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Some educational interpreters and lecturers they collaborate with
Success should be celebrated! Recently the Language Centre’s Interpreting Service hosted a collaboration celebration with some of the lecturers who use interpreting during their lectures.
Together we reflected on a semester of working together to create a high-quality multilingual classroom experience for students. It was the first opportunity for some lecturers to meet the interpreters with whom they’ve been working face to face – both an exciting and a strange experience!
Educational interpreting is a free service provided by the SU Language Centre’s Interpreting Service. It is available for modules that qualify according to faculties’ language implementation plans, or where there is a pedagogical need.
Students can benefit immensely from a multilingual teaching and learning space. By bringing different languages into the teaching and learning space, students are given the opportunity to approach learning material from different perspectives and to find the way that resonates best with their learning style. It also allows for more voices to be heard in an authentic way. Therefore, it is critically important for lecturers to understand how educational interpreting on our campus works and how to use it, and to encourage students to make use of it.
Accordingly, interpreting on our campus can be useful and meaningful in many more situations than only where students do not understand the language in which a lecturer presents a lecture. Students sometimes prefer listening to the lectures in Afrikaans for the first few weeks after the commencement of lectures because they may be unsure about the English and the subject terminology.
When they listen to the whole lecture in Afrikaans in real time, it helps them with the transition from school to university. As Dr Christine Steenkamp (Physics) puts it:
In cases where students stop making use of interpreting after a month or two, we don’t see it as meaning that the interpreting was unsuccessful. It might actually mean that it worked, because the transition has taken place and the student can move on confidently.”
Some of the benefits of interpreting for lecturers were also highlighted during the event. Prof Hermann Swart (Psychology) explained that it was invaluable to him to know that he has an online partner who can deal with the Afrikaans so that he can be at his best when he lectures in English. It is a shared goal of lecturer, interpreter and student to include the preferred language of more students in the class, and the fact that he can depend on interpreters to convey the content in Afrikaans to students who understand it better in Afrikaans or simply prefer it in Afrikaans, contributes to his being able to relax more.
Remerta Basson (Financial Accounting) mentioned how impressed she was with the interpreters’ knowledge of subject terminology, and the authentic and natural manner in which they conveyed the content in the interpreted lectures.
Thanks to the innovativeness of the technological team at the Interpreting Service, real-time online interpreting was integrated in the classrooms almost seamlessly. For the students it is as simple as putting on earphones in the classroom there and then!
You are welcome to find out more about educational interpreting by sending an email to juanli@sun.ac.za at the Interpreting Service or visiting our web page.
Does your faculty’s language implementation plan call for interpreting in your module? Would you like to use interpreting to meet a pedagogical need, or to create a space for multilingual teaching and learning?
The short video below explains how you can easily make use of real-time online interpreting. Follow this step-by-step guide with clips showing the MS Teams set-up and what it looks like on the extended learning spaces (ELS) system in the classroom to get set up in under seven minutes.
Why is multilingualism important in teaching, learning and assessment?
Teaching and learning in different languages, for example in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa, as opposed to choosing only one language of teaching and learning, give students the opportunity to approach learning material from different perspectives and to find the way that resonates best with their learning style. It also allows for more voices to be heard authentically and is a critical enabler for students to co-create knowledge in the teaching and learning space.
For more information or to find out whether your module qualifies for interpreting, please contact Juanli Theron or Christine Joubert.
This June, the SU Language Centre’s Writing Lab is celebrating its 20th birthday. The Writing Lab prides itself as a welcoming, friendly and safe space where students and academics feel free to discuss writing issues and get support from dedicated staff and writing consultants.
What started as a dream for Prof Leon de Stadler (former director of the Language Centre), became a reality when the Writing Lab opened its doors in June 2001. Since we work with so many students and upcoming professionals, it seems fitting to highlight this milestone in Youth Month.
At the Writing Lab, we believe that everybody deserves to be heard and seen. But if you can’t speak ‘university’, you will not have a voice on campus. This is why we work with writers to develop their academic voices and improve their ability to argue their points. Our peer-learning approach developed from American progressive pedagogical movements of the 1970s and is all about increasing student access to higher education and participation in academic activities.
