South African English - English Academy of Southern Africa

English Academy of Southern Africa

The English Academy of Southern Africa (EASA) is the only academy for the English language in the world, but it has no official connection with the government and can only attempt to advise, educate, encourage, and discourage. It was founded in 1961 by Professor Gwen Knowles-Williams of the University of Pretoria in part to defend the role of English against pressure from supporters of Afrikaans. It encourages scholarship in issues surrounding English in Africa through regular conferences.

In July 2010, the English Academy of Southern Africa launched an online magazine for academic discussion related to English and teaching English as a subject in schools. This resource is called Teaching English Today and was developed by EvaluNet, an educational software development company based in South Africa. The magazine is edited by linguist and academic specialist Dr Malcolm Venter, who founded the magazine and who works with the South African National Department of Education. Teaching English Today is affiliated to Teacher's Monthly, an online resource site for teachers.

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