Learners attitudes toward learning their first language in high school : a survey in Soshanguve.

M.Tech. Applied Languages.English has, over the years, been the language of power, status and prestige, and this has caused people to pay less attention to Black South African languages, and more attention to it. The main purpose of this study was to find out: the learners attitudes toward learning their first languages in Soshanguve high schools, the implications for teaching and learning in the learners first language(s); the causes of learners negative attitudes (if applicable), and the implications thereof; and lastly, if there are any rewards associated with learning the Black African languages in high school. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches to elicit data on the learners attitudes. Questionnaires were distributed amongst three different high schools around Soshanguve, and teachers from the three high schools were also interviewed to get their own views on how learners negative attitudes could be changed into positive attitudes. The study found out that learners held both negative and positive attitudes, depending on the domain in which they were used. They showed more positive attitudes toward their (Black South African) languages when they communicated with family, friends, and neighbours, for intimate, social purposes. They preferred using their first languages in these domains because people in all the domains understand the language(s) better, and not all these people knew English. Learners showed less favourable attitudes toward the use of Black African language(s) in education, media, and social networking