The Writing Lab has come a long way since its humble beginnings, in a consulting room borrowed from the University’s Department of Social Work, 20 years ago. Sharifa Daniels and Rose Richards shared the consulting room as an office and had one e-mail address! The office was so small that each time one needed to use the computer to send an e-mail, the other had to leave the room to make space. The dean, who had an office two doors away and didn’t know what was going on, must have thought that we looked quite suspicious, lingering in the corridor like that. Two floors above, in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, Anne-Mari Lackay shared a desk with several other people in a common room. None of us had a phone, so every time we needed to contact each other, we would run up and down the stairs.
Back then, in 2001, we conducted consultations with 20 students; now we are doing 3 000 and more. Although Sharifa retired in 2018, Rose and Anne-Mari still work at the Writing Lab and have since been joined by Selene Delport, Vinelene Hartley and Celestia February. We are supported by about 35 postgraduate students who are trained to be writing consultants. Many of these young academics go on to be supervisors and mentors of young writers themselves.
Before 2020 – the difficult year of the Covid-19 pandemic – our consultations were largely face to face. When the pandemic struck and we saw how isolated students were and how worried they were about their academic work, we took on the challenge to start consulting online via MS Teams. It’s going well. This April alone we reached more than 500 students online. The writing workshops for postgraduates, about 60 annually, are also online now and in high demand.
We feel honoured and grateful for the opportunity to work with students. These writers are the voice of tomorrow and with good writing they can be heard where it counts. If you have some academic writing to do, you’re most welcome to book a writing consultation with us. If there is something else we could assist you with, please reach out and e-mail us!
– by Rose Richards and Anne-Mari Lackay
Note: At the Language Centre, we observe the required Covid-19 protocols. These pictures were taken before the pandemic.
On 23 February, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthwethwa, announced new names for some cities and towns in the Eastern Cape. Among them are Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha; Maclear, now Nqanqarhu; and King William’s Town, which will be known as iQoonce in future. Most people – whether they speak English, Afrikaans or even isiXhosa – are quite intimidated by the click sounds in these new names, and are hesitant to even try to pronounce them. The renaming seems not to have been well received, and there are people who are petitioning to reverse the name changes.
But could one find something positive in this?
Zandile Kondowe, isiXhosa lecturer at the Language Centre, has indeed had a heart-warming experience. When she discussed the new names with some of her current and former students, they were very engaged – also on social media. It wasn’t long before they jumped in and started teaching others how to pronounce the new names and how to grow to love them. “This way, these students did not only show respect to me as their isiXhosa teacher, but they also honoured all isiXhosa speakers and showed how they valued the isiXhosa language and culture. Seeing their commitment reminded me of Neville Alexander, who was a great advocate for using African languages in powerful ways and in different social domains.”
To Zandile, her students’ commitment is a wonderful example of showing respect for human rights, as well: “Instead of criticising the way in which the new town names are pronounced, they took it upon themselves to learn how to pronounce them and then reached out to help those who had trouble pronouncing them.”
Zandile would like to invite anyone who feels unsure about pronouncing those names here at Stellenbosch University to e-mail her at kondowe@sun.ac.za. “We would love to teach you how to pronounce the names, and we have some great interactive isiXhosa short courses you can join, too!”
Have a look at the videos by some of Zandile’s students to get ready for those clicks!
Adnene Janse van Rensburg helps us to click away:
And here we have some more help from Austin Pepar:
Would you like to be able to chat to your colleagues in Afrikaans once we’re all back on campus?
As Madiba had noted so aptly, when you talk to someone in their language, chances are that you will speak to their hearts, and not to their minds only. Learning a new language also opens doors to the culture of the people speaking that language. Without communication, we misunderstand each other so easily and are sometimes even afraid of one another.
At the SU Language Centre, language is our business. If you’d like to learn Afrikaans (it is after all one of the official languages of the Western Cape), you have come to the right place! We offer an interactive Beginner Afrikaans language course to the public and University staff, running from 15 March to 18 June 2021. We will decide closer to the time whether we will meet in person for the course or whether it will be offered online. Either way, you will have a great linguistic experience, and also learn more about the different cultural groups within the diverse Afrikaans community. If you are interested, please e-mail Vernita Beukes. Gou-gou (quickly)!
