Die Afrikaanse letterkunde in ’n amptelik Engels-eentalige Suid-Afrika

Abstract

In this article the situation of Afrikaans literature in an officially English monolingual South Africa is discussed. The growth and decline of languages are influenced by so many factors and processes that it is impossible to predict precisely how loss of official status and the concomitant loss of important legal and conventional language rights presently enjoyed by Afrikaans speakers would affect Afrikaans. Nevertheless it is certain that at least three areas will be affected. Firstly, loss of recognition and the anglicization of tertiary education will bring about a decline in Afrikaans as a scientific language, resulting in a loss in diversity and the decay of certain registers. The anglicization of the electronic mass media will deprive Afrikaans of a crucial function of a modem language - serving its community as the medium of information and recreation. Vie role of radio and TV in providing an example of standard language use will disappear Secondly, with English the sole official language, it is very probable that a language shift from Afrikaans will take place, a major catastrophe for any language. A dwindling body of readers affects any literature or publishing industry directly. Thirdly: loss of status will have economic repercussions, making it increasingly difficult for the Afrikaans community to buy and for publishers to produce books.