Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
09 December 2020
|
Story Carli Kleynhans
|
Photo Supplied
Carli Kleynhans.
With the most gruelling year recorded in our entire lives, gradually coming to an end we remain hopeful and thankful that we have made it through. From the unexpected shock of going into lockdown, to the worry of having to use a blended approach to succeed in your academics and now finally settling into a new normal, we at the advising office bestow upon you the title of Kovsie champion…because that's exactly what you are!
One of our many champions, Carli Kleynhans, a 3rd (final) year student enrolled for BA Psychology and English shares how she survived…no, actually how she has thrived in 2020.
• What was your biggest concern about your academics when you found out the country was going into lockdown?
My biggest concern about my academics as a final year student was whether the online learning and tests would provide the same in depth learning experiences that are necessary to build upon for future studies.
• What are some of the challenges you've experienced along the way?
Staying focused and trying not to procrastinate was a big challenge I had to conquer, especially trying to not be distracted by my family and my phone. How I survived and was able to thrive in 2020!
• What are some of the strategies you've used to ensure your academics don’t suffer?
Time management was one of the most important strategies that I applied. For most of my classes, I was able to focus each week on a different module, by working and studying in advance I was able to keep up with my workload and still have the weekends to focus on myself, therefore creating designated time to work, study and also time to relax and read.
• What support have you received from the institution that's helped you thus far?
Most of my lecturers have provided needed support regarding our academics. The institution helped provide clarity with everything that was going on.
• What do you think the UFS could have done differently to support student success?
I think the UFS could have provided more resources for the final year students, especially considering we have to apply for further studies; online it was difficult to discern exactly what was necessary for the applications, whereas in class I feel more information would have been provided.
• What has kept you motivated?
Knowing it is my final year has helped to motivate me, as I have to use these grades to apply for further studies. I recently received recognition from Golden Key and this helped to further inspire me to work even harder at my academics.
• What advice do you have for your fellow Kovsies who are finding it difficult to keep going?
Remember to make time for yourself, to look after yourself and your mental health, especially in these difficult times. Work in advance and keep to your personal academic calendar.
Sesotho dictionary to be published
2008-04-15
 |
| Mr Motsamai Motsapi, editor-in-chief. |
|
A comprehensive bilingual Sesotho dictionary will be published in the 2008/2009 financial year, thanks to the efforts of the Sesiu sa Sesotho National Lexicography Unit hosted by the University of the Free State (UFS). ”Sesiu” is a Sesotho word meaning ”a reservoir for storing grains”.
According to the Editor-in-Chief of the Sesiu sa Sesotho National Lexicography Unit, Mr Motsamai Motsapi, the unit intends to continuously develop and modernize the Sesotho language so that its speakers are empowered to express themselves through Sesotho without any impediments, in all spheres of life.
The unit is one of the 11 nationally established Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) structures representing South Africa’s 11 official languages.
Their main objective is to preserve and record the various indigenous languages by compiling user-friendly, comprehensive monolingual dictionaries and other lexicographic products, and to develop and promote these languages in all spheres of life.
The Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, has lamented the fact that it is virtually impossible to find a bookstore in any of the country’s shopping malls that distributes literature in the indigenous African languages.
The minister said the capacity to both write and read in one’s home language gives real meaning to freedom of expression.
Therefore the publication of this Sesotho dictionary should be seen in the context of the development of the indigenous languages, as encapsulated in both the minister’s vision and that of the Sesiu sa Sesotho National Lexicography Unit.
The pending publication of this dictionary is the culmination of years of hard work invested in this project by the Sesiu sa Sesotho National Lexicography Unit.
“I believe that slowly but surely we have made some strides, as we have produced a Sesotho translation dictionary draft in 2006 covering letters A to Z. We have also built a considerable Sesotho corpus. But we still have a mammoth task ahead of us, because the work of compiling a dictionary does not end”, said Mr Motsapi.
“All Sesotho speakers should be involved, as the language belongs to the speech communities, and not to certain individuals”, he added.
He said given the reality that the UFS is situated in a predominantly Sesotho-speaking province and is part of its general community, it will always benefit the university to be part of the efforts of the South African nation to address the past by ensuring the development of the Sesotho language.
The unit is located in the African Languages Department of the Faculty of the Humanities at the UFS, and collaborates closely with the Language Research and Development Centre (LRDC) at the UFS to further the development of the Sesotho language. It is funded by PanSALB.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
15 April 2008
|