Johan Lubbe

Gevalle van positiewe taalbeplanning soos gerapporteer in die gedrukte media

Cases of the disregard of languages, whether perceived or actual, have received wide coverage in the print media. Conversely, however, cases of positive language planning in respect of the languages of minority speakers also occur. The Unit for Language Management at the University of the Free State receives funding from PanSALB in order to monitor the situation regarding language rights, as reported on in the print media. In this article, cases of positive language planning, as reported on in the print media for the period 1 January to 31 December 2003, are discussed. Positive language planning includes, inter alia, the creation of circumstances that are conducive to the maintenance, development and extended use of, and the promotion of respect for, all the official languages, as well as the Khoi and San languages, South African Sign Language, and the other languages generally used by linguistic communities. A distinction is made between positive language planning by official and private institutions. Official institutions are statutorily compelled to comply with the language clauses of the Constitution, while private institutions are not bound by these stipulations. The relatively small proportion of cases of positive language planning, in comparison to the numerous cases of language neglect, provides a clear confirmation of the dominance of English. If the promotion of multilingualism was generally and enthusiastically treated as part of a general policy, it would not have been necessary to discuss individual cases of language planning.