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Students’ perspectives on multilingualism at the UFS

28 September 2022 | Story Edzani Nephalela | Photo Edzani Nephalela

Swanti Jerry Thoka, former CSRC President and Actuarial Science student, expresses his questions and policy proposals during the questions-and-answers session.

Multilingualism is a buzzword at many South African universities. These universities promote social cohesion, a sense of belonging, and epistemic access and success by improving and advancing existing language policies and practices.

On 16 September 2022, the University of the Free State (UFS) had its first student discussion on the Bloemfontein Campus regarding the draft Language Policy, which is being reviewed for an updated version in 2023. With English being the primary language of teaching and learning, this policy aims to promote diversity in teaching and learning in Sesotho, isiZulu, Afrikaans, and Sign Language through translating tutorials and academic vocabulary and continuously establishing and maintaining trans-institutional, interinstitutional, and intra-institutional collaborations for the development of a translanguaging culture.

During the presentation, Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, Director of the Academy for Multilingualism, revealed to students that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated a decade – from 2022 to 2032 – as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. This guarantees that these languages are promoted and advanced enough to be utilised as academic languages in academia. "This puts pressure on the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to recognise students' different languages in institutions. Section 29 of the South African Constitution further stipulates that we all have the right to learn in our preferred language, but only if it is practical. So currently, we cannot learn in these languages due to the lack of glossaries," Dr Ngubane said.

During the question-and-answer session, Swanti Jerry Thoka, a former Campus Student Representative Council (CSRC) President and Actuarial Science student, cited the policy. "The policy states that it will entail developing previously disadvantaged languages, which includes both indigenous languages and Sign Language, as well as continuing to improve existing ones. Why don't we concentrate on development because the current languages have advanced? For example, a Sign Language policy appears to exist, but it lacks a comprehensive execution strategy," Thoka said.

Dr Ngubane noted all the remarks and questions, and assured attendees that they would be addressed at the next Council meeting. She stressed the value of students’ participation in policymaking, since their future is being debated. She further explained that students should provide the SRC with recommendations to submit at the Council meetings, because the SRC are their elected representatives.

Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, Director of the Academy for Multilingualism, presents the draft language policy at the Equitas, Bloemfontein Campus.
(Photo: Edzani Nephalela)

News Archive

UFS appoints a Vice-Rector: Operations

2011-03-20

Prof. Nicholas Morgan

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) has approved the appointment of Prof. Nicholas Morgan as Vice-Rector: Operations, at its meeting on Friday, 11 March 2011. He has been appointed in the position of Prof. Niel Viljoen, who is retiring on 31 March 2011.

Prof. Morgan formerly served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Technology, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, Interim Vice-Chancellor at Walter Sisulu University and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Transkei.

Prof. Morgan is a former Fulbright Fellow and holds a Master of Science degree from Cornell University in New York, an M.B.A. from Stellenbosch University and a B.Com in accounting and business economics from the University of the Western Cape.

He has held positions at various universities and served as a member of various international professional associations, including the American Industrial Relations Research Association, the Industrial Relations Research Association of South Africa, the South African Institute for Management Sciences and the American Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

He has been published in numerous publications, and served on the editorial boards of the SA Journal of Business Management between 1993 and 1995 and the Journal of Human Resources Management between 1999 and 2009.

In addition, Prof. Morgan has also developed and presented numerous training programmes and workshops for NGOs, parastatals and unions in the private and public sector.

He has lectured courses in Industrial Relations, Strategic Management, Quantitative Management techniques and Marketing from first-year to postgraduate level at the University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town and Cornell University.

Prof. Morgan will take up the position on 1 April 2011.

Media Release
18 March 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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