Divided loyalties: Zulu vis-à-vis English at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is located in a province in South Africa where almost 80 per cent of the population speaks Zulu as first language (L1). It is one of the few tertiary institutions in the country where tangible steps have been taken toward incorporating an African language for academic purposes. In this article, the authors examine the attitudes towards Zulu vis-à-vis English among first-year UKZN students through a qualitative approach of two research periods. While the first set of interview data captures students’ attitudes towards Zulu and English at UKZN more generally, the second set of interview data includes perceptions towards UKZN's language policy. This policy will introduce Zulu as a compulsory subject for all undergraduate students starting from 2014, and aims to develop this language as the language of learning and teaching (LoLT). Despite widespread support among Zulu-speaking students for the new UKZN language policy per se, many of them report not wanting to study in their mother tongue. The article sheds some light on the reasons that lie behind this apparent contradiction.

Keywords:

• English
• identity
• language attitudes
• language loyalty
• language policy
• University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Zulu