Experiments in bilingual higher education : an examination of the origins of Afrikaans as a second medium at the Transvaal University College, 1908-1930

In a multilingual society with a complex history of identity politics, language medium in South African higher education is a topic that frequently recurs and remains emotionally charged. As single medium institutions dominated the higher education landscape in the previous century, the history of multilingual educational endeavours has been somewhat neglected. This article considers the way the roles of different languages were negotiated at the Transvaal University College, forerunner of the University of Pretoria. It will examine not only the official life of the institution, but consider the way languages were dealt with in the college’s student life. Motivations behind the introduction of Afrikaans as a second medium of instruction will also be considered. The way these events and circumstances related to notions of broad South Africanism, on the one hand, and growing Afrikaner nationalism on the other, will be highlighted. Some of the complexities which related to the bilingual policy of the college, as well as the defence of the policy by college authorities will be examined. In this way, the pitfalls and motivations behind the relatively short period of official bilingualism at the college will be investigated.In ’n veeltalige samelewing met ’n ingewikkelde geskiedenis van identiteitspolitiek, is die taalbeleid in Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys ’n onderwerp wat gereeld verskyn en wat sterk emosies ontlok. Weens die feit dat in die hoër onderwys omgewing enkelmediuminrigtings dominant is, is die geskiedenis van veeltalige onderwyspogings ietwat versuim. Hierdie artikel beskou hoe die rolle van verskillende tale by die Transvaalse Universiteitskollege, voorloper van die Universiteit van Pretoria, verhandel is. Dit sal nie net die amptelike lewe van die inrigting ondersoek nie, maar ook die manier waarop tale in die kollege se studentelewe gehanteer is. Die motiverings agter die invoer van Afrikaans as ’n tweede medium van onderrig sal ook beskou word. Hoe hierdie gebeurtenisse en omstandighede met ideës van breë Suid-Afrikanisme, aan die een kant, en ’n groeiende Afrikaner nasionalisme aan die ander kant, saamgehang het, sal beklemtoon word. Die kompleksiteite wat verband gehou het met die tweetalige beleid van die kollege, sowel as die verdediging van die beleid deur kollegeverteenwoordigers sal ook in aanmerking geneem word. Op hierdie manier sal die moeilikhede en motiverings agter die betreklike kort tydperk van amptelike tweetaligheid by die kollege ondersoek word.This article was written as part of a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of History at the University of South Africa.https://journals.co.za/content/journal/histam2019Humanities Educatio