Who knew that we all could be so tech savvy? The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting measures to keep us safe have had many consequences so far. One of the good ones is that ordinary people suddenly manage to do truly amazing things with technology, as long as there is a stable internet connection and a suitable virtual platform. Virtual meetings, online classes and other events on MS Teams, Zoom or similar platforms have entered our lives (and homes) unceremoniously and are likely here to stay.
The Language Centre offers various online events as well – be it courses, seminars or meetings. To ensure that you’re in the know about what is expected of you and what to expect when participating in an online event, we’ve compiled a cheat sheet for you.
When logging on for the session
‘Arrive’ 10 minutes before the start of the session
Check your sound settings: your speakers should not be muted
When entering the meeting, mute your microphone and turn off your video using the buttons at the bottom of your screen
You may want to ‘say hi’ by turning your camera on momentarily and giving a quick wave, but feel free to turn it off until you want to contribute
During the session
Allow yourself to be fully present. Avoid distractions such as social media or e-mail pop-ups. Create a physical space conducive to focusing and participating – consider putting a ‘please do not disturb for the next hour’ sign on your door or desk before the session.
Engage You have the option to stay ‘invisible’, but sessions are intended for engagement, and questions are always welcome. It’s best not to interrupt the presenter verbally, but you could raise your hand (there’s button for that!) or you could type your question in the text-based chat forum, first, and then reiterate it if there is an opportunity to engage. If your question was not answered during the session, send a personal e-mail to the session presenter afterwards. Usually some questions go unanswered due to sheer volume, not deliberate neglect.
Observe netiquette
Be courteous and respectful, and keep your tone polite and conversational
Share your own experiences (if relevant)
Build on discussions
Reply if you have meaningful information
Type in complete sentences and clear language
Use the @ function to direct a comment or question to someone specifically in the chat. First type ‘@’ and then their name or e-mail address (e.g. ‘I have a similar question to @JaneDoe@sun.ac.za about….’)
Be inclusive
Take notes, but… Make (written or typed) notes of the most critical concepts and possible follow-up questions. Avoid trying to transcribe the session, as it will most likely be recorded and made available after the session.
Tech notes
About the presentation format and the online platforms we use Online courses will take place on SUNOnline or Microsoft Teams. You will receive an invite via e-mail for each session, probably on the day of the session. Simply click on Join Microsoft Teams Meeting or something similar for other platforms for redirection to a page where you can join on the web (or download the app). If you already have the app, the meeting will open automatically. If not, follow the instructions below to install MS Teams or Zoom. We would recommend installing the applicable app before our live sessions.
About the equipment you need A smart device (computer, a tablet or a smartphone with internet access) and preferably microphone-enabled headphones are what you need. The garden variety wired earphones that probably came with your smartphone will work just fine.
About your internet connection You will need a stable internet connection and enough data. Since sessions are live events, your connection speed will influence how well you see and hear a presenter, and whether you experience lags or freezes. To reduce the chances of lags, freezes or failures, rather don’t have multiple web browser tabs (‘windows’) open, and don’t download any files for the time of an event.
How to install Microsoft Teams or Zoom MS Teams: Go to https://teams.microsoft.com/downloads and click on Download Teams. Follow the prompts to install the app on your computer. Zoom: Go to https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting and download the the first option, namely Zoom Client for Meetings. Follow the prompts to install the app.
Not sure you know everything about netiquette yet? Click on the infographic for more information:
Thank you to the SU Centre for Learning Technologies for making this information available initially.
We’re a click away.
This is how we can connect with lecturers to create an even better online learning experience for students.
