The development of a multilingual language policy at the SABC since 1994

This article describes the development of a new multilingual broadcasting system within the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), from the 1995 editorial language policy up to and including the adoption of the current (2004) policy. The concept of a multilingual broadcasting system is defined; and an overview of the development of the SABC’s multilingual language mandate is provided. An analysis of the 1995 language policy is conducted, and the management of the policy within the context of broadcasting reforms is investigated. Essentially, the SABC follows a pragmatic multilingual approach, in an endeavour to find a general language platform without ignoring language diversity, as reflected in the two language policy principles, “shared languages” and “equitable treatment”. The increase in the use of English and its establishment as the anchor language, the downscaling of Afrikaans, and the general handling of multilingualism must be appraised in terms of this context, rather than quantitatively

Preface

The contributions to this Acta Academica Supplementum result from research related to the Multilingual Information Development Programme (MIDP) of the Unit for Language Management that is funded in its entirety by the Province of Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium. The views expressed in this Supplementum, however, reflect the position of the individual authors

Multilingualism From Below

Aiming to achieve the sum-rate capacity in multiuser multi-input multi-output (MIMO) channels with N t antennas implemented at the transmitter, opportunistic beamforming (OBF) generates N t orthonormal beams and serves N t users during each transmission, which results in high scheduling delay over the users, especially in densely populated wireless networks. Non-orthogonal OBF with more than N t transmit beams can be exploited to serve more users simultaneously and further decreases scheduling delay. However, the inter-beam interference will inevitably deteriorate the sum-rate. Therefore, there is a tradeoff between the sum-rate and the increasing number of transmit beams. In this context, the sum-rate of non-orthogonal OBF with N > N t beams are studied, where the transmitter is based on the Grassmannian beamforming. Our results show that non-orthogonal OBF is an interference-limited system. Moreover, when the inter-beam interference reaches its minimum for fixed N t and N, the sum-rate scales as N ln (N/N-N t) and it decreases monotonically with N for fixed N t. Numerical results corroborate the accuracy of our analyses. © 2011 IEEE.postprintThe IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) 2011, Kyoto, Japan, 5-9 June 2011. In Proceedings of IEEE-ICC, 2011, p. 1-

PASA snapshot industry survey 2003 report

In recent years the importance of statistical information on the book industry has been noted by various role-players. Apart from the interest expressed by individual PASA and SABA members, statistical information on the industry is also required by government. PASA, SABA, PAMSA and PIFSA are represented by the PICC (Print Industries Cluster Council). A cultural observatory has been set up at the HSRC, whose task it is to collate statistics on all cultural industries (that are grouped in similar Cluster Councils) and to feed information to government. The aim of the Cluster Councils is to make government funding available to business sectors for developing their industries; this funding, however, is dependent on accurate and reliable information about the shape and size of the industry. There are also regular requests from international bodies for statistical information on the local industry for worldwide collation, e.g. International Publishers’ Association (IPA) and the Board of the Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF).cp201

Die Pan-Suid-Afrikaanse Taalraad en die regulering van taalsigbaarheid in Suid-Afrika – ’n ontleding van taalregteklagtes

The Pan South African Language Board and the regulation of language visibility in South Africa – an analysis of language rights complaints. The regulation of  language visibility on public signs, i.e. of the linguistic landscape, comprises an important aspect of language policy in multilingual societies. If it is argued that the language clause of the South African Constitution envisages a multilingual landscape, concrete language policy guidelines regarding such language visibility are indispensable. Due to the acute shortage of such guidelines, Pansalb’s findings on complaints about language visibility could play an important role in addressing this shortcoming. The Board is mandated to provide advice, specifically on language policy. Pansalb’s own language policy guidelines also lack provisions on the linguistic landscape. The Board’s gazetted findings concerning language rights complaints thus constitute an important source for studying language policy. This article provides an  analysis of complaints regarding language visibility on which the Board made important findings between 1997 and 2006. The analysis is conducted against the background of theoretical insights pertaining to the linguistic landscape as a field of enquiry within sociolinguistics. Deductions are based on policy principles that could contribute towards overt policy regarding the treatment of language visibility on public signs  in South Africa. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2009, 27(2): 173–18

