Public Health Communication and Language Policy at Rhodes University During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic offered unprecedented obstacles to public health communication worldwide. Pandemic revealed disparities and significant gaps in access to public health information for those not proficient in English, potentially leading to the exclusion of indigenous language speakers and minority communities from issues of national interest, including vital COVID-19 updates. This chapter examines the case study of Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and explores the institution's language policies and practices during the pandemic. The institution grapples with linguistic diversity, where English is the primary language of teaching and administration. The study explores language, public health communication, and inclusion at Rhodes University. It seeks to find linguistic and cultural contestations during this time by evaluating the university's response to the pandemic through language. The study uses document analysis to understand how Rhodes University's language practices impacted public health communication during the pandemic.