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Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613913409912832 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Erasmus, Gert Herman |
| author2 | Mashazi, Simangele |
| author_browse | Erasmus, Gert Herman Mashazi, Simangele |
| author_facet | Mashazi, Simangele Erasmus, Gert Herman |
| author_sort | Erasmus, Gert Herman |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135815 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:41.995Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135815 Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa Erasmus, Gert Herman Mashazi, Simangele Oostendorp, Marcelyn Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Erasmus, G. H. 2026. Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/6d88cea0-e182-4a91-b0c0-d6572d4db605 This study explores how multilingual interpreters and translators in South Africa embody and express their linguistic repertoires in both personal and professional contexts. Drawing on Bourdieu's (1977) concept of linguistic capital and theory of practice, Bucholtz and Hall's (2016) framework of embodied sociolinguistics, and Busch's (2015, 2018) theory of Spracherleben or lived experience of language, I address a significant gap in understanding how language practitioners themselves navigate their multilingual identities within South Africa's complex linguistic landscape. I employ a qualitative, multimodal methodology utilizing language portraits as the primary data collection instrument, supplemented by written narratives and clarifying semi-structured interviews. Twenty language practitioners working across South Africa's official languages participated in the research, representing interpreters (45%), translators (35%), and practitioners who perform both roles (20%). This research addresses two primary questions: how multilingual interpreters and translators embody their individual linguistic repertoires, and how this embodiment impacts their lived experiences both personally and professionally. Data analysis employed Clarke and Braun's (2016) thematic analysis, consisting of inductive coding with structured pattern identification, and Georgakopoulou's (2015) small story analysis framework, which utilizes positioning analysis to identify patterns in linguistic embodiment and professional practice. Key findings reveal distinct patterns of linguistic embodiment across professional roles. Interpreters demonstrated more dynamic language representation, aligning with Bucholtz and Hall's (2016) theoretical framework of language as bodily practice, while translators' embodiments suggested intellectualized relationships with working languages that reflect their more cerebral professional engagement. Across all participants, mother tongues were represented in a way that indicates deep emotional connections that transcend professional contexts and support Busch's (2015) emphasis on the affective dimensions of Spracherleben. The study uncovered sophisticated integration strategies among practitioners, with many describing fluid transitions between languages without conscious translation processes, demonstrating what Bourdieu (1977) conceptualizes as embodied linguistic habitus. Professional working languages developed their own emotional significance over time, while maintaining clear hierarchical relationships with participants' native languages that reflect broader power dynamics. The research demonstrated how practitioners navigate complex linguistic hierarchies within South Africa's multilingual landscape, where English and Afrikaans maintain socioeconomic dominance despite the country's twelve official languages, illustrating the practical manifestation of linguistic capital in professional contexts. These findings contribute significantly to embodied sociolinguistics theory by extending language portrait methodology beyond educational contexts to professional language practice. I provide empirical evidence for language as a lived, embodied phenomenon while illuminating how linguistic repertoires function as holistic, dynamic resources rather than static skill sets, supporting theoretical frameworks developed by Busch (2015) and Bucholtz and Hall (2016). The study's findings advance understanding of how multilingual professionals navigate complex linguistic and cultural landscapes, offering insights relevant to other multilingual contexts globally. The study demonstrates the value of visual research methodologies in exploring linguistic identity while positioning participants as collaborators rather than subjects in understanding their own embodied language experiences, reflecting the methodological principles advocated by Busch (2018) and Pavlenko (2007). The study concludes by offering practical implications for language practitioner training, policy development, and professional support structures. Masters 2026-04-10T13:10:12Z 2026-04-10T13:10:12Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135815 en Stellenbosch University 215 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Erasmus, Gert Herman Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa |
| title | Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa |
| title_full | Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa |
| title_short | Exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in South Africa |
| title_sort | exploring the embodied linguistic repertoires of language practitioners in south africa |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135815 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erasmusgertherman exploringtheembodiedlinguisticrepertoiresoflanguagepractitionersinsouthafrica |