Situación tributaria

To face the loss of a language or culture is a terrible loss. Crystal (2000)

says it is like the grief that one experiences in the process of death and

dying. IsiXhosa speakers do not have to experience this grief or respond to

it. To avoid this there must be growth in linguistic awareness. There must be

motivation and commitment of linguists, isiXhosa speakers, community

groups, community organizations, schools and government sectors.

IsiXhosa speakers must be motivated to work for their language, they need

to make the presence of isiXhosa felt within the wider community. IsiXhosa

speakers need to raise its visibility or profile by, for example, obtaining

access to the media, by having a regular column in a daily newspaper, or

having an occasional programme like cultural celebrations, religious

festivals, reading and speaking slots for example on radio or television.

Speakers also have to get into the habit of using the language in all respects.

advertising, public service leaflets, and banks in more and more public

targets would be particularly an important thing to do.

There must be an associated growth in translation and interpreting services.

Visibility can also come from the use of place names, road signs and on

public signs in general. Ogmios (1997) says these usually provide a real

indication of the acceptability of a language’s presence in the community.

All these would demonstrate the presence of isiXhosa language.

Markey (1998:170) states that:

Speakers must increase their wealth relative to the dominant

community; they must also increase their legitimate power in the eyes

of the dominant community.

He says there is a need to maintain pressure on governments at international,

national and local levels to make sure that something is actually done. For

example, simple lists of words and phrases in response to a particular local

need, such as tourist leaflets, or labels for a museum exhibition can be

The promotion of the presence of the language at home is a priority because

it is not a solution to develop a mindset which sees all the responsibility

transferred to the school system. If there is no promotion presence in the

school system at all, at primary and secondary levels, the future is bleak.

One of the roles of the school is, to develop the child’s use of its mother

tongue.

The knowledge and awareness which comes from the process of education

can generate confidence which stands the children in good stead, as they find

themselves coping with the difficulties of language maintenance. Children

must know something about a language’s history, folklore, and literature.

This would lead to a great source of reassurance. The school is not the only

source of this knowledge, it must start at home.

Teaching programmes with good materials and trained fluent teachers are to

be used. IsiXhosa language will progress if its speakers can write their

language down. Johnson (1990) reflects on the differences between a written

Books are faithful repositories, which may be a while neglected or

forgotten; but when they are opened again, will again impart their

instruction: memory, once interrupted, is not to be called. Written

language is a fixed luminary which after the cloud that had hidden it

has past away, is again bright in its proper station.

When language is written down, that does not mean it will automatically

survive. Once a language passes the stage where it can be transmitted

between generations as the first language of the home, its future is vastly

more assured if it can be written down (Crystal, 2000: 138). The written

language could be in the form of grammar books, dictionaries, literature

books, and these days even audio or video recordings.

Speakers must also make use of technology such as the internet where

language technologies could be found, for example spelling checkers, list of

words, meanings of words. There must also be the promotion of educational

programmes in web pages. It is very important that linguists have an interest

in the people who speak the language. They must not to look at them merely

Linguists should see their broader role as helping isiXhosa speakers to

understand what is unique about their language and culture and which forces

may threaten it. Gerdts (1998:34) reflects this information about linguists:

Linguistic expertise is not sufficient for successful participation in a

language program. The linguist must develop social and political

skills to be an effective member of a language revitalization program.

Languages need communities and speakers in order to survive. Gerdts

(1998:35) says:

The community, and only the community, can preserve a living

language. If the community surrenders its responsibility to outsiders,

or even to a few persons within the community (such as school

teachers), the language will die. Language preservation efforts must

involve the total community, and not just a part of it.

This means that to save a language demands commitment, a shared sense of

responsibility, a clear sense of direction, a wide range of special skills,

interest such as stories, poems, and newspaper articles must be written and

published so as to get the language recognized as an official and important

language. There is a need for work to be on a language for its speakers, with

its speakers and by its speakers.

IsiXhosa speakers must own their language because to lose control of its use

they will lead to a very serious matter of “possible death of the language”.

They must take great pride in using their language, if this can happen then

the future of the language will improve.

Linguists with the help of speakers of the language must instil a sense of

enthusiasm within a community on behalf of a language. They must be able

to function as fluent teachers of culture.

5.9 Conclusion

Chapter five defines acquisition planning showing that it is organized efforts

to promote learning of a language. Acquiring of first home language before

second language was seen as important. It showed that first language is

Based on these it gave the background of isiXhosa and showed that the more

proficient students are in their first language, the more proficient will be in

their second language. The chapter showed efforts to promote and protect

isiXhosa from western influences and experiences. Finally it explained ways

of maintaining isiXhosa for example that isiXhosa speakers and linguists

Chapter 6