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05 May 2023 | Story EDZANI NEPHALELA | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS), in collaboration with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Universities South Africa (USAf), will be conducting its Language Resource Audit for the UFS on 2 June 2023. 

This audit process will assess the resources available and required for the implementation of a Language policy framework for higher education (2020) – such as the development of multilingual terminologies, translation services for teaching and learning materials, campus signage, as well as various multimedia collateral – including their quality and relevance to the needs of the students and faculty. The audit will include an assessment of existing resources and whether they are furthering implementation goals, and may also include the gathering of feedback from students and faculty to identify improvement areas.

Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, Director of the UFS Academy for Multilingualism, said the process will help the UFS identify the essential languages resources that are available for the successful implementation of the 2020 Language Policy for Higher Education framework (LPHE). “The audit will identify how much has been done at the UFS and which institutions we can collaborate with, for example, in the development of Sesotho, so that we do not reinvent the wheel, but we close the gaps.” 

Once the audit is completed, the institution will develop a plan for resource allocation to address the identified gaps. This may involve acquiring new resources, upgrading existing ones, or reallocating existing resources better to meet the needs of students, staff, and faculties.

Due to the impact this audit will have on various stakeholders, all staff and students are encouraged to participate. To attend the audit, please RSVP here by 30 May 2023.

News Archive

UFS academic leaves for national parliament
2009-05-28

The Head of the Department of Afro-asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice at the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof Annelie Lotriet (pictured), is leaving the university at the end of this month.

Prof Lotriet has been seconded to the national parliament as a member of the Democratic Alliance’s shadow cabinet responsible for arts and culture.

“I am very sad to go because I think I am leaving the university at a point where there are many changes coming and I think we are going to go into a very interesting and challenging time at this university with our new rector taking office one of these days,” she said.

“On that point I am actually sad that I am not going to be here to experience it because I think the university has all the potential to become one of the main role players in higher education in South Africa and, obviously, I will be watching it with interest.”

Prof Lotriet has worked for the UFS for 25 years and regards language and multilingualism as her passion. She reflected on her major achievement: “I think what still stands out for me was the fact that we ran the interpreting service for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and that made an indelible impact on my life. We were involved in it right from the start to the end. We really put interpreting on the map.”

Mr Philemon Akach, a senior lecturer in the department, will act in her position until the end of the year.

“I have full confidence in him,” she said. “He is a world-renowned expert in interpreting and sign language, so I think the department is in good hands.”

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
28 May 2009




 

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