HED4806
Assignment 3 2025
Unique number:
Due Date: 2025
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 68 812 0934
,© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
, SECTION A
3.1 a) Explain the effects of the above practice in the broader context of
decolonisation
Punishing learners for speaking their indigenous language, as described by
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, represents a deliberate act of cultural and psychological
subjugation. This form of punishment, which included corporal discipline and
public humiliation, was designed to instil shame and inferiority associated with
the mother tongue. In the broader context of decolonisation, such practices
reflect the systematic erasure of indigenous identity, promoting the dominance
of colonial languages and values. Language is deeply tied to one’s culture,
heritage, and worldview. Therefore, repressing the mother tongue equates to
suppressing cultural self-expression and knowledge systems. It creates
internalised oppression, where individuals begin to perceive their own
languages and cultures as inferior. This disruption of linguistic harmony, once
present in homes and communities, creates alienation in educational settings.
Decolonisation, therefore, seeks to reverse this damage by reclaiming
indigenous languages as legitimate mediums of knowledge, restoring dignity
and cognitive empowerment for African learners..
3.2
―Decolonisation of the mind‖, as advocated by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, refers to
the process of liberating the African consciousness from the lingering effects
of colonial domination, particularly in how people perceive themselves, their
cultures, and their languages. It challenges the internalised belief that
European languages and worldviews are superior, and instead reclaims
indigenous languages and knowledge systems as legitimate and powerful
tools for self-expression, education, and cultural identity.
Wa Thiong’o argues that language is central to identity and plays a critical role
in shaping how individuals relate to their environment, community, and
broader world. He posits that colonisation did not only involve the physical
conquest of African territories but also the psychological conquest of the
© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
Assignment 3 2025
Unique number:
Due Date: 2025
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 68 812 0934
,© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
, SECTION A
3.1 a) Explain the effects of the above practice in the broader context of
decolonisation
Punishing learners for speaking their indigenous language, as described by
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, represents a deliberate act of cultural and psychological
subjugation. This form of punishment, which included corporal discipline and
public humiliation, was designed to instil shame and inferiority associated with
the mother tongue. In the broader context of decolonisation, such practices
reflect the systematic erasure of indigenous identity, promoting the dominance
of colonial languages and values. Language is deeply tied to one’s culture,
heritage, and worldview. Therefore, repressing the mother tongue equates to
suppressing cultural self-expression and knowledge systems. It creates
internalised oppression, where individuals begin to perceive their own
languages and cultures as inferior. This disruption of linguistic harmony, once
present in homes and communities, creates alienation in educational settings.
Decolonisation, therefore, seeks to reverse this damage by reclaiming
indigenous languages as legitimate mediums of knowledge, restoring dignity
and cognitive empowerment for African learners..
3.2
―Decolonisation of the mind‖, as advocated by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, refers to
the process of liberating the African consciousness from the lingering effects
of colonial domination, particularly in how people perceive themselves, their
cultures, and their languages. It challenges the internalised belief that
European languages and worldviews are superior, and instead reclaims
indigenous languages and knowledge systems as legitimate and powerful
tools for self-expression, education, and cultural identity.
Wa Thiong’o argues that language is central to identity and plays a critical role
in shaping how individuals relate to their environment, community, and
broader world. He posits that colonisation did not only involve the physical
conquest of African territories but also the psychological conquest of the
© Study Shack 2025. All rights Reserved +27 68 812 0934
