Prospects for the interdisciplinary role of English studies in South African universities

Abstract

Debate on the nature of English studies in South Africa has not produced an indication of a way forward. Since English became a school and university subject, its contents and aims have never been fixed for long. This paper proposes that the indeterminate nature of the subject should be exploited by seeking new ways f or English to interact with other disciplines. English has a reciprocal relationship with other disciplines, most notably philosophy; but to call it a science is to take it into a dead end. In South Africa, contested areas of subject matter are the nature of English as spoken by and taught to non-mother tongue speakers, and the metropolitan/ colonial literature distinction. English should join other disciplines in exploring new aesthetic and philosophical paradigms that reflect the country's multicultural composition. A new approach to curriculum theory f o r universities is needed to explore interdisciplinary cooperation. The complexity of South A frican society also requires new teaching methods across the disciplines.