Introduction

All countries in the Southern Hemisphere have had to grapple with language policies during the period following freedom from the grip of colonialism and, in the case of South Africa, from that of apartheid as well. While some have succeeded in at least partly overcoming the various problems that accompanied linguistic colonialism, there is a general feeling that the interpretation of sociolinguistic phenomena is inadequate and that the solutions to language problems fall short of solving the underlying issues

Langues et États-nations dans les pays du Sud ou revoir les fondements théoriques de nos disciplines

At a time when social sciences are no longer beyond question and criticism, it is reasonable to believe that researchers must spend their resources not only on producing knowledge but also on examining the type of knowledge that their scholarship produces. This is the rationale behind the meta-analysis, undertaken in this article, of studies carried out on the linguistic and social phenomena in two islands of the Indian Ocean, Madagascar and Mauritius. The article compares the conceptualization of diversity with the theorization of the language and nation-building issue in sociolinguistic research in these two speech communities. It demonstrates that when sociolinguists “describe” the social architecture of these communities, they lay emphasis on the complexities of these multi-ethnic societies which, according to them, are strongly articulated in sociolinguistic variation. However, when it comes to nation building − drawing on Western Europe’s philosophy that a shared language is one of the most significant components in successful nation building − they strongly advocate a monolingual/mono-dialectal approach. The apparent contradiction between these two discourses does not lie in the inability of the discipline to adopt a holistic approach to various aspects of the language and societal phenomenon. Rather, the constructs with which research is carried out are underpinned by ideological values which have an organic link with the political history of Europe and the kind of anthropology practised by Western researchers.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/frenchhb201

Deconstructing and reinventing the concept of multilingualism: A case study of the Mauritian sociolinguistic landscape

This article aims at deconstructing the conception of multilingualism developed in mainstream sociolinguistics by critically examining the assumptions underlying this trend of research, which is grounded in the scholarship of Labov (1972), Fishman (1984) and even Gumperz (1972). In order to engage in that discussion, we use the Mauritian sociolinguistic landscape, as described by researchers following that tradition, as a case. We, thus, carry out a meta-analysis of existing sociolinguistic research conducted in Mauritius, which serve to illustrate the extent to which knowledge produced bear the influence of the structuralist approach. Then, we critically discuss and reflect upon the assumptions underpinning such research, and in so doing, challenge key concepts such as language and diglossia. Finally, we open a discussion on the need to adopt an alternative epistemological position in order to construct a different type of interpretation of the phenomenon following the ground-breaking work of scholars such as Makoni and Pennycook (2007), Herdina and Jessner (2002), Blackledge and Creese (2010), Garcia (2009) and de Robillard (2005, 2007).Key words: Multilingualism, language, diglossia, linguistic ethnography, translanguagin

World Englishes et français régionaux : so different ou les limites de la théorisation en sciences du langage?

The starting point of this article is that sociolinguistics and in fact any social science should acknowledge that there are different ways of constructing knowledge regarding human behaviour in society and that each of the main trend of scholarship is underpinned by basic philosophical principles. These principles are nested within paradigms that contain the researcher’s epistemological, ontological, ethical and methodological premises. Not questioning the paradigmatic choice implies that there is only one paradigm, one approach to interpret social behaviour. In order to support my argument, I have compared the research which has been carried out on what is termed as regional French and World Englishes. This comparative study has led me to two main findings. First, the tools of conceptualisation that have been provided by the dominant trends of sociolinguistics determine how the objects of studies are constituted as well as the way they are interpreted by scholars. The second one concerns the emergence of a marginal trend of research based on alternative epistemological and ontological foundations. The interpretation of several key aspects of regional French is renewed because of the different epistemological perspectives adopted by the researchers who have opted for a different research paradigm.http://afssa.net/index.php/publications/french-studieshttp://www.journals.co.za/content/journal/frencham2018Modern European Language

L’expansion de l’anglais : une menace pour la francophonie universitaire?

There is a belief that Francophone institutions and organisations are powerless to counter the attraction of academics towards the English language. According to many Francophone decisionmakers, the expansion of the English language and its current supremacy in academia are largely driven by globalisation. This article questions this belief. In fact, drawing from two multilingual contexts, I will show that the demand for English stems from internal sociolinguistic dynamics. To support my stance, I will analyse some of the sociolinguistic dynamics in South Africa and Mauritius. More importantly, I will show that scholars should not conflate and confuse the expansion of the English language in science with the challenges of French-speaking academics. If, for example, Francophone institutions and organisations want to address the specific problem of the attraction of French-speaking academics for English academic journals, a safer approach would be to analyse how the English-speaking academic world is structured, what it offers and that Francophone academia does not offer. Pending such a comparative study, this article proposes that a number of initiatives be implemented in order to prevent the situation from becoming more difficult to manage in the future.https://journals.co.za/journal/frenchpm2021Modern European Language

Français régional et réformes didactiques à l'Île Maurice : quelques préalables à des réformes pédagogiques

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[English title]

While it can legitimately be claimed that research in social sciences has made significant contributions to the welfare of mankind, it is also important to acknowledge that some preconceived beliefs about people and cultural practices are rooted in certain trends in academic work. This is why it is the duty of researchers to reflect critically not only on the type of knowledge that they construct from their scholarship but also on the theoretical tools with which it is undertaken. The conceptualisation of diversity in mainstream sociolinguistics can serve to illustrate this argument. A meta-analysis of studies undertaken in some of the islands of the Indian Ocean demonstrates that this discipline has, for a long time, highlighted social divisions along the lines of race and ethnicity and has, at the same time, ignored the role of fusion and creolisation in shaping identity. This reflection could serve to question whether sociolinguistics is equipped to contribute to fundamental issues like languages and nation building.Presentation on In augural addressInaugural address of Prof. Rada Tirvassen , Head of Department , Modern European Languages , Humanities Faculty , 4 August 2015p.: Publikasies van die Universiteit van Pretoria (Nuwe Reeks)http://explore.up.ac.za/record=[followed by b number of UPExplore record but remove last digit, eg. b1617181

Interroger les fondements des travaux consacrés aux français régionaux

This article analyses how studies on regional Frenches identify the phenomenon studied and how knowledge is elaborated. It addresses the issue of the relationship between ideological choices and the theoretical and methodological options of the field. It explains why scholarship in the field has not been able to theorise adequately with regard to the diffusion of a language in diverse multicultural and multilingual contexts. A comparison between this approach to regional Frenches and research conducted in the Indian Ocean on other aspects of regional Frenches, especially morpho-syntax, using another conceptualization of sociolinguistic variation, shows to what extent the field can benefit from a renewed approach. The article also illustrates the pitfalls of studies which do not question the epistemological foundations upon which scientific knowledge is built.http://afssa.net/index.php/publications/french-studieshttp://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/frencham2016Modern European Language

Sociolinguistics and the Narrative Turn Researching Language and Society in Contexts of Change and Transition

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, YYYY. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries

<i>"Bouche tes fesses gogotes"</i> : tentative d'enquêtes sur "le parler" des "jeunes mauriciens"

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