Stellenbosch University Language Centre

Tag: life is language

Celebrating women in Women’s month: Faika’s trip to Tarragona in Spain

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Faika at the BIP

Faika Haroun, an Academic and Professional Literacies lecturer at the Language Centre, had the privilege of visiting the Roviira i Virgili University (URV) from 9 to 13 December last year. This Spanish public university has its faculty of law and humanities at the Catalunya campus in Tarragona. URV is also part of the International Network of Universities (INU), a global collaboration that includes Stellenbosch University (SU).

Lidia du Plessis from Stellenbosch International (SUI) introduced Faika to the INU, and SUI funded her trip, while the URV provided accommodation in Tarragona. In celebration of Women’s month, we chatted to Faika to hear more about the trip.

“I was welcomed by Rebeca Tómas Smith, director of the international office at the URV. She had arranged for my visit to coincide with the blended intensive programme (BIP) on internationalisation at home, in which I participated and where I had the opportunity to present. This programme guides students and staff to become interculturally competent. In addition to the BIP, I attended the Inclusive Comprehensive Internationalisation Conference. This conference featured presentations by both lecturers and students, who shared their international experiences. During the breakaway sessions, I was introduced to collaborative online international learning (COIL), a teaching methodology that facilitates collaboration with international and local partners.

I must mention that I established a meaningful connection with Marina Vives i Cabré, one of the organisers of and presenters at of the BIP.  From our first meeting, we discovered that we shared many interests and experiences, both personally and professionally.

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Presenting at the BIP

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BIP participants

Tarragona is rich in culture and history. One afternoon, the BIP participants were shown around the city. We visited many of the Roman and medieval sites in the city, and stopped at the lookout point which is referred to as the gateway to the Mediterranean. When the locals visit there, they say they are ‘touching iron’, because of the iron railing.

This experience was invaluable in establishing international relationships for future collaboration. It also gave me insight into how intercultural competency is addressed internationally. A key difference between Europe and South Africa is that, in European institutions, intercultural competency is often viewed as internationalisation, whereas at Stellenbosch University we view intercultural competency as being able to communicate across various cultures within the borders of South Africa.”

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Touching iron

A key difference between Europe and South Africa is that, in European institutions, intercultural competency is often viewed as internationalisation, whereas at Stellenbosch University we view intercultural competency as being able to communicate across various cultures within the borders of South Africa.”

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Exploring Tarragona

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Roman theatre

Interested in what exactly Academic and Professional Literacies are? Read more here.

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– by Faika Haroun

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Language Day 2025

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About Language Day  

Language Day is hosted every two years at Stellenbosch University (SU). It is an opportunity for SU staff and students to learn from each other and to engage with our different experiences of language, and how language plays out in practice in academic and social settings. We explore how language shapes campus culture and supports student success, both at university and for the world of work. 

Language plays a fundamental role in shaping how students experience university life. From the moment they register to the day they graduate and enter the world of work, students encounter a range of linguistic challenges and opportunities that influence their academic, personal and professional lives. Perspectives that foreground language can therefore open up meaningful discussions about meaning-making, students’ sense of being and belonging, the nature and authorship of knowledge, and who defines who belongs and whose knowledge counts (Antia & Dyers, 2019: 91). These considerations also raise important questions around campus culture and ways in which the institution can support learning.   

As SU staff and students, we acknowledge that we live in a multilingual society on a multilingual continent. We know that a multilingual mindset equips our students to tap into a broader and more diverse knowledge base, to engage with society in a way that speaks to the heart, not just the mind, to be dynamic professionals, able to better demonstrate problem-solving, listening and interpersonal skills; and to be well-rounded individuals who can make informed decisions that take more than just their own thinking into consideration. We also know that multilingual competences are needed for African and global citizenship and employability, especially for an institution which is increasingly conscious of its duty to society as an African university.  

At the same time, multilingualism—while celebrated for its cognitive, cultural, and social benefits in a diverse and interconnected world—is facing new challenges as globalisation accelerates the dominance of English, particularly in higher education, scholarly communication and the workplace.  

This year, we focus on the following theme: “How does language play out in the SU student’s journey from registration to graduation?”   

We examine the influence of language on a number of themes that impact the SU student’s journey from registration to graduation and the world of work. The idea is to have open, conversations about real practices on campus, in class and in social and living spaces. The conference theme will be unpacked in the form of two panel discussions, followed by group discussions and plenary feedback. 

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How does language play out in the SU student’s journey from registration to graduation?”

