Persuasion - South African language in action

Elaine Ridge
2013 Per Linguam : A Journal of Language Learning  
The issue of which English should be privileged in South Africa has been hotly debated This article argues against the binary thinking that has fuelled this debate. It contends that standard English should be taught since it is the proper or appropriate choice in particular contexts. Competence in standard English would extend and enhance learners' repertoires. However, unless the richly textured variety of "other" Englishes is accommodated in the classroom, there is a strong danger of what
more » ... lipson (1992) terms linguicism. The article argues that a possible means of exploring the richly textured varieties in use in South Africa would be to focus on the choice of accent in radio advertisements. Some suggestions are outlined as to how a critical awareness of the persuasive effict of particular accents in particular contexts can be developed Finally, a plea is made for stylistic experimentation to be honoured in South African classrooms as a further means of exploring the language resources in South Africa.
doi:10.5785/11-2-218 fatcat:ofeo6qqzdjewdlgwlgcowirnkq