English as the Primary Language of Information and Communication
The purpose of this study was to find out if the English language, as the primary language of many information and communication technologies (ICTs), hindered indigenous South Africans in the Eastern Cape whose first language is not English from being active participants in the digital community. Research on the education and socio-economic levels of the people in the Eastern Cape of South Africa were gathered though content analyses of relevant books and journals. Statistical information about the languages and population of the Eastern Cape was gathered from internet sources. The Eastern Cape is mostly rural and is the poorest of the nine provinces in South Africa, so obtaining a quality education may be outside of some people's economic means. Because some Eastern Cape South Africans cannot afford an education, they miss the opportunity to acquire the English language, and in turn this affects their uptake of information and communication technologies such as the internet which is dominated by the English language.
School:
Jackson State University
Department:
Elementary Education K-4
Research Advisor:
Nicholas Burbules
Department of Research Advisor:
Educational Policy Studies
Year of Publication:
2005