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Depiction of an Exchange Student
The world awaits. The University of the Free State (UFS) is continually looking for ways to provide opportunities for students who want to study abroad and gain other academic and social living experiences. Ten UFS students are currently on exchange programmes in Spain and Germany getting some international experience.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is continually looking for ways to provide opportunities for students who want to study abroad and gain other academic and social living experiences. Ten UFS students are currently on exchange programmes in Spain and Germany getting some international experience.

The student exchange is part of the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) Programme, in partnership with Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid in Spain, Fulda University of Applied Sciences in Germany, and the Alliance 4 Universities consortium hosting students for a semester.

 

Erasmus+ ICM

The Erasmus+ ICM grant agreements are devoted to increasing the quality of higher education and one of the ways is through staff and student mobility, which are financed through grants that facilitate mobility. It permits students to study at institutions in Erasmus+ partner countries. Candidates for study at these institutions must first go through a selection process, whereafter nominations will be sent to the partner universities.

 

UFS Exchange Programme

The programme offers more than just providing students with international experience or introducing them to other cultures and activities. It also helps students to explore new professional prospects and expand their network in preparation for future employment or even business partnerships. Registered UFS students have an opportunity to study for a semester abroad at one of the university's European partners.

Studying abroad is not always an option for everyone, and most of time limited it is to those who could afford to travel. Erasmus+ Key Action 107 and International Credit mobility programmes offer fully funded grants to increase mobility.

Five students from the current cohort are on exchange at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid (Spain;, three at the Fulda University of Applied Sciences (Germany); and two will complete their student mobility at the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona through the Alliance 4 Universities (Spain). Students are expected back at the end of January 2023.

 

Strengthening relationships

By sending students on exchanges, the UFS strengthens its links and collaborations with other universities throughout the world. It also positions the UFS as an active participant in collaborations, increasing the possibility that the UFS will be granted additional opportunities. Students gain a competitive edge for future career opportunities, benefiting the UFS community with the information and experience gained.

Interested in Study abroad opportunities? Visit the website of the Office for International Affairs to find out how you can study abroad at partner institutions.

News Archive

CD-ROM for learning Afrikaans as foreign language launched
2009-04-30

 
At the launch of the CD-Rom, Gesellig Afrikaans, are from the left: Ms Riana de Beer, Research Assistant at the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French, Mr Christo Steyn from Bare Creative who did the digitalisation of the CD-ROM, Prof. Van Niekerk, Prof. Engela Pretorius, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities, Prof. Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic Planning, and Mr François Marais, Director of the Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development at the UFS.
Photo: Lacea Loader
The Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently launched a CD-ROM course to learn Afrikaans as foreign language at the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

For the past ten years the Department has been offering a course in Afrikaans as foreign language to small groups at the UFS. “However, the need for this course has escalated to such an extent on the Main and Qwaqwa Campuses of the UFS that we have decided to produce the CD-ROM. We have also found that not a lot of courses to learn Afrikaans were available. Those that do exist, do not recognise the needs of adult learners,” said Prof. Angelique van Niekerk from the Department.

“International students are often interested in learning new cultures and languages and staff members would also like to learn Afrikaans in order to understand the language better. Now they are able to master the basic principles and concepts of the language,” said Prof. Van Niekerk.

The course, which will be presented on the Main Campus, comprises a basic and an advanced course. Course attendants will receive both these CD-ROMs. English is used as the back-up language and translations of all the texts are available on the CD. Contemporary Afrikaans music is used to assist in fixing sound patterns, and the pronunciation of Afrikaans sounds, words and sentences is available through the sound component of the course. Uncomplicated language jokes, advertisement texts and cartoons are used to enhance the course content and a vocabulary list and list of idiomatic language uses will be kept updated by the learners. Explanations of basic grammatical constructions are given in both Afrikaans and English and learners are assessed at the end of the course. Aspects like word order, temporal indications, etc. are covered amongst other things.

“Mastering a foreign language is time-consuming and contact with the language is very important. Although there is a contact session with a facilitator of two hours per week, it is a handy course for people who cannot attend classes regularly,” said Prof. Van Niekerk.

The CD-ROM is available from at Prof. Angelique van Niekerk, vnieka.hum@ufs.ac.za, Tel. no. 051-4012339, at R150 per CD.


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

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