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Webinar: Hearing you, hearing me

02 September 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath and Dr Elias Malete

According to Austin (1998:34), language is a tool used by human beings to communicate with each other. All languages have communicative value, meaning, and allow people to share thoughts, feelings, ideas, and exchange knowledge and opinions. No language is better or worse than the other, as all languages are equal in terms of their value and function. On the other hand, language dominance is a social process in which different languages are assigned different levels of importance, such that one language and its speakers carry higher social, economic, and political status than others. Subsequent to this practice, certain speakers struggle for recognition, while others enjoy a broader audience. Addressing language dominance, one needs to remember that language is not naturally hierarchical and that one must respect linguistic diversity and human rights at both individual and collective level. The concept of listening to one another then becomes a challenge, hence the theme: ‘Hearing you hearing me’ is so important in the 21st century.

How then can we as people resist or disrupt language dominance:

• Name and trace the history of language dominance

• The effects of inequity in daily language usage – not hearing each other

• The awareness and significance of multilingualism – learning other languages

• What universities can do and should do on a practical level to promote multilingualism

These are some of the aspects we look forward to discussing in the forthcoming webinar.

Date: Friday, 17 September 2021

Topic: Hearing you, hearing me

Time: 12:30-14:00

Click here to join the meeting

Facilitator:

Dr Elias Malete

Senior Lecturer, African Languages, UFS

Panellists:

• Prof Angelique van Niekerk

Associate Professor and Head of Department

Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French

University of the Free State

• Prof Nhlanhla Maake

Professor and Language Practitioner of Sesotho

• Prof Nobuhle Hlongwa

Dean and Head of the School of Arts

College of Humanities

University of KwaZulu-Natal

Bios of speakers:

Prof Angelique van Niekerk

Prof Angelique van Niekerk is Associate Professor at the University of the Free State and the HOD in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French. Her research focus is on applied linguistics within the field of semantics and pragmatics and on the linguistic nature of advertising communication. She has published many accredited publications within linguistics and communication sciences, in which she integrates her interest in both fields. She has a passion for teaching and (blended learning) course design within language acquisition. This has resulted in different registered SLPs within the department, focusing on Afrikaans as foreign language and Dutch as foreign language.

Prof Nhlanhla Maake

Prof Maake copy

Prof Nhlanhla Maake is currently the Managing Director of the biggest merchandising company in South Africa, a position he has held since 2018. He has just completed a translation of SM Mofokeng’s Pelong ya Ka into English. The book is to be published in London, New York, and Calcutta in 2021 under the Elsewhere Texts series, edited by Gayatri Spivak and Hosam Aboul-Ela.

He has held several academic positions nationally and globally and has served on several language task teams under the auspices of the Department of Arts and Culture; as a member of the Parish Pastoral Council at Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Thokoza; as a member and chairperson of the Catholic Bible College; as member and acting Chairperson of the English National Language Body of PANSALB; as Council member of the English Academy of Southern Africa; as Council member of the Afrikaanse Taalmuseum en -monument (2015 to 2017); and as Council member of the Wits Council on Education.

Prof Maake was an NRF (National Research Foundation) rated scholar (2006-11) and has held fellowships at Aarhus University (1983), on the Southern African Research Program (Yale University, 1989), Ernest Oppenheimer fellowship (UCT, 1992), and the Distinguished Scholars Programme (Wits, 1993). He was admitted to the Golden Key International Honour Society in 2005. He has presented papers and keynote addresses at more than 80 international and local conferences, is widely published, and has won several literary awards and recognitions.

Prof Nobuhle Hlongwa

Prof Hlongwa copy

Prof Nobuhle Hlongwa is the Dean and Head of the School of Arts in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is the former Dean of Teaching and Learning in the College of Humanities and was the acting Dean and Head of the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics for six months in 2016. Rated by the National Research Foundation (NRF) as a C2-rated social scientist for five years, Prof Hlongwa has more than 30 publications, including research articles, books, book chapters, and conference proceedings. She is currently a member of the Academic Advisory Board of African Languages on the Bloemfontein Campus, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Congress of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS). She is a representative of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in the Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of African Languages (CoPAL), which forms part of the devolved governance structure of Universities South Africa (USAf).

