Papers by Henry A Mensah
Translanguaging as Everyday Practice, 2018
In this chapter, the concepts of translanguaging and commodification are examined as twin indicat... more In this chapter, the concepts of translanguaging and commodification are examined as twin indicators of how commercial entities deploy the language resources available to them for commercial gain. It is argued that the persuasive power of advertising discourse in Lesotho lies in its ability to mobilise a variety and diversity of communicative repertoires such as images, objects and texts to encourage the audience to purchase the products and services on offer. Translanguaging transnational advertising space is conceptualised as a meeting place for the accommodation of a variety of communicative resources. The selected advertisements in this chapter straddle the services sector, namely, telecommunications, banking, and retail. The literature review covers the recent and extant literature on translanguaging and linguistic commodification. The study employs Critical Discourse Analysis as a method to explore, describe and interpret how a variety of communicative repertoires are used in advertising space in Lesotho. It is clear from the analyses that the advertisements that have been studied mediate and (re)negotiate cultural diversity through translanguaging and linguistic commodification. The chapter concludes that the different linguistic resources deployed in the advertising space in Lesotho are artefacts and productive signs with important economic and social consequences. Finally, it is posited that translanguaging changes the way the public appreciates and deploys their multilingual resources in different spaces of multilingualism, and that new social spaces emerge through translanguaging in linguistic superdiverse settings.
Translanguaging as Everyday Practice, 2018
In this chapter, the concepts of translanguaging and commodification are examined as twin indicat... more In this chapter, the concepts of translanguaging and commodification are examined as twin indicators of how commercial entities deploy the language resources available to them for commercial gain. It is argued that the persuasive power of advertising discourse in Lesotho lies in its ability to mobilise a variety and diversity of communicative repertoires such as images, objects and texts to encourage the audience to purchase the products and services on offer. Translanguaging transnational advertising space is conceptualised as a meeting place for the accommodation of a variety of communicative resources. The selected advertisements in this chapter straddle the services sector, namely, telecommunications, banking, and retail. The literature review covers the recent and extant literature on translanguaging and linguistic commodification. The study employs Critical Discourse Analysis as a method to explore, describe and interpret how a variety of communicative repertoires are used in advertising space in Lesotho. It is clear from the analyses that the advertisements that have been studied mediate and (re)negotiate cultural diversity through translanguaging and linguistic commodification. The chapter concludes that the different linguistic resources deployed in the advertising space in Lesotho are artefacts and productive signs with important economic and social consequences. Finally, it is posited that translanguaging changes the way the public appreciates and deploys their multilingual resources in different spaces of multilingualism, and that new social spaces emerge through translanguaging in linguistic superdiverse settings.
The study presented in this paper examined language-in- education policy in a multilingual intern... more The study presented in this paper examined language-in- education policy in a multilingual international school in Namibia. The central concern of this paper was to find out how language policy addresses possible language conflicts in this school in light of the fact that in studies of language structure, there is a presumption that all languages are equal and in sociolinguistic terms, there is an ecological perception which holds that all languages should be allowed to flourish (Hymes 1992). The conclusion drawn from the study is that in multilingual educational environments such as Windhoek International School (WIS), the choice of language as Medium of Instruction (MoI) is highly determined by the linguistic habitus. On the hand, the language(s) used outside of the classroom is/are influenced by the nature of the linguistic space. In this school, the language-in-education policy comprises a written language policy, that is, the overt policy which is monolingual and a covert polic...
The paper examines communicative repertoires and cultural identity construction amomaps outng stu... more The paper examines communicative repertoires and cultural identity construction amomaps outng students of the National University of Lesotho in the social media space. The paper argues that culture and cultural identity on social media are a complex. Specifically, the paper maps out the manner and ways in which the students deployed communicative repertoires on social media to index their individual and collective identities. Cultural convergence and divergence together with hybridity provides a solid foundation on which the paper is anchored. The paper combines Fishman (1965, 1972) conceptualisation of domain and Halliday and Hassan's (1976) approach to discourse analysis as methods for analysing the data. The study is qualitative. In all, 40 students participated in the study. Three groups of 10 students took part in different focus group discussions while ten students were interviewed. The research also analysed screen shots of the students' posts, comments and communication on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp to find out how they pointed to the students' individual and collective identities. The paper concludes that on social media culture and cultural identity can take many forms and that a " glocalised " linguistic community is a community where both the local and global linguistic resources available to a community are deployed for a variety of communicative purposes. These communicative repertoires employed on social media mark out the individual and collective identity of the of the students.
Although Roman-Dutch law is distinct from English law, the two legal systems have borrowed from e... more Although Roman-Dutch law is distinct from English law, the two legal systems have borrowed from each other in relation to the law of contract. Roman-Dutch law is a casuistic (judge-made) made legal system which is applied by the courts of Lesotho. English law which is also judgemade law has also played a major role in the development of the principles Roman-Dutch law and as a consequence both legal traditions (systems) occupy a significant part of the law of contract of Lesotho.
