Post-modern ‘languagers’: the effects of texting by university students on three South African languages

The present post-modern society has witnessed a growth spurt in technology, and with the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), mobile text messaging (texting) is now seen as the norm among the youth. For these late-modern languagers (Lytra and Jørgensen 2008: 5), it has become a common if not almost natural process to send and receive an SMS (Short Message Service) in different languages. Although some studies have examined the transformation and modification of the English language by mobile communication, hardly any, apart from Deumert and Masinyana (2008), have looked at how local South African languages are being reshaped and modified through this medium. Drawing on texting data from university undergraduate students, this paper examines the ways in which three South African languages – Afrikaans, isiXhosa and Setswana – are used, transformed and modified through this medium of communication. It is argued here that the intense creativity displayed by these young cell phone users as they play with the multilingual resources at their disposal may lead to some form of language revitalisation for these languages

Varieties of English in current English language teaching

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Foregrounding Philippine Englishes in fostering linguistic equality

This article supports the standpoint of Philippine Englishes (PhEs) and discusses the sociolinguistic hierarchy in the Philippines. Using the lens of unequal Englishes, the article examines the linguistic demarcations in basic education, the domain where PhE started to evolve. It presents glimpses of unequal PhEs through illustrations from a study on how English language teaching is conducted in the context of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Policy in six public elementary schools in the Visayas and Mindanao and an analysis of the current K to 12 Curriculum in English. The findings suggest that learners have uneven access to PhEs. Amonolingual paradigm privileging Inner Circle PhEs is reflected in certain teaching practices and some elements of the English program. It is time to give PhEs a distinct place in the cradle and the apex of learning to promote linguistic equality in the country and enjoin all other sectors of society to acknowledge them