The English language fails to keep dominion over all others
- Thread starter MrBishop
- Start date
AlphaTroll
New Member
I don't really think languages will die out, unless the total population that speak them die out too. But the way they are spoken change a lot, to remain in keeping with the times and a lot of the languages are influenced by English, especially where slang is concerned as a lot of the words and meanings introduced are picked up from (mostly) English television and movies.
I see proof of that daily, after all I live in a country where we have 11 official languages - Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Northern Sotho (Sepedi), Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda & Xitsonga (and a myriad of others which do not necessarily appear on official documents, but are spoken daily by certain groups, including Fanagalo, Lobedu, Northern Ndebele, Phuti, Khoe, Nama, San & European languages). The languages here are tied to the various ethnic groups and in a way reflect the social, economic and political orientation of a person or group.
Most of the languages only received recognition since 1994 and believe me it will take a lot of doing to let these die down. People here identify the language they speak strongly with their cultural heritage.
In SA it's not uncommon for people to speak 3 - 4 languages and it is a rare exception for people to not at least speak 2 fluently. Most speak their home language + English (and if English is their home language they can usually help themselves in Afrikaans, but I have to say it is a trend for English people to be rather lazy when it comes to speaking other languages - they just immediately assume that everyone should speak their language, which peeves me sometimes, so just to be obtuse I often speak Afrikaans to them, knowing full well that they should bloodywell understand if they went to school in SA).
Our school system kinda forced us to become multilingual. For instance if you are Afrikaans it is compulsory to take Afrikaans as first language with English as second language (vice versa for English students) and at least one African language as a third language (non - examination subject). I had Afrikaans as first language from grade 1 - Matric (12th grade) and English as second language from grade 3 - Matric. Northern Sotho from grade 3 - grade 7 and Zulu from grade 8 - grade 10. Also had Latin from grade 8 - grade 10 and German from grade 8 - grade 10. At varsity I majored in English Literature and I speak English daily at work and socially, but it makes me no less Afrikaans and definitely doesn't mean that Afrikaans is dead - heck, it's been dying for more than 200 years (since it started out as a language really) & still going strong. There are even Afrikaans universities in Russia, but they speak the 'proper' Afrikaans (kinda like Queen's English vs. American English) and not the everyday way we speak it.
(I'm going to stop now as I have no idea what I am talking about anymore)
I see proof of that daily, after all I live in a country where we have 11 official languages - Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Northern Sotho (Sepedi), Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda & Xitsonga (and a myriad of others which do not necessarily appear on official documents, but are spoken daily by certain groups, including Fanagalo, Lobedu, Northern Ndebele, Phuti, Khoe, Nama, San & European languages). The languages here are tied to the various ethnic groups and in a way reflect the social, economic and political orientation of a person or group.
Most of the languages only received recognition since 1994 and believe me it will take a lot of doing to let these die down. People here identify the language they speak strongly with their cultural heritage.
In SA it's not uncommon for people to speak 3 - 4 languages and it is a rare exception for people to not at least speak 2 fluently. Most speak their home language + English (and if English is their home language they can usually help themselves in Afrikaans, but I have to say it is a trend for English people to be rather lazy when it comes to speaking other languages - they just immediately assume that everyone should speak their language, which peeves me sometimes, so just to be obtuse I often speak Afrikaans to them, knowing full well that they should bloodywell understand if they went to school in SA).
Our school system kinda forced us to become multilingual. For instance if you are Afrikaans it is compulsory to take Afrikaans as first language with English as second language (vice versa for English students) and at least one African language as a third language (non - examination subject). I had Afrikaans as first language from grade 1 - Matric (12th grade) and English as second language from grade 3 - Matric. Northern Sotho from grade 3 - grade 7 and Zulu from grade 8 - grade 10. Also had Latin from grade 8 - grade 10 and German from grade 8 - grade 10. At varsity I majored in English Literature and I speak English daily at work and socially, but it makes me no less Afrikaans and definitely doesn't mean that Afrikaans is dead - heck, it's been dying for more than 200 years (since it started out as a language really) & still going strong. There are even Afrikaans universities in Russia, but they speak the 'proper' Afrikaans (kinda like Queen's English vs. American English) and not the everyday way we speak it.
(I'm going to stop now as I have no idea what I am talking about anymore)
AT said:
In order to havea fully integrated & successful country at least three things are needed as a base: Language, Borders & culture.
Seeing how SA has 11 official languages, that automatically knocks it down (especially on a world market). Hasn't anybody come along & tried to fully unite the country behind a common set of values & goals, simplifying matters to expediate the common good?
AlphaTroll
New Member
Gonz said:
English is used as a 'base' language, we have clearly defined borders (though the control is rather lacking these days due to the conflict in most other African contries, which has a result that SA has become a refuge for asylum seekers from just about every other African country) and we have a united South African culture, made up of various different sub-cultures.
Gonz said:
Yes, someone did - it was called Apartheid.
