About the webinar
Shohamy (2006:51) states that “[l]anguage policies are mostly manifestations of intentions, while less attention is given to the implementation of policy practice.”This disjuncture is often a result of lack of understanding of the historical and structural aspects, which, when understood, can bring harmony between policy and practice.
This presentation proposes the use of Tollefson's (1999) Historical-Structural theory to better understand educational policies and practice so as to bridge the gap between policy and practice. A Historical-Structural approach to language policy is a perspective that analyses language policy as a text, language policy as a discourse, and language policy as a practice by examining historical and structural factors. This approach recognises that language policies are shaped by historical events and sociopolitical structures, and seeks to understand how these factors influence the development and implementation of language policies. It considers historical context and social structures as having an influence on educational language policies, like the South African Language in Education Policy(1997) and its practice.
About the speaker
Sikhumbuzo Sibanda is the founding President of NAETSA and has now been elected for the second term in office (2023-2026). He is a teacher and developer by profession. He has taught English in primary and high school and is currently lecturing at Rhodes University. His research interests are mainly in Language in Education policies. Sikhumbuzo also loves using stories as a pedagogical tool for multilingual classes. He is qualified in Online English Language Teaching, Language Teaching for the Planet (UK), Community-Based Participatory Research, and Education for Eternity (SA). Sikhumbuzo is also certified in Developing Teacher Associations, Restorative Justice, and Collaborative Learning Exchange (University of Massachusetts, Lowell). His passion is to enrich personal and professional lives by using language as an emancipatory tool.
Date recorded:
Sunday 10 September 2023