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Multilingualism going from strength to strength

23 December 2024 | Story Supplied | Photo Supplied

Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, Director: UFS Academy for Multilingualism.

A multilingual environment at institutions of higher learning not only promotes inclusivity, but also ensures more effective teaching and learning.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is at the forefront of developing multilingual initiatives – underscored by solid research – to the benefit of the entire South African student body.

This year yielded a number of significant milestones.

UFS Academy for Multilingualism

The UFS Academy for Multilingualism was established four years ago, flowing from the UFS Language Policy that expresses the university’s commitment to multilingualism, with particular emphasis on Sesotho, Afrikaans, and isiZulu. The academy aims to promote these languages on institutional and social levels through various academic and community-based projects and initiatives.

Among its key aims are: Advancing Sesotho and isiZulu as academic languages; incorporating multilingualism into learning and teaching; promoting multilingualism as a social asset; and improving English as a language of instruction. In all these areas, groundbreaking work was done in 2024.

Taking the lead with innovative translanguaging practices

One of the UFS Academy for Multilingualism’s most promising focus areas is the facilitation of trans-language tutorial sessions in various faculties. Translanguaging is a pedagogical practice where students receive input in one language and produce output through the medium of another language, in order to maximise learning and promote full understanding of the subject matter. It also serves the important function of developing what speakers perceive to be their ‘weaker’ language. In a university context, this would entail that lectures are presented in English, while students get a chance to discuss the subject matter and ask or answer questions in tutorial groups using another language – one in which they feel more or equally comfortable. This results in the dynamic and fluid use of multiple languages in teaching, learning, and communication within lecture rooms.

The value of these practices lies not only in expanding cultural horizons and students’ exposure to different languages – they, in fact, also promote better understanding and knowledge retention. In a monolingual teaching situation, for instance, it is very possible for students to answer questions or complete assignments without full understanding, because processing for meaning may not have actually occurred. Sections from textbooks can merely be copied or adapted, without reflecting solid comprehension. This is, however, less prevalent with translanguaging, because reading a topic in one language and then discussing it in another requires the subject matter to first be processed and digested before it is reproduced.

Multilingualism highlights in 2024

UFS Language Policy in all UFS languages

The UFS Language Policy has been made available in Sesotho, Afrikaans, isiZulu, and English since the beginning of 2024 in order to make this important information available to staff and students in the languages they best understand and/or prefer.

International Mother Tongue Day celebrations

In February, the UFS Academy for Multilingualism hosted International Mother Tongue Day celebrations, which included a Sesotho Short Story writing competition, acknowledging all the languages (local and international) represented by its diverse student and staff bodies.

Hosting Translanguaging in the Global South Symposium 2024

Great strides have been made towards sharing knowledge and expertise with local and international universities in the field of translanguaging pedagogies and practices in higher education, as the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State hosted the Translanguaging in the Global South Symposium in March, attracting expert local and international keynote speakers.

Development and intellectualisation of Sesotho terminology

An innovative project bringing together subject specialists, Sesotho linguists, terminologists, and translators, did groundbreaking work in 2024 to develop Sesotho terminology in the fields of accounting, mathematics, law, psychology, agriculture, research, and social work.

Development of South African Sign Language (SASL) as an academic language

The UFS has started with a process of standardising and verifying SASL terminology for interpreters in various disciplines, to avoid confusion and ensure uniformity and quality learning and teaching for Deaf students.

Publication and launching of academic books written in African languages

In order to encourage research outputs in African languages, the university has embarked on a process to publish academic books that showcase the capacity of African languages to express empirical and conceptual research findings in various African languages, such as Sesotho, isiZulu, Sepedi, and Tshivenda.

Translation of PhD abstracts

During 2024, 48 PhD abstracts from the seven faculties were translated by the UFS Academy for Multilingualism and made available in Sesotho, isiZulu, and Afrikaans, in order to enhance exposure and understanding for the wider UFS community.

Training of academic staff on multilingual pedagogies

In mid-2024, academic training workshops were launched to engage academic staff in the current issues and debates on multilingualism in higher education and to empower them with theoretical knowledge and practical strategies of teaching in multilingual classrooms.

External funding for multilingualism projects

Funding from the Department of Higher Education and other institutions was applied for and secured in 2024 to boost multilingualism practices at the university, with a specific focus on the development of Sesotho and South African Sign Language as academic languages.

UFS Multilingual Mokete

This celebration of language and culture has become a popular annual event on the UFS calendar and was hosted this year on the Qwaqwa Campus, featuring various local artists.

Multilingual collaborations for societal impact

In 2024, the UFS initiated and sustained a number of successful partnerships with other institutions of higher learning, such as the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Walter Sisulu University, and the University of Cape Town, sharing knowledge and expertise in the development of Sesotho, isiZulu, and isiXhosa.

Research on multilingualism

Various research publications on the impact of multilingualism at the UFS have been produced for DHET-accredited journals.

The UFS supports the United Nations General Assembly’s proclamation of the decade from 2022 to 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages and will continue to show its commitment towards multilingualism with bold and innovative strategies.

News Archive

UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

2012-06-18

UFS awards record number of master’s degrees and doctorates

The University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated an increase in postgraduate successes with a record number of master’s degrees and doctorates that were awarded during the winter graduation ceremony at the Bloemfontein campus on Thursday 14 June 2012.

A total of 481 master’s degrees and 82 doctorates were awarded in two ceremonies in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus. This is the most postgraduate qualifications to be awarded at a single graduation ceremony.

DiMTEC has reason to celebrate

Dr Andries Jordaan (second from right) with some of the people who received their master's degrees. From the left are Kehinde Balogun, the couple Olive Chisola-Darris en Clement West Darris, and the couple Everson Ndlovu en Patience Sibongile Ndlovu.
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
18 June 2012

DiMTEC had reason to celebrate at the winter graduation ceremony. The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa delivered a healthy crop of 32 master’s degrees and one doctorate.

This was the most master’s degrees that the centre has been awarded at one opportunity. The doctorate, however, was not at DiMTEC – Andries Jordaan, the director of the centre, obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economy.

It was also the first time that two couples received their master’s degrees at the centre at the same time.

Speaking at the event, Dr Jordaan said former students of the centre were using their expertise worldwide. Some of them are in senior positions at the United Nations, in African countries, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. DiMTEC’s students hail from 17 African countries, including French-speaking countries.

“I am proud that we have a footprint right across Africa,” he said.

Three travel all the way from Europe for their MBAs

Smiles on an important day. From the left are: Kasina Baker, Friederike Hackelberg, and Johanna Kössler and her parents and sister.
Photo: Stephen Collett
18 June 2012

No distance, time or money could prevent three MBA graduates from Europe from attending the winter graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein. Two of them were exchange students who were so captivated by the university and the country that they undertook their MBA studies at the Business School.

Friederike Hackelberg of Bremen, Germany, was an exchange student in 2008 and extended her stay to do an MBA. Johanna Kössler of Bolzano, Italy, was also an exchange student who succumbed to the charms of the UFS and South Africa. She brought her parents, George and Nannie, and her sister, Magdalena, with her to attend the graduation ceremony.

Kasina Baker of Warsaw, Poland, began her studies while her husband was working in Kenya. She wanted to study at a quality institution and thus chose the UFS's Business School.

Jessica gets three prestigious medals

Jessica Potgieter (right) was the first student in almost three decades to receive three prestigious medals at the Winter Graduation Ceremony. She received the Dean's medal as best Master's student in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Senate Medal as best Master's student at the university and the Award for Scientific Achievement by the South African Association for the Advancement of Science. She is seen here with her mother, Mrs Ilse van Rhyn, and Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor.
Photo: Johan Roux
18 June 2012

Three daughters, three degrees for proud Kovsie mom

Liezel Alsemgeest and Adri Kotzé.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Adri Kotzé, Faculty Manager in the Faculty of Law, is a very proud parent. In the course of one year, all three her daughters will receive degrees from the University of the Free State (UFS). First in line is the eldest, who received her Ph.D. in Business Management at the Winter Graduation Ceremony.

Liezel is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the UFS, where she lectures, publishes and hopes to further her research in finance. “I enjoy working at the university because you have the freedom to do your own thing and focus on whatever you like,” she says.

The title of Liezel’s thesis is Customers’ perception of business units within an agricultural business in South Africa. Her focus is on the subjects of customer satisfaction and financial management, with a specific focus on the management of agricultural businesses.

Middle sister Corné will be graduating with a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in December, while the youngest, Adéle, will receive her B.A. in Media Studies and Journalism at the Autumn Graduation Ceremony in 2013.

“I am very proud of all three my daughters,” says Adri.

Sasolburg minister receives Dean's Medal for best master's degree in Theology

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys.
18 June 2012

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys of the Reformed Church in Sasolburg received his master’s degree in Theology at the University of the Free State’s Winter Graduation Ceremony. Rev. Redelinghuys was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Theology.

The focus of his dissertation is Spirituality. “My lecturers are all people who practice what they preach and they have shared their knowledge with me.,” he says.

“My studies also contributed to my personal development,” says Rev. Redelinghuys.

Student from the Netherlands receives degree at UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij from the Netherlands was awarded a Ph.D. at the Winter Graduation Ceremony by the Faculty of Theology of the University of the Free State (UFS). Her thesis, Spirit and healing in Africa: A reformed pneumatological perspective, is an interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and healing in Southern Africa. The research addresses the need for a reviewed and contextually reformed approached to healing.

Deborah started her career as a minister at the Valkenburg Congregation of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2001. She was appointed by the missionary department of her church to lecture at the Justo Mwale Theological University College in Lusaka, Zambia in 2005. It was here that she decided on the topic of her thesis. Prof. Rian Venter from the Department of Systematic Theology at the UFS, who is also involved at the Justo Mwale College, is Deborah’s promoter and assisted her in her studies whilst she was in the Netherlands. It was also Prof. Venter who made Deborah aware of the importance of interdisciplinary research.

Well-known judge's granddaughter receives degree

Judge Joos Hefer and Annelie de Man.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Annelie de Man, a law researcher at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein received her master’s degree at the Winter Graduation Ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS). She is Judge Joos Hefer’s granddaughter. Annelie was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Law.

“Today is one of the biggest highlights in my career,” says Annelie, who received exposure to the field of law from a young age.

In September, she will be leaving for Italy to study for a master’s degree in European Human Rights at the European Inter University.

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