{"id":5024,"date":"2025-06-19T22:47:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T22:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ijssass.com\/journal\/enabling-the-economics-of-african-languages-in-language-policies-of-south-africa-and-zimbabwe\/"},"modified":"2025-06-20T03:19:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T03:19:56","slug":"enabling-the-economics-of-african-languages-in-language-policies-of-south-africa-and-zimbabwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ijssass.com\/journal\/enabling-the-economics-of-african-languages-in-language-policies-of-south-africa-and-zimbabwe\/","title":{"rendered":"Enabling the Economics of African Languages in Language Policies of South Africa and Zimbabwe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This article was originally published as: <strong>Enabling the Economics of African Languages in Language Policies of South Africa and Zimbabwe<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Original Article Link: <a href='https:\/\/journals.dut.ac.za\/index.php\/ajims\/article\/view\/1351' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Read Original Article<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Download PDF: <a href='https:\/\/journals.dut.ac.za\/index.php\/ajims\/article\/view\/1351\/974' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Click Here to Download PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Abstract<\/h2>\n<p>Although interest in studying the nexus of language economics and language planning has been increasing, much of it focuses on global languages such as English and how they facilitate speakers\u2019 entry into job markets. In contexts where indigenous languages are still breaking into public domains of usage, proficiency in these languages is an important part of speakers\u2019 human capital portfolio. The drive to develop and promote indigenous languages has thus become salient in the language policies of African countries. This paper draws on Pierre Bourdieu\u2019s theoretical notion of \u2018language as capital\u2019 to discuss the intersection of language policy and language economics in South Africa and Zimbabwe. It examines how post-colonial language policy initiatives in education contribute to the revalorisation of indigenous African languages in a globalising world. We also build on the premise that for African languages to accrue prestige, enabling conditionsmust be created to foster their use. Language policies thus legitimatiseand create opportunities for African languages in the linguistic market, potentially translating this linguistic capital into economic capital for their speakers. However, we argue that language policy proclamations must be complemented by implementation and continuous development of African languages to become attractive for acquisition and use.<\/p>\n<h2>Authors<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Liqhwa Siziba (North-West University, South Africa)<\/li>\n<li>Busani Maseko (North-West University, South Africa)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Keywords<\/h2>\n<p>language economics, language policy, language revalorisation, linguistic capital, marginalisation<\/p>\n<h2>References<\/h2>\n<p>References not available for this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article was originally published as: Enabling the Economics of African Languages in Language Policies of South Africa and Zimbabwe&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[2153,1530,1528,1531,1532,1533],"class_list":["post-5024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-ajims","tag-language-economics","tag-language-policy","tag-language-revalorisation","tag-linguistic-capital","tag-marginalisation","wpcat-124-id"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - 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