Description
Presenters
Bongiwe Dlutu is an isiXhosa facilitator, and she loves sharing the isiXhosa language and culture with others. She is currently pursuing a PhD in African Languages, with a research focus on indigenous knowledge systems and the preservation of oral traditions. Her journey in education has been shaped by a deep passion for language, culture and empowering others through learning. She is committed to promoting multilingualism and using inclusive, humanising pedagogies in her teaching. Her work allows her to contribute meaningfully to the development of culturally responsive learning spaces where students feel seen, heard and valued.
Location
Stellenbosch University campus
We will focus on the following themes to enhance your ability to communicate in isiXhosa:
- Greeting people and making introductions
- Asking about someone’s health and feelings
- Socialising with other people
- Asking patients and clients about their illnesses
- Explaining treatment and prescriptions
- Speaking about the weather
- Naming the months and days of the week
- Setting up formal and informal appointments
- Giving directions
This course is presented over eight weeks. We use a communicative approach to teaching, which means that you will learn isiXhosa in a fun and exciting way. Normally we will have face-to-face contact sessions of two hours per week, but at the moment those sessions are conducted online. We use MS Teams, SUNLearn, SUNOnline and WhatsApp as platforms for our online activities, and study material is provided.
We love interacting with you to give you the practice you need so that you can become confident in speaking the language. There will be speaking tasks at a lower beginner level as well as group interaction with the presenter.
You need to attend all the sessions; there are no tests, but you will be continuously assessed on the basis of your participation in class.
You need a smart phone with WhatsApp to receive messages about the content, tasks due and activities. We recommend a computer with internet access and a microphone to participate in the live sessions on MS Teams and to complete the online activities outside of class.
Stellenbosch University staff members or external clients with no previous knowledge of isiXhosa who are medical doctors, health workers, pharmacists or working in related fields.
If you are interested in this course, contact Bongiwe Dlutu.
You will receive a certificate of attendance after you have completed the course successfully.
You will not only learn a new language but will also be empowered with multilingual and multicultural skills. This will enable you to understand your patients or clients better, and, in return, they will trust you more and feel more comfortable to discuss their illness with you. You will also be able to start appreciating isiXhosa as a regional language and its position as an official language in South Africa.
Any questions?
E-mail Bongiwe Dlutu at bdlutu@sun.ac.za.