Panel 1: Inclusion, engagement and belonging for student success 

 

The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasises how we are different rather than how we are similar.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (cited in the SU Monitors report, 2025) 

Breakaway discussions in groups will respond to the panel topic with a focus on one of the following: 

Focus 1: Academic spaces 

Focus 2: Social and living spaces 

Panel 2: Multilingual competences and global citizenship for the world of work 

 

Multilingualism is increasingly recognised as a crucial global graduate attribute which equips individuals with the capacity to navigate a diverse and interconnected world, contributing to employability and success in the workplace.  

Breakaway discussions in groups will respond to the panel topic with a focus on one of the following:  

Focus 1: Multilingualism for engaged local and global citizenship 

Focus 2: Language in/for the professions – what is the University’s role? 

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Panel presentations may be delivered in English, Afrikaans or isiXhosa.  

Programme
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Conference format  
  • Two interactive panel discussions, each followed by a group session and a plenary feedback session.  
  • Groups at the various tables will be kept small to encourage discussion (no more than 10 participants per table).   Participants will be encouraged to focus on specific themes to encourage engaged participation rather than broad and vague discussions.  
  • The group discussions will be anchored with a facilitator and scribe.  The outputs from each breakaway session will be shared separately. Panel members will then engage in further discussion based on the group feedback.  

 

Invitees 

There will be approximately 100 invitees including formal invitees and some open invitations for SU staff and students.  

  

List of sources 

Antia, B.E., Dyers, C. 2019. De-alienating the academy: Multilingual teaching as decolonial pedagogy, Linguistics and Education, Volume 51, (pp. 91-100). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2019.04.007 

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The days of the week in isiXhosa

Why do we say ‘Monday’ for Monday? Where do the names for the days of the week come from in isiXhosa, English and Afrikaans?

uMvulo (The day opening the week)

In Afrikaans and English, the names of the days of the week come from Roman mythology. So, Monday is a loan translation of the Latin ‘dies lunae’, which means ‘day of Luna’, because this day is dedicated to the Roman moon goddess Luna.

In isiXhosa, each day of the week is linked to a specific meaning. The first day of the week in isiXhosa, ‘uMvulo’, is derived from the verb ‘-vula’, which means ‘to open’. In other words, Monday is the day opening the week.

uLwesibini (The second day)

The amaXhosa also use the seven-day week, however, unlike in Afrikaans or English, they derive the words for Tuesday to Friday from numerals. The word for ‘two’ in isiXhosa is ‘-bini’ and that is why we say ‘uLwesibini’ for Tuesday in isiXhosa.

uLwesithathu (The third day)

For the remaining days before the weekend, we can simply substitute the numeral part of the word to show which day it is. To create the isiXhosa word for Wednesday, we use the numeral ‘-thathu’, which means three, to form ‘uLwesithathu’.

uLwesine (The fourth day)

For the fourth day of the week  we use the isiXhosa numeral ‘-ne’, which means ‘four’, to create ‘uLwesine’ – the isiXhosa word for Thursday.

uLwesihlanu (The fifth day)

Friday is the last day of the week derived from numerals in isiXhosa. We use the numeral ‘-hlanu’, which means ‘five’ in isiXhosa, to get to ‘uLwesihlanu’ – the Xhosa word for Friday.

uMgqibelo (The day ending the week)

According to the seven-day calendar Sunday marks the end of the week. However, in isiXhosa, Saturday is considered the last day of the week or the day that ends or closes the week. Therefore, in isiXhosa we use the word ‘uMgqibelo’ for Saturday, which is derived from the verb ‘-gqibela’, meaning ‘to finish’.

iCawa (Church day)

Sunday is  the day when people traditionally go to church.   European missionaries settled among the amaXhosa in the 1820s, introducing Christian traditions, some of which the amaXhosa have adopted. That is why we use the isiXhosa word for church, ‘iCawa’, to refer to Sunday in isiXhosa.

If you’ve read until this point, congratulations – you’ve added seven words to your isiXhosa vocabulary!

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Meet our English teachers!

Meet our English portfolio! Our teachers are all experts in teaching English as a second language and thrive in seeing their students reach new limits. The English portfolio aims to create a fun and engaging environment as students go on their English language learning journey.

Do you recognise one of your teachers? Tell us what you loved about them!

The SU Language Centre’s English portfolio offers certified courses for local and international students, including Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), the Intensive English Programme (IEP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Learn more here.

