Reimagining African Languages in Teacher Education: A South African Perspective

Language is one of the key factors in teaching and learning across the globe. Language of instructions, as established by various scholars influence learning experiences. Hence, language policies are drafted by various countries, for teaching and learning in higher education in different worldwide. This conceptual and policy review-type paper situates the marginalisation of African languages in South African teacher education within the dualistic frameworks of linguistic imperialism and coloniality. With critical linguistics and decolonial theory as its main intellectual vehicles, the study reflects on how historically committed ideological legacies of English hegemony continue to influence knowledge paradigms, pedagogical methods, and actual language policy implementations in post-apartheid educational institutions. Notwithstanding progressive multilingual policies, African languages continue to be marginal to the programme of teacher education, thus limiting epistemological access and enforcing Eurocentric curricula. By combining scholarly literature with policy documents, the paper advances a discourse for the re-centering of African languages in teacher education for cognitive justice, the affirmation of identity, and curriculum transformation. It points, among other things, to promising initiatives, such as Centres for African Language Teaching (CALTs) and the Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of African Languages (CoPAL), with a call for coordinated, well-resourced attacks on decolonising language education. In doing so, the study adds to the struggle for epistemic justice by putting forth strategies to bring African languages in teacher education in a meaningful and sustainable way.