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I come from a township where I never use to speak English when I come here it’s like a barrier for me
of language. I cannot interact with people I cannot just approach you because I know in order for me
to approach you I have to speak a certain language so I better shut up [Student K]
Pedagogic distance
We have tutors who go like, ‘Your English is black’. I am a second English speaker. Not everyone is
from Model C high schools [former historically white schools]. Some of us are from townships.
[Student X]
[They] say ‘Don’t speak that newspaper English’. So, I just keep quiet because I know that my
English is a newspaper one and I always keep quiet. They tell you: ‘Don’t speak this type of English,
it’s bad’…which actually frustrates me. I am always shy. You wouldn’t talk to tutors in tutorials
because your English is poor, so you will always keep quiet. [Student G]
To consult the lecturer? You have to be precise and be on your point. Let me say, ‘I’m just confused, I’m
going to a lecturer to consult and the lecturer goes: ‘No, no, no. You have to be concise and come to me
with some substantive you just cannot come here and say, you don’t understand’.Yooo, njani manje? I
don’t go there again. Never [Student J].
Getting to understand the English accent of most of the lecturers and, that of the
larger university community [Student M]