The second CPUT Language Indaba this year brought together academics as well as Language Rights and Translation practitioners to interrogate the university’s language policy.

Held on the Bellville Campus yesterday, the indaba was organized by the Language Working Group in collaboration with Fundani’s Language Unit under the title, The Language Question at CPUT: Marginalisation or Empowerment?

Prof Ken Barris from the Engineering Department, discussed the process followed to develop the university’s Language Policy, what its implementation has achieved and the road map of what has yet to happen.  

Delivering the keynote address, Prof Pamela Maseko from the Rhodes University’s School of African Languages, said the language problem affects all those living in South Africa.

“While there have been some institutions that have pioneered with teaching, learning and research practices that embrace African Languages others continue to ignore their relevance in higher education,” said Maseko.

She argued that monolingualism at national universities flies in the face of statutory language policies which recognize the importance of both individual and societal multilingualism.

Dr Nina Du Toit, former Head of CPUT’s Disability Unit, discussed how lecturers can support students with disabilities concerning learning, language and speech so that they perform at their optimal best.

Dr Nomfundo Mali, Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) provincial manager, discussed pieces of legislation that guarantee language rights to individuals and the government’s role in developing those languages.

Dr Sebolelo Mokapela from Parliament’s Language Services Section, Western Cape Language Services’ Xolisa Tshongolo and CPUT’s Thembinkosi Mtonjeni (Student Learning Unit) reflected on the translation practices in their institutions.  

The Indaba, which was supported by PanSALB, was attended by language specialists, curriculum officers, students and academics.  

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Academics called for the transformation of language of instruction in South African universities during this year’s CPUT Language Indaba on the Bellville Campus.

Prof Adelia Carstens from the University of Pretoria was one of two keynote speakers, and her address was entitled “The Language question in higher education: transformations in our doing, talking and thinking and looking forward”.

Carstens said when lecturers set deadlines and assessments they often do not consider the fact that some students only have access to computers on campus and when they go to their home there is often no electricity.

She pointed out that the demand for English only as a medium of instruction has increased in some historically Afrikaans universities.

She argued that the language challenge is disrupting cultural and structural inertia in higher education.

She said that in a decolonised higher education the curricula and pedagogy should be aligned to who the students are as people, which is not often the case.

She added that government policy The Catalytic Project seeks to explore ways in which indigenous African languages can be used as resources in learning, teaching and research practices in South African higher education, more specifically in the process of concept formation.

“There is a growing body of research that points to the role of language in student underperformance at university. However this research does not seem to influence teaching practices, there is no pedagogy informing multi-language usage to support concept formation among students for whom English is an additional language.”

The other keynote speaker was Prof Leketi Makalela from Wits University who discussed the place of multilingualism in decolonised tertiary education.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.