Editing and translation: Use the Language Service to edit and translate any lecture material – for example, your slides for lectures, SUNLearn content, lecture notes or instructions to students. We could also help with information design: presenting the information in your documents to the best possible effect for your students, which could include improving layout and readability. We translate into 15 languages, including isiXhosa. Marguerite van der Waal | 021 808 3096
Interpreting: While we do not interpret in ‘real time’ for online classes, our Interpreting Service has an experienced team of professional interpreters who will make sure that those requiring our services will have access to their lecture content online through audio translation of lecture podcasts. All lecturers of modules that would have been interpreted during the second term qualify for this service. Audio translations of recorded lectures can be made in either Afrikaans or English, depending on the language of learning and teaching, and sometimes in isiXhosa. For more information, click here. We can also do subtitling for lecturers: Video clips can be processed in order to add subtitles and/or translated text to make them multilingual. Juanli Theron | 021 808 4183
Terminology: Check out the trilingual terminology tool on our website for subject terminology in Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa – www1.sun.ac.za/languagecentre-terminologies
Writing consultations: Students and staff can discuss their own writing with a trained consultant through the Writing Lab. They can make an appointment on KENAKO for an online writing consultation via MS Teams (a Teams meeting request will be sent after the appointment has been made), or they can e-mail us for an appointment: Anne-Mari Lackay | Vinelene Hartley | Rose Richards
Writing workshops for postgraduates: Postgraduate students can attend an online Writing Lab workshop to help them write their research proposal, literature review, thesis or journal article. If you are working on your own studies, you can join as well! You could even form a writing support group through the Writing Lab. Contact us for our list of scheduled workshops, which will roll out late April/early May. Selene Delport| 021 808 4307
Reading consultations and workshops: This online service helps students to read more strategically and competently. Our Reading Lab offers a visual and cognitive processing program to optimise students’ reading. Please contact us for an assessment if a student requests extra reading time for an exam. Marisca Coetzee | 021 808 2811
OnlineEnglish for Academic Purposes (EAP) Programme: Staff and students who would like to improve their academic English can enrol for this programme, which offers a choice of either or both EAP modules: Reading & Writing, and Speaking & Language. The EAP programme, funded through the University, is aimed at extended degree programme (EDP) students in particular, but is also open to other SU students and staff. This blended learning course will run from the second semester.
Online Intensive English Programme (IEP): Students who need to improve their functional English language proficiency can enrol for the IEP to develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. We assess students’ proficiency level online using a valid, recognised test before placing them in a class that best suits their needs. Teaching is interactive and fun, and classes are small for optimal language learning. Please contact us for course fees and dates.
Blended learning TEFL course: Anyone wishing to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) in future can do a course with us to qualify. Please contact us for course fees and dates.
IELTS preparation course: Anyone wanting to study or work abroad in future can sign up for this course for developing the strategies to write the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. Please contact us for course fees and dates.
Afrikaans and isiXhosa courses: Learn Afrikaans or isiXhosa and deepen your connection with people. We now offer Afrikaans for Beginners semester courses online via SUNLearn (for registered international students) and via SUNOnline (for members of the public and staff). We have also taken our Afrikaans for Dutch and Belgian students course online. We prefer face-to-face teaching, but will be developing other online offerings in future, in line with demand. For social language skills, try tandem learning with a buddy, survival sessions or group learning through our Language Learning Hub. Afrikaans courses: Vernita Beukes isiXhosa courses: Zandile Kondowe Language Learning Hub: Helga Sykstus General enquiries: Jeanene Olivier | 021 808 2167
Academic Literacies: These credit-bearing modules embedded within faculties aim to equip students for strategic communication – in an academic setting and in their occupation and industry. The focus is on professional, business and scientific communication, writing skills and skills for academic discourse. Course coordinators are continuing to support students via SUNLearn and other online tools to ensure that the relevant academic outcomes are reached. Jeanene Olivier | 021 808 2167
Transcriptions: Our experienced team of transcribers can process audio recordings of any kind of proceedings expediently and accurately. For example, you can get a professional transcription of your research interviews so that you can get on with the research itself. Tania Botha | 021 808 4182
We’re a click away.
Have a look here to see how to get the best online language support as a student!
