Constitution, 1996; Language-in-education policy, 1997; Higher education language policy, 2002; UWC language policy, 2003). These negative attitudes have been attributed to a number of factors by scholars (see Kamwangamalu, 2000; Somhlahlo, 2009; Alexander 2004).