The Lack of Corpus Planning in the Language Policy of Multilingual South Africa

Abstract

Language planning is deliberate effort to influence the function, structure, or acquisition of languages or language variety within a speech community. The purpose of the paper to examine the language planning situation in South Africa, where language has been used in both status and corpus planning as an instrument in the periods of colonialism to apartheid to democracy. Data for the research are collected by using articles in Google web sites, academic researches regarding the language policy of South Africa. This research mainly focuses the following points such as; background and languages of South Africa, how is the language planning implemented in the case of South Africa and how does the country face to challenge of selecting an official language with the effects at multilingualism. South Africa offers particularly interesting context to explore language shift in the post- apartheid era, II languages have been granted official status in South Africa. The problem discusses here is the need of well organised status planning which ensured with properly developed corpus planning. In conclusion, the discourse used in the policy reflects conflicting ideologies emanating from the history of this country and illuminates the politics that led to the formation of a democratic state in South Africa. Consideration of multilingualism in language discussion that led to the formation of current language policy. Corpus planning will address a need for local and global as a solution to challenge of global technology and modernisation. Creating language teaching resources is one ofthe major step in corpus planning, language planning development and policy implementation. Therefore through this paper it highlights that even though the status planning of South Africa shows successful features it has a shortage of well- planned corpus planning.