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21 June 2023 | Story Amanda Tongha | Photo Samkelo Fetile
Enhancing students’ linguistic abilities
Language teaching professionals from Southern Africa attended a two-day symposium on foreign language acquisition practice on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

Language teaching professionals from across Southern Africa recently gathered at the University of the Free State (UFS) to discuss the need for benchmarking and standardising teaching and assessment practices. 

With the aim of empowering lecturers and researchers responsible for language acquisition and delivering competent students to ensure their employability globally, the educators addressed the challenges of language acquisition in the region. It was the first time that educators from different language disciplines, including Dutch, German, French, Afrikaans, isiZulu, Sesotho, and Sign Language, met to discuss standardisation and best practices in teaching and assessment.

The symposium, which was hosted on the Bloemfontein Campus on 8 and 9 June 2023, brought together educators from the UFS, North-West University, University of Cape Town, University of the Western Cape, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Pretoria, Rhodes University, University of South Africa, Stellenbosch University, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Limpopo, and Sol Plaatje University. They were joined by participants from the University of Namibia and the National University of Lesotho, providing a regional perspective. 

Standardising language acquisition in Southern Africa 

Prof Angelique van Niekerk, Head of the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French, says the meeting marked a movement towards delivering competent students in order to increase their employability in languages such as Dutch, German, French, Afrikaans, isiZulu, Sesotho, and Sign Language. 

“It is probably the first time that the different language disciplines and colleagues from disciplines involved in language acquisition in Southern Africa have met to discuss the need for benchmarking and standardising.” 

“The symposium was not on multilingualism per se, but as language scholars, we support multilingualism. Social cohesion is affected positively if people and their culture and language are accepted and thus used.”

Talking about the need for a reference framework for benchmarking languages, Dr Michelle Joubert, Subject Specialist in the UFS Centre for Teaching and Learning, told delegates in her keynote address that a coordinated system provides a basis for the mutual recognition of language qualifications. 

“Our aim is to develop a framework of standards for indigenous and foreign languages to reflect the political and social realities of a multilingual and multicultural South Africa, which aims to form a single South African education, employment, and residential space for its citizens.”

In another keynote address, Dr Carina Grobler, Subject Chair and Lecturer in French at the North-West University, highlighted effective assessment tools to enhance students’ ability to learn additional languages. 

Prof Van Niekerk says many new initiatives, such as the sharing of resources on centralised platforms, were some of the gains following the symposium; a follow-up event is planned for 2024. 

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Graduates challenged to fulfil their leadership obligations
2015-12-14



Procession frontline: seen making their way to the graduation ceremony are from left: Dr Khotso Mokhele (Chancellor of the UFS), Prof Busisiwe Bhengu (Chairperson of the South African Nursing Council), and Prof Jonathan Jansen (Vice-Chancellor of the UFS).
Photo: Johan Roux

The time for one-dimensional discourse was over, said Professor Busisiwe Bhengu, the guest speaker at this year’s Summer Graduation. Practical implementation of change was the step forward in forging the path into a brighter South Africa future.

During both the morning and afternoon ceremonies held at the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus on 10 December 2015, the Chairperson of the South African Nursing Council, and Associate Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, challenged the newly-graduated alumni to rise to the occasion, and be a part of the solution to our country’s diverse challenges.

Some of the pervasive hardships she highlighted were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB), the escalating number of orphans and child-headed households, and the human resource shortages resulting from an ageing generation which is exiting the employment system through retirement.

Prior to dissolving the congregations, Dr Khotso Mokhele, the Chancellor of the UFS, said: “I was caught by the leadership challenge she [Prof Bhengu] threw out at the graduates because we indeed need courageous, creative and innovative leaders moving forward,” he said.

Dr Mokhele touched on South Africa’s dwindling economy, the leadership issues engulfing the government currently, the #FeesMustFall movement, and how students led a difficult dialogue and dictated the country’s trajectory as regards education, as well as the water scarcity we are facing. In closing, he warned that the graduates had lost the luxury of feeling led because of the fact that they now have a leadership obligation to fulfil.

Highlights of the day

Amongst 102 graduates from the UFS School of Medicine were two brothers from the Free State, Johann and Rudi Westraad who followed each other’s passion to become doctors.

Deputy Registrar at the UFS, Elna Van Pletzen, graduated with a Master’s in Higher Education Studies. Her thesis titled ”The implications of current legislative changes for academic freedom and institutional autonomy of South African higher education institutions”, focused on the amendment of Higher Education and Training Laws Amendment Act of 2012. In it, she tackled the subjects of academic freedom and the relationship between government and higher education institutions. Coincidently, her research was produced at a time when the subject of university autonomy was on the national agenda.

The occasion was not only a celebration of the students; teachers were also recognised for their dedication to quality education. Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS congratulated Dr Louise van den Berg (Faculty of Health Sciences) as well as Naquita Fernandes and Salomien Boshoff (both from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences) for their outstanding achievements. At a recent ceremony, Dr Van den Berg received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for an individual teacher, and the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for the best teaching team was presented to Fernandes and Boshoff.

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