ENG3701
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE: 30 APRIL 2025
,Assignment One
This assignment is designed to familiarise you with analysing texts and to ease you into
the course’s complexity while helping you develop rigorous critical thinking skills.
Though the questions may appear simple, they lay the groundwork for Assignment 2,
which will involve more challenging tasks. The goal is to build your confidence and
foundational skills incrementally, preparing you for the increasing demands of the
course.
Instructions
• For this assignment, you must engage with pages 1.1-1.5 of the ENG3701 Moodle
site.
You’ll find this content in Unit 1: Politics of the English Language and Politics of
Language—start with 1.1 Introduction and move through the content and exercises up
to and including 1.5 Major Topics/Themes in the Politics of English.
, Section A: Engaging with Moodle content pages 1.1–1.5
1. How do South African citizens or individuals from other countries construct
their identities through complex relationships with language? One should relate
this question to multilingual or foreign language speakers of English.
Moodle content (pages 1.1–1.5)
In South Africa and globally, language plays a central role in shaping individual and
group identities. For multilingual or foreign language speakers of English, identity is
constructed through personal, political, and social relationships with language. This is
particularly evident in how speakers navigate between their home languages and
English, a global language often associated with power, education, and upward
mobility.
Language and Cultural Identity
Individuals often associate their cultural identity with their home or first language. In
South Africa, with its 11 official languages, cultural identity is diverse and complex. A
speaker of isiZulu or Setswana, for example, may feel a deep cultural connection to
their language, yet still need to engage with English in educational, legal, and
economic settings. This dynamic creates a dual identity one rooted in local culture and
another shaped by the global or national prominence of English.
Language, Politics, and Nation-Building
Language is also political. The colonial legacy in South Africa and elsewhere enforced
the idea of “one nation, one language,” a myth that still affects language policy today.
This ideology ignores multilingual realities and marginalizes non-dominant languages.
English, introduced through colonization, continues to dominate in official and
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE: 30 APRIL 2025
,Assignment One
This assignment is designed to familiarise you with analysing texts and to ease you into
the course’s complexity while helping you develop rigorous critical thinking skills.
Though the questions may appear simple, they lay the groundwork for Assignment 2,
which will involve more challenging tasks. The goal is to build your confidence and
foundational skills incrementally, preparing you for the increasing demands of the
course.
Instructions
• For this assignment, you must engage with pages 1.1-1.5 of the ENG3701 Moodle
site.
You’ll find this content in Unit 1: Politics of the English Language and Politics of
Language—start with 1.1 Introduction and move through the content and exercises up
to and including 1.5 Major Topics/Themes in the Politics of English.
, Section A: Engaging with Moodle content pages 1.1–1.5
1. How do South African citizens or individuals from other countries construct
their identities through complex relationships with language? One should relate
this question to multilingual or foreign language speakers of English.
Moodle content (pages 1.1–1.5)
In South Africa and globally, language plays a central role in shaping individual and
group identities. For multilingual or foreign language speakers of English, identity is
constructed through personal, political, and social relationships with language. This is
particularly evident in how speakers navigate between their home languages and
English, a global language often associated with power, education, and upward
mobility.
Language and Cultural Identity
Individuals often associate their cultural identity with their home or first language. In
South Africa, with its 11 official languages, cultural identity is diverse and complex. A
speaker of isiZulu or Setswana, for example, may feel a deep cultural connection to
their language, yet still need to engage with English in educational, legal, and
economic settings. This dynamic creates a dual identity one rooted in local culture and
another shaped by the global or national prominence of English.
Language, Politics, and Nation-Building
Language is also political. The colonial legacy in South Africa and elsewhere enforced
the idea of “one nation, one language,” a myth that still affects language policy today.
This ideology ignores multilingual realities and marginalizes non-dominant languages.
English, introduced through colonization, continues to dominate in official and