She was a member of the Ministerial Advisory Panel on the development of African Languages in Higher Education. She completed her first post-doctoral supervision in June 2018. She is a member of the advisory board of the South African Journal of African Languages (SAJAL). She is assistant editor of the Alternation Journal. She is a reviewer for the National Research Foundation (NRF), as well as for a number of academic journals.

News Archive

UFS launches history book

2007-02-02


Attending the launch of the UFS history book were, from the left: Prof Stef Coetzee, Prof Francois Retief, Prof Wynand Mouton, Mr Pieter Cox (Chairperson on Sasol) and Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS). Profs Coetzee, Retief and Mouton are former rectors of the UFS.
UFS launches history book The University of the Free State (UFS) today launched its history book titled, From Grey to Gold, on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. “The history of the UFS is one of faith, hope, struggle and determination. The book tells a fascinating story that stretches over a 100 years. It is divided into five main phases, which tells about the growth of the UFS from a poor Free State community to a mature university. Interesting stories about student days, sport, rag and hostel activities are included in each phase,” Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor said during the launch of the book. “One cannot know where you are going if you don’t know where you are coming from. You have a clearer idea of the issues facing an institution if you know the history. A book like this one is also an important source of reference for staff on the campus,” said Prof Fourie. The first research for the book was done from 1999-2003 by Prof Leo Barnard from the Department of History and a team of researchers. They also compiled the first manuscript. During the last three years, Prof Fourie was closely involved with the writing of the final phase and finishing off the history book project. “It was an honour to be so closely involved with the story of the UFS because now I have a better understanding of the institution, its people, its culture and its way of thinking. For any rector of a university, such an understanding of its institution is a requirement,” Prof Fourie said. The book is partly sponsored by Sasol. During the launch of the book, Mr Pieter Cox, Chairperson of Sasol said the company and the UFS have been partners for 57 years. “Both Sasol and the UFS are striving for excellence – Sasol for excellence in technology and the UFS for excellence in education,” said Mr Cox. “It was an easy decision when the UFS approached Sasol for financial support of the history book. Its a formidable piece of work, something Prof Fourie and the UFS can be proud of,” said Mr Cox. The book consists of more than 500 pages with hundreds of photos and a wide range of supplements of office-bearers, awards and achievements (including national and sporting colours). A timeline framework, putting the history of the UFS in context with the history of the Free State, South Africa and of the world, is also included. Besides the supplements, the history book also tells the story of amongst others the establishment of the UFS; the role of its founding fathers; black pioneers of transformation; the establishment and development of academic departments and faculties; student numbers; pioneers and trends in research; academic entrepreneurs; campus issues and campus politics; interesting facts and stories about student life (rag, intervarsity and cheerleaders, sport and the Springboks, hostel traditions); the admission of black students and anguish about race; language and culture; the development of the Main Campus; the Tickey and the Banana and much more. Emphasis is placed on a very high level of quality. “It is not every day that the university becomes hundred years old and the institution will be measured by the quality of the book. We cannot say the UFS is a university of excellence if the book does not reflect that,” Ms Edma Pelzer, Director: Physical Resources and Special Projects said. Ms Pelzer managed the project as part of the last mentioned part of her portfolio. The search for photographs was an important aspect of the book and it was a big task to find photographs and write captions. It took almost a year to translate and prepare the English edition and almost ten months to ensure the accuracy thereof, especially to correctly translate the typical Free State and UFS terminology and naturally to complete the English manuscript’s layout and proofreading. In the mean time the cover pages were designed and in September 2006 the manuscript went into the final print process. The Afrikaans title is: Van Sink tot Sandsteen tot Graniet. The cost of the book is R380 per copy. Those who already ordered the book will soon receive their copy. Orders can be placed by contacting Mr Dawid Kriel at UFS Marketing on 051 401 3409 or on the UFS web site at www.ufs.ac.za. The book is also available at Van Schaik Book Store on the Thakaneng Bridge, UFS Main Campus and at Fascination Books in Mimosa Mall, Bloemfontein. Media release Issued by: Lacea Loader Media Representative Tel: (051) 401-2584 Cell: 083 645 2454 E-mail: loaderl@mail.uovs.ac.za 2 February 2007

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