Improved cultural contact in the wake of globalisation has led to unique linguistic communicative... more Improved cultural contact in the wake of globalisation has led to unique linguistic communicative practices in “glocalised” linguistic communities. A “glocalised” linguistic community is theorised as a community where both the local and global linguistic resources available to a community are deployed for a variety of communicative purposes. This chapter will examine the variety and diversity of communicative repertoires in the advertising space of Lesotho. It will analyse how language in this unique advertising space with its creative narratives constructs a discursive space that is linked to commodified discourses. Commodification is the expression used to describe how a specific object or process is rendered available for conventional exchange in the market. First, the paper will posit that through translanguaging and linguistic commodification, language and cultural diversity are mediated and (re)negotiated in this superdiverse context typifying how globalization and neoliberalism intersect to reformulate the private sector’s investment in language and culture. Second, the chapter will examine translanguaging, code mixing and code switching as an indicator of how commercial entities deploy the linguistic resources available to them for commercial gains in the context of international, cross-cultural and linguistic communication practices. Third, the chapter will contend that translanguaging as a transformative communicative mode brings together different dimensions of the superdiverse linguistic community of Lesotho; their knowledge and experience of the social world; and attitudes and beliefs to create a new identity through the use of these communicative repertoires. Fourth, the chapter will also argue that translanguaging includes buyers’ agency to mediate power structures in everyday practice. Finally, the chapter will take an interest in how the deployment of these communicative repertoires is conditioned by the pragmatic need for effective communication between these commercial entities and their clients. The major contribution and value of this research will be that through translanguaging in linguistic superdiverse settings new social spaces emerge. The chapter will thus foreground translanguaging as socio-cultural practice involving the interactions between linguistic and economic ideologies that foster the co-construction of meaning in linguistic diversified environments. The study will be qualitative. It will employ qualitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis as a theory and method to explore, describe and interpret how the variety of communicative repertoires are used in the advertising space of Lesotho. The chapter will conclude that the different linguistic resources deployed in the advertising space of Lesotho are artefacts and productive signs, which have important economic and social consequences. In addition, it will conclude that linguistic diversity creates an environment for the cross-fertilization of ideas that contributes to creativity and innovation. In other words, a superdiverse linguistic environment reflects and contributes to new global connections at the local and the global levels providing a boost for local demand for goods and services. Finally, the chapter will conclude that translanguaging changes the way the public appreciates and deploys their multilingual resources in different spaces of multilingualism.
The paper foregrounds linguistic and cultural hybridity as a master trope in the advertising spac... more The paper foregrounds linguistic and cultural hybridity as a master trope in the advertising space of Lesotho. Kraidy and Yazdiha's postulations of hybridity together with the transformationalists view of globalisation and the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) provide the theoretical footing for the study. It is a qualitative study with data drawn from a total of seventeen adverts from the advertising space of Lesotho. A modification of Firth's three-stage qualitative analysis is adopted for the study. The paper concludes that the hybridized Lesotho's advertising space is an arena for resolving the inherent tensions in globalisation through adjustments and accommodation.
The paper examines multilingual practice and its management at Windhoek International School (WIS... more The paper examines multilingual practice and its management at Windhoek International School (WIS) which is a multilingual and multicultural educational international school in Namibia. The paper finds out how linguistic diversity is managed both within and outside of the classroom. The study which was qualitative used a mixed method approach for data collection. The research instruments used in this study were questionnaires, interviews and observation. Two unequal linguistic spaces at WIS emerge: the classroom space and the non-classroom environment. While the classroom space is affluent, prestigious and structural where monolingual norms are largely observed creating a situation of 'monolingual habitus' (Gogolin, 1994), the non-classroom space is constitutive and agentive with the habitus being multilingual. The findings reveal that the school community is linguistically diverse because of the large number of different languages represented in the various repertoires. English, however, dominates in the classroom and the participant's consumption of media while Languages other than English(LotEs) are used outside of the classroom and at home. The findings also reveal that two kinds of bilingualism also exist at WIS. These are 'subtractive' and 'additive bilingualism'. Based on these findings, the paper suggests that WIS should vigorously encourage 'dynamic' multilingual practices. In addition, it recommends that due recognition should be given to indigenous Namibian languages to meet a fundamental requirement in the International Baccalaureate (IB) language policy guidelines which support the active learning and use of the host country languages where IB schools are located.
