Contemporary Khoesan Languages of South Africa

The purpose of this article is to discuss contemporary Khoesan languages in South Africa from a sociolinguistic perspective. In order to do so, a basic explanation of Khoesan language families and their history is provided. Based on this socio-historical and linguistic context, contemporary Khoesan languages are examined in relation to orthography and literacy practices; theory of language endangerment, documentation, maintenance, and preservation; community collaboration and motivation; as well as outside support and feedback. Based on this information, the following recommendations for language maintenance and preservation of Khoesan languages in South Africa are made: (1) a comprehensive language revitalisation assessment report is needed for each contemporary Khoesan language; (2) early childhood education for mother tongue speakers is required; (3) international collaboration with Namibia should be engaged in to share existing literacy materials at all levels to facilitate mother tongue education; (4) invitations should be extended to international specialists, encouraging cooperation with Africa-based scholars in order to improve theoretical understanding and application in an African context; (5) existing resources should be digitised and made available online with open access; and (6) an update of the national curriculum is needed to accurately represent contemporary Khoe and San people.