The Sociolinguistics of South African Television: Language Ideologies in Selected Case Studies

This book explores the interwoven relationship between language, media, and society in post-Apartheid South Africa. He argues for the power of television in shaping language ideologies, fostering cultural understanding, and advocating for more inclusive and equitable language usage in the media. This book explores the interwoven relationship between language, media, and society in post-Apartheid South Africa. The author examines selected case studies from the sociolinguistic landscape of South African television, analysing dominant language ideologies and illuminating the challenges, opportunities, and potential for transformation. He argues for the power of television in shaping language ideologies, fostering cultural understanding, and advocating for more inclusive and equitable language usage in the media. This book contributes to the field of sociolinguistics by emphasizing the complexity of multilingualism in South Africa and inviting ongoing exploration and dialogue in this landscape. It will be of interest to students and scholars of Sociolinguistics, Media Studies, African Culture and History, and Language Policy and Planning. Kealeboga Aiseng is a Senior Lecturer in the Journalism and Media Studies department at Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa. He holds a PhD in African Languages and Linguistics from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. His research interests are sociolinguistics, language policy, African popular culture, new media, and film studies, and he has published articles in local and international journals. This book explores the interwoven relationship between language, media, and society in post-Apartheid South Africa. The author examines selected case studies from the sociolinguistic landscape of South African television, analysing dominant language ideologies and illuminating the challenges, opportunities, and potential for transformation. He argues for the power of television in shaping language ideologies, fostering cultural understanding, and advocating for more inclusive and equitable language usage in the media. This book contributes to the field of sociolinguistics by emphasizing the complexity of multilingualism in South Africa and inviting ongoing exploration and dialogue in this landscape. It will be of interest to students and scholars of Sociolinguistics, Media Studies, African Culture and History, and Language Policy and Planning.