This paper examines the power of journalism as a possible instrument of peace -which is pivotal i... more This paper examines the power of journalism as a possible instrument of peace -which is pivotal in achieving long-term resilience. It focuses on international news reporting during times of political crisis. The analysis explores the coverage by BBC, CNN and Aljazeera online of the final stages of the Arab Spring in Egypt and Libya in the context of the causes of the Arab Spring and the international news media's role in conflict reporting and its resolution. The study is qualitative in that it seeks to provide in-depth analysis of six news stories from the three media outlets. It combines Fairclough's Dialectical-Relational (D-R) and Wodak and Reisigl's Discourse-Historical (D-H) approaches of Critical Discourse Analysis as a method and uses framing as the theoretical basis for the analysis of the selected news stories. The findings show that the reports are not aimed at uncovering the real causes of the Arab Spring neither do they seek to build resilience and peacefully resolve these conflicts (Galtung, 1997). Rather the news outlets report the news based on conventional news values that serve the institutional agendas of their organisations. The paper recommends that in reporting conflicts, the journalist must strive towards uncovering the real causes of conflicts, strike a healthy balance between reporting the truth and minimizing harm and also be mindful of the cultural values of cultures different from theirs. This can be achieved through ridding the stories of needless embellishments and giving a voice to the vanquished in the conflict. [Henry Amo Mensah. Resilience and Sustainability in the Coverage of Political Crisis: The Case of the Arab Spring by the BBC, CNN and Aljazeera. China Media Research 2015; 11(4): 88-99]. 9
The study presented in this paper examined language-in- education policy in a multilingual intern... more The study presented in this paper examined language-in- education policy in a multilingual international school in Namibia. The central concern of this paper was to find out how language policy addresses possible language conflicts in this school in light of the fact that in studies of language structure, there is a presumption that all languages are equal and in sociolinguistic terms, there is an ecological perception which holds that all languages should be allowed to flourish (Hymes 1992). The conclusion drawn from the study is that in multilingual educational environments such as Windhoek International School (WIS), the choice of language as Medium of Instruction (MoI) is highly determined by the linguistic habitus. On the hand, the language(s) used outside of the classroom is/are influenced by the nature of the linguistic space. In this school, the language-in-education policy comprises a written language policy, that is, the overt policy which is monolingual and a covert policy that is found implicitly in the daily practices of learners and teachers. The covert policy may be described as multilingual and multi-voiced.
International news discourse is often framed with ideological underpinnings. Ideology as a system... more International news discourse is often framed with ideological underpinnings. Ideology as a system of ideas or beliefs or ways of thinking not only helps, defines and explains, but also makes value judgements about that world . The author's aim was to find out to what extent international news discourse reflects a cosmopolitanist ideology. The article looks at the extent to which the discourse of international news meets Tomlinson's (1999) postulation that cosmopolitanism should involve an intellectual and aesthetic stance of 'openness' towards people, places and different cultures -especially those from different 'nations'. Using framing theory and critical discourse analysis as the theoretical basis for examining international news, the aim is to determine whether international news encourages or discourages a cosmopolitanist outlook during periods of political crisis. The author argues that Western media reportage on events in Ivory Coast to a large extent reflected a cosmopolitanist outlook.
Volume 2, Issue 1 by Henry A Mensah
The study presented in this paper examined language-in- education policy in a multilingual intern... more The study presented in this paper examined language-in- education policy in a multilingual international school in Namibia. The central concern of this paper was to find out how language policy addresses possible language conflicts in this school in light of the fact that in studies of language structure, there is a presumption that all languages are equal and in sociolinguistic terms, there is an ecological perception which holds that all languages should be allowed to flourish (Hymes 1992). The conclusion drawn from the study is that in multilingual educational environments such as Windhoek International School (WIS), the choice of language as Medium of Instruction (MoI) is highly determined by the linguistic habitus. On the hand, the language(s) used outside of the classroom is/are influenced by the nature of the linguistic space. In this school, the language-in-education policy comprises a written language policy, that is, the overt policy which is monolingual and a covert policy that is found implicitly in the daily practices of learners and teachers. The covert policy may be described as multilingual and multi-voiced.
Keywords: multilingual, Language-in-education policy, linguistic markets, linguistic habitus, Windhoek International School
Drafts by Henry A Mensah
Although Roman-Dutch law is distinct from English law, the two legal systems have borrowed from e... more Although Roman-Dutch law is distinct from English law, the two legal systems have borrowed from each other in relation to the law of contract. Roman-Dutch law is a casuistic (judge-made) made legal system which is applied by the courts of Lesotho. English law which is also judgemade law has also played a major role in the development of the principles Roman-Dutch law and as a consequence both legal traditions (systems) occupy a significant part of the law of contract of Lesotho.
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Papers by Henry A Mensah
Volume 2, Issue 1 by Henry A Mensah
Keywords: multilingual, Language-in-education policy, linguistic markets, linguistic habitus, Windhoek International School
Drafts by Henry A Mensah
Keywords: multilingual, Language-in-education policy, linguistic markets, linguistic habitus, Windhoek International School