Writing consultations: Discuss your own writing with a trained consultant through the Writing Lab. You can make an appointment on KENAKO for an online writing consultation via MS Teams (you will receive a Teams meeting request after you have made the appointment), or e-mail us for an appointment: Anne-Mari Lackay | Vinelene Hartley | Rose Richards
Writing workshops: Attend a tailor-made online Writing Lab workshop to help you write your research proposal, literature review, thesis or journal article. You could even form a writing support group through the Writing Lab. Contact us for our list of scheduled workshops, which will roll out late April/early May. Selene Delport | 021 808 4307
Reading consultations and workshops: Learn how to read more strategically and competently. Our Reading Lab offers a visual and cognitive processing program to optimise your reading. Marisca Coetzee | 021 808 2811
English courses: Improve your academic English with our onlineEnglish for Academic Purposes (EAP) Programme, which offers a choice of either or both EAP modules: Reading & Writing, and Speaking & Language. Or enrol for our online Intensive English Programme (IEP) to develop your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. You could also do a blended learning TEFL course (for teaching English as a foreign language) or an online IELTS preparation course to help you develop the strategies to write the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. Shannon Bishop | 021 808 2167
Afrikaans and isiXhosa courses: Learn Afrikaans or isiXhosa and deepen your connection with people. For social language skills, try tandem learning with a buddy, survival sessions or group learning through our Language Learning Hub. Please contact us for our schedule of online offerings. We also offer semester courses for international students. Afrikaans-kursusse: Vernita Beukes
Xhosa-kursusse: Zandile Kondowe Language Learning Hub: Helga Sykstus General enquiries: Jeanene Olivier | 021 808 2167
Academic Literacies: Equip yourself for strategic communication – in an academic setting and in your occupation and industry – with our credit-bearing academic literacies modules which we run within faculties. Modules focus on professional, business and scientific communication, writing skills and skills for academic discourse. Jeanene Olivier | 021 808 2167
Interpreting: While we do not interpret in ‘real time’ for online classes, our Interpreting Service has an experienced team of professional interpreters who will make sure that those requiring our services will have access to their lecture content online through translations of podcasts. In either Afrikaans or English, depending on the language of learning and teaching, and sometimes in isiXhosa. Juanli Theron | 021 808 4183
Terminology: Check out the trilingual terminology tool on our website for subject terminology in Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa – www1.sun.ac.za/languagecentre-terminologies
Editing and Translation: Use the Language Service to edit and translate any documents – for example, your research questionnaires, consent forms or abstract. We translate into 15 languages, including isiXhosa. Marguerite van der Waal | 021 808 3096
Transcriptions: Get a professional transcription of your research interviews so that you can get on with the research itself. Tania Botha |021 808 4182
This is a time of c-words. Corona, control, contagion, consequence, confinement, challenge. To counter these, the SU Language Centre’s Language Service would like to offer ‘collaborate’, ‘connect’ and ‘create’. By collaborating with lecturers to edit and translate lecture material such as notes, slides, and other SUNLearn content, we make it easier for you to connect with your students in the language of their choice and create and upload great content.
In any academic discipline, conveying knowledge and comprehending complex ideas are crucial steps in the learning process. The Language Service can help you ensure that your ideas come across clearly by fine-tuning the language of your lecture notes and slides during editing. By leaving the ‘how’ to us, you can focus on what you want to say – with more time and energy to concentrate on creating and uploading engaging content and interacting with your students.
Considering that we work in 15 languages (including Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa), we can also translate your material. In this way your students can learn in the language with which they are most comfortable.
By combining the skills and expertise of our in-house language practitioners and tried-and-tested, qualified external freelancers, we are flexible in tackling assignments and meeting deadlines. Why not contact us?
Lecturers can still ensure that their students have multilingual access to their lectures. One way of doing so is making audio/video clips available to students in English and Afrikaans. We can help by interpreting recorded podcasts and converting them into multilingual audio files.
Record your podcast at home or at the office and send it to us. Try Techsmith if you have not made podcasts before. It’s a user-friendly app that is installed on most SU computers. If it is not installed yet, IT Services could assist you. Alternatively, use any recording program that you are comfortable with, like Audacity or Adobe Audition.
Please note that the guidelines for transitioning to online teaching highlight the fact that podcasts do not necessarily have to be a full 50-minute lecture, but that a short, succinct overview of new material for students would suffice. Try to keep your podcast as short as possible, so that we can help as many of you as quickly as possible.
Once you have completed your podcast, please send it via wetransfer.com to Christine Joubert at christinejoubert@sun.ac.za. WeTransfer is a free application for sending large files electronically to others. It is very easy to use: Just add Christine’s e-mail address, attach your file and press send. Please do not try to send the file as an e-mail attachment in Outlook, since the file would be too large to send.
When naming your file, please use the following convention:
Date_Modulename_Language, for example 30032020_Sociology114_Eng.
It will be returned as 30032020_Sosiologie114_Afr.
We will do our best to deliver your interpreted podcast to you as soon as we can. We will, however, need a minimum of two days, excluding the one that you send it on.
Your podcast will be returned to you via WeTransfer as well. You will receive a notification from WeTransfer via e-mail, with a link to the download site. Download the file from there and upload it to SUNLearn.
For more information or to request podcasting services, please contact Christine Joubert.
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