Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
20 May 2022 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied
Tinovimba Semu
Tinovimba Semu.

Tinovimba Semu is the proud recipient of the Dean’s Medal for best results with respect to an undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), which was awarded during the recent April graduation ceremonies. Semu achieved a distinction in her Bachelor of Commerce degree with specialisation in Economics. Currently completing a BCom Honours degree specialising in Economics, Semu indicated that she did not understand the value of education, nor did she push herself to study until she arrived at university.

“Education is not just about getting the highest marks so that you can get a job. To me, education is about gaining knowledge, challenging yourself, and applying that knowledge to improve a process in the world, no matter how small that improvement may seem,” says Semu.  

Semu’s parents, both Math and Science educators, are her fiercest protectors and cheerleaders who have instilled the value of education in her and allowed her the freedom to choose her education and career path.  “I am not only under pressure to succeed in my academics, but with work as well, and I know that I have my parent’s support in everything that I do.” 

“I now know the value of working hard and working smart.  I know the value of goal setting and have learnt to set goals for myself and to work towards achieving those goals,” says Semu. 

News Archive

“To interpret is more than the ability to have mastered two languages”
2014-03-27

 

It is equally unfair to the accused as the victim when an untrained court interpreter is used in a court case.

In South Africa there are currently a large percentage of interpreters employed by the Department of Justice without any formal training.

While interpreting is in reality a very complex subject, the general acceptance is that everybody who is able speak two languages or more can be an interpreter.

This perception harms interpreting as a profession, as it results in most institutions appointing any multilingual person as an interpreter.

In many cases people are used to interpret into and from their third or fourth language (of which Afrikaans is one). This leads to inaccuracy and the incorrect use of expressions and terminology. Specific cognitive processes also have to be developed and practiced.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has since 2008 trained approximately 200 court interpreters in South Africa. This training includes the theory of interpreting and practical exercises, as well as the development of terminology and a basic knowledge of the legal system in South Africa.

The training provided to court interpreters by the Unit for Language Management and Facilitation, is done in conjunction with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and SASSETA (Safety and Security).

Apart from Afrikaans, native speakers of all South African languages are included in the training.

Much attention (rightfully) are given to interpreters who can interpret between the nine African languages and (mostly) English, but in the process the development of interpreters between Afrikaans and English was neglected, as became apparent in the past two weeks during the Oscar Pistorius case.


We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept