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26 January 2024 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Supplied
Mother tongue pride
UFS staff members and students celebrating learners’ achievements at the Philippolis Public Speaking Competition. Pictured are Jani de Lange and Likiledi Mokoena; back: Lusenda Machini, Kevin Cloete, Susan Lombaard, Tinotenda Magaya, and Mabatho Ntsieng.

A unique public speaking competition hosted in the small town of Philippolis has done wonders to not only build confidence in young mother tongue speakers, but to broaden the cultural perspectives of an entire community.

The Philippolis Public Speaking Competition has been hosted by the Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment (ULFE) and the Department of Community Engagement (CE) at the University of the Free State (UFS) since 2013. What started as a small competition for learners in this Southern Free State town, has grown into a much-anticipated annual event, drawing participants from schools in neighbouring towns such as Trompsburg, Bethulie, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, Gariepdam, and Reddersburg.

Talking about heritage

Every year, learners from Grades 6 to 9 are invited to present a speech on a specific heritage-related topic. Participants are encouraged to speak in their mother tongues – which in this region are mainly Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, and isiXhosa.

Interpreters from the UFS ULFE ensure that the audience can follow each speech. For the past few years, deaf learners from the Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind in Thaba Nchu and Re Tlameleng School for the Deaf in Kimberley have made welcome appearances, assisted by UFS sign language interpreters.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to teach our young people about acknowledging and respecting different opinions – but also to consider perspectives from differently abled individuals,” enthuses Anita Muller, a teacher from Bergmanshoogte Primary School, who has been involved in the competition from the very beginning.

“Learners in rural areas so often believe they don’t have a voice, and that nobody is interested in their opinions,” she continues.

“This competition does wonderful work in building feelings of self-worth and self-confidence. And it is usually a welcome opportunity for our broader community to get together, learn about one another’s cultures, and change perspectives.” 

Embracing individuality

Jani de Lange, UFS Lecturer in South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies, and one of the coordinators of the project, says she was excited to note that the master of ceremonies of last year’s competition was a former participant in the very first event.

“This project gives me a sense of pride and reminds me why I am part of the UFS. It has been a real eye-opener to see how important it is for those involved,” she says.

“It encourages our young people to embrace their individuality, as we celebrate the cultures and traditions of all those who participate,” says Mabatho Ntsieng from the Engaged Scholarship Office. She says young people often lose sight of where they come from. By giving them opportunities to research topics linked to their heritage and then present their speech in their mother tongue, they can return to their cultural roots.

“It is wonderful to see how proud these participants are and the impact it has on the schools and the community.”

News Archive

2014 Winter Graduation
2014-06-27

 
It is time for the 2014 Winter Graduation on our Bloemfontein Campus. From 2 – 4 July 2014 Masters and Doctoral degrees will be bestowed on graduates from across all seven faculties as well as the School of Open Learning. These include the conferral of Medicine degrees on the South African Cuban trainees.

Wednesday 2 July 2014 at 14:30: School of Open Learning
The School of Open Learning will confer a total of 609 degrees this year – almost double compared to the 320 of last year.

Thursday 3 July 2014 at 09:30: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Prof Magdalena Blum will receive an Honorary Doctorat, DPhil honoris causa, at this event. Prof Blum is an Extension Systems Officer in Rome. She works for a specialised agency of the United Nations called the Food and Agriculture Organization. This organisation’s mandate is:
• to improve nutrition,
• increase agricultural productivity,
• raise the standard of living in rural populations and
• contribute to global economic growth.

Her position serves to modernise and strengthen rural advisory services, their systems and networks worldwide. She has filled this position for almost nine years.

Prof Blum is driven by a passion for development, humanitarian work and female upliftment, but most of all, to enable people to help themselves.

Blum’s life has taken her from a small German village to Africa, Asia and Europe – and she has made an impact wherever she went.

Thursday 3 July 2014 at 14:30: Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, Humanities, Education, Health Sciences, Law and Theology
At this ceremony, Faculty of the Humanities will award an Honorary Doctorate, DPhil honoris causa, on Prof Laura Mulvey. She is a feminist film theorist and worked at the British Film Institute for many years. She is currently a professor at Film and Media Studies at Birkbeck, University of London.

Prof Mulvey was prominent as an avant-garde filmmaker in the 1970s and ‘80s. In collaboration with her husband, Peter Wollen, she co-wrote and co-directed:
• Penthesilea: Queen of the Amazons (1974),
• Riddles of the Sphinx (1977, perhaps their most influential film),
• AMY! (1980),
• Crystal Gazing (1982),
• Frida Kahlo and Tina Modotti (1982), and
• The Bad Sister.

In 1991, she returned to filmmaking with Disgraced Monuments, which she co-directed with Mark Lewis.

Friday 4 July 2014 at 10:30: Special Graduation Ceremony
Conferral of Medicine Degrees on the South African Cuban trainees at the UFS

Live streaming will be available on: http://www.ufs.ac.za/ufslivestreaming/

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