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21 February 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin
Jennifer Östlings and Elin Stengvist,
Jennifer Östlings and Elin Stenqvist, two of our international students from Sweden also celebrated #WorldMotherTongueDay.

Back in 2000, UNESCO declared 21 February as World Mother Tongue Day. It is an effort to raise the importance of multilingualism across the world. Every year, the day is commemorated through various projects and campaigns all over the world.

At the University of the Free State (UFS), we pride ourselves in the diverse languages spoken by our staff and students across the three campuses.  Read below what some of our language academics at the UFS wrote on #WorldMotherTongueDay.

#WorldMotherTongueDay: Keteka puo ya hao ya Mme

UNESCO e ile ya phatlalatsa letsatsi la la 21 Hlakola jwalo ka letsatsi la lefatshe la puo ya Mme morao kwana ka 2000. Ke boikgathatso bo boholo ho hlahisa poaneng bohlokwa ba dipuo tse ngata tse fapaneng ho parola le lefatshe. Selemo se seng le se seng letsatsi lena le ketekwa ka diprojeke tse fapaneng le ka matsholo lefatsheng ho pota.

Mona Yunivesithing ya Freistata (UFS) re motlotlo ka hore re na le dipuo tse fapaneng tse sebediswang ke moifo wa rona le baithuti ho parola le dikhamphase tse tharo.  Bala hore na ke eng e boletsweng ke diakhamemiki tse ding tsa puo mona UFS ho #WorldMotherTongueDay.

#Wêreldmoedertaaldag: Vier jou moedertaal

UNESCO het in 2000 reeds 21 Februarie as Wêreldmoedertaaldag verklaar. Dit is ’n poging om die belangrikheid van veeltaligheid oor die wêreld heen te beklemtoon. Hierdie dag word elke jaar wêreldwyd deur middel van verskeie projekte en veldtogte herdenk.

By die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) is ons trots op die verskillende tale wat ons personeel en studente op die drie kampusse praat.  Lees hieronder wat sommige taalakademici aan die UV oor #Wêreldmoedertaaldag geskryf het.


English is a blend of different lexicons ( Dr Susan Brokensha, Department of English)

Celebrating My Mother Tongue (Menzi Thango, Department of African Languages)

Meertaalighied skep ruimte vir diversiteit(Prof Angeqliue van Niekerk, Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French)


 


News Archive

The best black and white learners must come and study here
2009-09-17

 
At the meeting, arranged by the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, were from the left: Mr Tshdiso Makoelle, Clocolan High School; Mr Braam van Wyk, St Michael's School in Bloemfontein; Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS); Mr Izak Coetzee, Dr Blok Secondary School in Bloemfontein and Mr Okkie Botha, Witteberg High School in Bethlehem.
Photo: Stephen Collett
 “I want to make this university one of the best universities in the country and in the world. For this I will need the support of principals and teachers.” These were the words of Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS) during a recent meeting with school principals held on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein, which was arranged by the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

“I want the best black and white learners to come and study here and therefore I am going to visit schools in the region to find out how we can attract the best learners,” he said.
The most important influence on learners is their teachers and principal. “This why I need the support of teachers and principals to guide their learners to come and study here,” said Prof. Jansen.

Prof. Jansen said that it was of no use to work with Grade 11 and 12 learners only as it was mostly too late to change their minds. He wants to work with Grade 10 learners and make them excited about university life so that they will know what the UFS can offer them. He will also visit poor and rural schools and tell them about the UFS.

“When a Kovsie graduate walks down the street something must distinguish him/her from other graduates. Our graduates must be able to work anywhere in the world,” he said.

“Students must have the ability to live with other people and to be comfortable around people who look and speak differently than them. I want our students to be multi-lingual and to be comfortable around other students and people in terms of religion, race, language, etc. Students who do not have this added value will not be successful in the market,” he said.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
16 September 2009

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