Perspectives on managing Afrikaans and English as &#39equal&#39 languages of learning and teaching at the University of the Free State

This article provides a description of language management at the University of the Free State (UFS) and offers perspectives on two aspects, namely the language management agents involved, and the devices employed to ensure parity in the use of Afrikaans and English, both as institutional languages and languages of learning and teaching. The overview considers the possibilities offered by the two models for managing more than one language in higher education, as proposed by Van der Walt and Brink (2005), namely the protectionist model, comprising a model that ‘safeguards\' a designated language; and the multiculturalist model, a more open model based on the premise of language tolerance. The development of the concept of parallel bilingualism at the UFS is discussed in the main part of the article, in which the language management approach at this institution is considered, as well as its relation to the variety of agents involved and particular devices employed. In problematising the view held by the authors mentioned above, the article concludes by proposing a mixed model and theoretically applying it to the UFS. In the process, it identifies some weaknesses regarding the alignment of the multiculturalist ideals of the UFS language policy with its language strategy as a central language management device. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2008, 26(3): 315–33

The development of a multilingual language policy at the SABC since 1994

This article describes the development of a new multilingual broadcasting system within the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), from the 1995 editorial language policy up to and including the adoption of the current (2004) policy. The concept of a multilingual broadcasting system is defined; and an overview of the development of the SABC’s multilingual language mandate is provided. An analysis of the 1995 language policy is conducted, and the management of the policy within the context of broadcasting reforms is investigated. Essentially, the SABC follows apragmatic multilingual approach, in an endeavour to find a general language platform without ignoring language diversity, as reflected in the two language policy principles, “shared languages” and “equitable treatment”. The increase in the use of English and its establishment as the anchor language, the downscaling of Afrikaans, and the general handling of multilingualism must be appraised in terms of this context, rather than quantitatively

Terminologiebestuur in Suid- Afrika: 'n Ideaalmodel

<p>OPSOMMING: Die nuwe taalbestel in Suid-Afrika het tot gevolg gehad dat die ontwikkeling, die uitbouing, die bestuur en ook die verspreiding van terminologiese inligting in elf amptelike tale gedoen moet word. 'n Veranderde terminologiebestuursprogram moet derhalwe daargestel word om aan die behoeftes van 'n nuwe terminologiegemeenskap te voldoen. So 'n model sou ideaal gesien binne die Nasionale Taaldiens se Terminologiekoördineringsafdeling geïmplementeer kon word. In die eerste gedeelte van hierdie artikel word 'n model voorgestel van hoe terminologiebestuur suksesvol binne 'n terminologiebestuursentrum aangepak kan word. In die tweede gedeelte van die artikel word die implikasies van die model in die Suid-Afrikaanse situasie verreken om vas te stel hoe die terminologiebestuursprogram aangepas sou kon word om aan die eise van die nuwe taalbestel te voldoen en om die nuwe teikengroep(e) voldoende te bereik.</p><p>Sleutelwoorde: AMPTELIKE TALE, BEPLANNING EN KOÖRDINERING, DISSEMINERING, EVALUERING, GEMARGINALISEERDE TALE, INHEEMSE TALE, IMPLEMENTERING, MEERTALIGE TERMINOLOGIEBESTUURSISTEEM, NAVORSING, ONTWIKKELENDE TALE, ONTWIKKELDE TALE, OPLEIDING, STANDAARDISERING, TERMBANK, TERMINOLOGIE, TERMINOLOGIEBESTUURSENTRUM, TERMINOLOGIEBESTUURSPROGRAM, TERMINOLOGIEONTWIKKELING, TERMINOLOGIEWERK</p><p>ABSTRACT: Terminology Management in South Africa: An Ideal Model. The new language dispensation in South Africa has resulted in the development, the elaboration, the manangement and the dissemination of terminological information in eleven official languages. A modified terminology management program must be created for the needs of a new terminology community. Such a model should ideally be implemented at the Terminology Coordination Section of the National Language Service. In the first section of this article a model is proposed for successful terminology management within a terminology management centre. In the second section of the article the implication of the model is explicated within the South African situation to establish how the terminology management program should be adjusted to satisfy the needs of the new language dispensation as well as how to adequately reach the intended target group(s).</p><p> </p&gt