Finding one's own linguistic space: views on English, Afrikaans and identity in a semi-urban Australian context

Authors

  • Aniko Hatoss University of New South Wales Author
  • Henriette van Rensburg University of Southern Queensland Author
  • Donna Starks LaTrobe University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v5i2.257

Keywords:

English accented speech, Afrikaans, language ideology, South African diaspora

Abstract

The use of the Afrikaans and English in South Africa is well documented in the literature, but little is known about the ideologies attached to these languages in diasporic contexts. In light of the large scale immigration of South Africans into English-speaking countries, this paper aims to explore the dynamics of identity formation of 17 Afrikaans-speaking South African families with respect to both Afrikaans and the South African English accent. Data from semi-structured interviews provide insights into how the two languages compete for space in this Australian English-speaking context. The findings point to links between home language policies, views towards the South African English accent, and identity construction. They also indicate the importance of considering the entire linguistic repertoire of communities, and the diversity of opinion within them.

Author Biographies

  • Aniko Hatoss, University of New South Wales
    Anikó Hatoss (University of New South Wales, School of Languages and Linguistics) is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and her research is focussed in immigrant communities and their language maintenance and shift, language and identity and language panning. She has published her work in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, Language Awareness, Current Issues in Language Planning and the Australian Review of Applied Linguistics.
  • Henriette van Rensburg, University of Southern Queensland
    Henriette van Rensburg (University of Southern Queensland) is a senior Lecturer in Pedagogy and Curriculum (Blended Learning focus) and Postgraduate Program Coordinator in the Faculty of Education at the Toowoomba campus of the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Her research interests include linguistics, technology education and postgraduate education. Henriette has published research about Afrikaans speakers in Australia and the postgraduate and higher degrees journey. Her PhD research was in the specific field of Computer Aided Education for milieu-deprived learners in mathematics in the senior primary phase.
  • Donna Starks, LaTrobe University
    Donna Starks is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at La Trobe University. Her research interests include language and identity, and ethnic varieties of English. She has published in the Journal of Language, Identity and Education, the International Journal of Bilingualism, the Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, and the Journal of Sociolinguistics.

Published

2012-07-25

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Hatoss, A., van Rensburg, H., & Starks, D. (2012). Finding one’s own linguistic space: views on English, Afrikaans and identity in a semi-urban Australian context. Sociolinguistic Studies, 5(2), 257-289. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v5i2.257

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>