How Does Language and Identity Manifest in a South African Context?

            The main language one speaks in South Africa is a major part of one’s identity. One’s language is often associated with one’s tribal or ethnic identity, although, for those with more than one tribal identity, their main language can indicate whether one identifies more with a certain tribe.

            English is one of eleven official languages in South Africa, but it seems to be the most widely spoken. Some parents push their children to speak English as their first language, so that they will be able to understand material taught in school better, since all classes in public schools are conducted in English, as well as better prepared to interact globally (264, Kamwangamalu). According to some students, even though there are supposed to be eleven official languages, there are really only two official languages, English and Afrikaans, and one must know one of these languages to be able to get a job. The prevalence of these two main languages can be seen in billboard advertisements and magazines; the majority of them are printed in either English or Afrikaans. It can also be seen in legislative acts and bills, which can only be written in English or Afrikaans (Phaswana).


            Language makes up a large part of the identity of many South Africans. According to Neville Alexander, “political formations objectively considered language communities to be valid sub-national identities” (143, Alexander). Some ethnic groups, such as most Indians who have lived in South Africa for several generations, speak English as their main language, instead of Hindi or another language. This was interesting to me, because although I am half Indian, I do not speak Hindi, and I know others who have parents that immigrated to the U.S. that do not speak their parent's native language. In South Africa, however, language and identity are often closely intertwined. For example, those who consider themselves Zulu often speak isiZulu as their main language.


            South Africans sometimes have to speak to their friends in English, because they all speak different languages, such as Zulu and Xhosa. Although most people are fluent in English, many seem to prefer speaking to their friends in languages other than English. Many white South Africans speak Afrikaans, and even though English is taught in schools, Afrikaners can send their children to private schools, where Afrikaans is used in the classroom. As a result, some are not fluent in English at all, which puts a language barrier between them and those who do not speak Afrikaans. Non-whites who speak Afrikaans are often stereotyped as “colored,” whether or not they identify themselves as that. In the film In My Country, the character Anna Malan sometimes resents her identity as being Afrikaans, because she believes others label her automatically as a racist who was willing to support the apartheid regime.


            Because English is used in schools, children and adults are encouraged to use it when in an academic or professional setting, which places higher importance on English over other languages. For many, English is not the language spoken at home, so children are expected to change their language identity depending on the situation they’re in. Students, such as myself, for example, address their teachers differently than their classmates. It is a much more significant style shift when people change the language they speak based on their situation. In a way, the prevalence of English in schools works to change the language identity of students.


           South Africa is a country that is modernizing with a "productive and industrialized economy," yet few wish to completely embrace "western" culture, and many South Africans appreciate their cultural and tribal identity. Young people still learn tribal dances and follow some of the customs of their ancestors.

~Forest Gupta