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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

Kovsies present case studies to Tata Africa

2014-04-15

Tata Africa welcomed four top scholarship winners from the University of the Free State’s (UFS’s) Business Management Department who were awarded academic bursaries in 2013 for developing practical marketing strategies for the Tata group companies as part of their studies.

The students presented their winning case studies to a panel of Tata Africa executives and senior managers in Johannesburg.

“The Tata group places social responsibility at the core of its business DNA. This kind of support characterises our commitment to communities where Tata companies operate worldwide,” said Thami Mbele, Managing Director for Tata Africa Holdings.

“The impressive work of the Strategic Marketing students of the University of the Free State’s Business Management Department, who have been using Tata group companies as examples for their practical marketing strategies, deserve recognition,” he added.

To date, Tata has invested R275 000 in the University of the Free State’s talent pool. Over the past six years, Tata Africa has invested over R10 million in scholarships in Africa.

Second-semester students of the Strategic Marketing course, Lebohang Masoabi, Estie Brown, Lynne Harvey and Cecile Boshoff, were given a rare opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge by developing practical marketing strategies for Tata group companies operating in Africa. Students presented their ideas to a panel of UFS and Tata representatives in 2013, and 27 out of 78 groups were selected to compete for academic bursaries sponsored by Tata.

Through its scholarship programme, Tata Africa is committed to investing in future African entrepreneurs, leaders of industry and business.

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