Semantic (dis)continuity and institutional transformation: The decline of Afrikaans at Stellenbosch University

To what extent is the language of higher education continuous with the language of everyday life? The decline of Afrikaans at Stellenbosch University over a period of roughly three decades provides an insightful context for exploring the debate on language status in higher education. This article explores the shift from Afrikaans to English – and the attendant taaldebat or language debate – at Stellenbosch University. This shift is situated within a transforming South African higher education sector and within transnational teaching and research networks. The analysis focuses on conceptual issues relating to the concept of “language” implicit in university language planning initiatives. These include the intersection of language, race and social class, and semantic (dis)continuity within the domains of science.