Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic offered unprecedented obstacles to public health communication worldwide. Pandemic revealed disparities and significant gaps in access to public health information for those not proficient in English, potentially leading to the exclusion of indigenous language speakers and minority communities from issues of national interest, including vital COVID-19 updates. This chapter examines the case study of Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and explores the institution's language policies and practices during the pandemic. The institution grapples with linguistic diversity, where English is the primary language of teaching and administration. The study explores language, public health communication, and inclusion at Rhodes University. It seeks to find linguistic and cultural contestations during this time by evaluating the university's response to the pandemic through language. The study uses document analysis to understand how Rhodes University's language practices impacted public health communication during the pandemic.
TopResearch Questions
- 1.
Which language(s) did Rhodes University use to communicate its COVID-19 messages with the university community?
- 2.
How did Rhodes University’s language usage impact the university’s language policy?
- 3.
What are the potential implications of the university communications’ strategies on indigenous languages?
- 4.
In what ways did the COVID-19 pandemic catalyse re-evaluating and potentially revisiting language policies and communication practices at Rhodes University and other South African universities?
Key Terms in this Chapter
Indigenous language: A native language of a certain ethnic group.
Crisis: An unavoidable situation which can have a negative impact should one not pay attention and find solutions.
WHO: World Health Organisation.
Communication: A required tool used by individuals, organisations, families and even animals to carry out a message.
Multilingualism: An ability to communicate in more than just one language, verbal or nonverbal.
COVID-19: A deadly virus that spread across the globe which affects one’s respiratory system.
English-Centric: A situation where everything is revolving around and promoting English without consideration of the existence of other languages.
LPFPHEI: Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions.
Health: A state of purity in one physical body, emotional state, and spiritual being.