It is important to embrace all the nation’s languages in a multilingual and multicultural society. This will ensure they are used, developed and mainstreamed.
- Postdoctoral research fellow (Forensic Linguistics/ Language and Law), University of the Western Cape
English has failed often as the main language of court in proceedings - this impacts testimony and must be addressed.
Police officers are also not, and are not expected to be, sworn translators or interpreters. This has serious implications for justice.
Research has shown that African immigrants in South Africa refrain from speaking their own languages and try to speak local languages to blend in.
Most of the accused in criminal cases in South Africa would not be able to understand the record of their court proceedings.
Forensic linguists are called as expert witnesses in court cases to provide linguistic analysis of legal documents and other forms of oral and documentary evidence – including emojis.
Vocation specific language courses can encourage both linguistic and cultural awareness. They can equip students with the basics they need to communicate.
Forensic linguistics can play a valuable role in interpreting evidence.
South Africa must be seen as a country for speakers of all its official languages rather than an English-only elite.
Contact Zakeera for
- General
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Research supervision
- Location: South Africa
- X (formerly Twitter): @zakeera_d
- Article Feed
- ORCID
- Joined