Fatima Halday

“My job as a coordinator is to critically plan, synchronise and execute tasks with fluidity, and to build and cultivate partnerships with key stakeholders.  As a team leader I create an environment of openness and transparency overcoming complexity by communicating thoughtfully and clearly. I encourage my team to embody a spirit of adaptability. As a lecturer, I aim to create a culture of dialogic and transformative learning in the classroom promoting critical and creative thinking.”

Ammie Henson

“I am an English Second Language (ESL) teacher for the English Portfolio at the SU Language Centre, and the assistant coordinator of the Intensive English Programme (IEP). My job is to make second language acquisition an engaging and meaningful process for my students in a safe and inclusive learning environment that fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and effective communication skills. Through the implementation and use of differentiated instruction, authentic materials and interactive activities, my mission is to empower my students to express themselves confidently and accurately in English, while also appreciating and understanding different cultures and perspectives. My ultimate goal is to create lifelong learners and effective global communicators who can navigate diverse contexts with cultural sensitivity and linguistic proficiency.”

Eppie Mcfarlane

“My job is to teach English to students in the English portfolio. I train students who sign up for the SU TEFL courses to become TEFL-trained teachers. I also teach English for Academic Purposes and other courses in the portfolio, wherever I am needed, online or in person. I derive great satisfaction from seeing how new teachers or foreign students develop throughout the courses.”

Tammy Kilroe-Palmer

“My job as an English language teacher is to help my students develop their language skills through an intensive and immersive learning experience. I facilitate the learning process by providing clear instructions, modelling proper language use and creating a stimulating and supportive learning environment for my students.”

Sabrina Thompson

“My job is to assist second-language students to develop their English language skills in a fun, accessible and entertaining way. The most enjoyable part of being a teacher is enabling students to explore their own limits and being a guide to help them along the journey.”

Cynthia Slattery

“My job is to assist students to enjoy speaking English in public, with confidence and conviction. I do this by creating stimulating learning opportunities that allow students to practise their skills.”

Jacques Cilliers

“I am an English teacher working with students from all over the world, from Elementary to Advanced. My job involves being a resource to others and building bonds with my students.”

Jesse Beukes

“I am an intern in the English portfolio. In order to help the portfolio and its members with their numerous tasks and initiatives, one of the main responsibilities of my job is to maintain clear communication networks. Through several opportunities for hands-on learning, personalised guidance and discovering the various resources SU has to offer, I am learning how to function as a part of the Language Centre’s well-oiled machine.”

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Africa Day 2023: Our Africa, our future

In recognition of its wonder and multifaceted nature, the month of May is dedicated to Africa.

Africa Day itself is celebrated on 25 May – this year to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (now known as the African Union), founded on 25 May 1963. On this day, leaders of 30 of the 32 independent African states signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and vowed to encourage nation-building through unity and freedom from oppression.

This month, the Language Centre has chosen to highlight the important roles that interpreters have played on the African continent to overcome language barriers – from the professional linguists and praise singers of tribal African societies to the modern-day interpreters who facilitate nation-building and provide access to services by interpreting in national parliaments, conferences, courts and hospitals. And, of course, we also think of the educational interpreters who make it possible for university lectures to be understood in Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa and South African Sign Language.

The practice of interpreting from one language to another on the African continent, as elsewhere, goes back thousands of years.

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In many African societies, the professional linguists or praise singers belonged to a long line of gifted multilingual orators who devised praise songs on important public occasions to celebrate the victories and glorious qualities of the chief and his ancestors.”

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The oral art of West African griots (‘bards’) and Southern African iimbongi (‘praise singers’) continues today, with praise singers acting as modern political commentators.

The hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1996 to 1998 marked the first opportunity for many South Africans to become acquainted with the marvels of simultaneous interpreting in the eleven official languages of South Africa. Interpreters facilitated reconciliation during the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Since then, they have continued to help to build South Africa as a nation at national and provincial legislatures, municipal council meetings and conferences. Other major employers of interpreters in Africa include the African Union, Pan-African Parliament, UNON (the United Nations Office in Nairobi), SADC (the Southern African development community) and the African Development Bank.

All around the world, sign language interpreters are known for facilitating access to education for Deaf students, but what is less well known is that spoken language interpreters can do the same for hearing students. This way several South African universities make university lectures accessible to students who are not necessarily so comfortable in the language of teaching. At SU, our educational interpreters work in Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa and South African Sign Language.

We celebrate the role interpreting has played over the years to help Africa and its people connect and prosper. At the Language Centre we consider ourselves privileged to be part of that story, and also to be part of the future of Africa – our Africa.

If you’re an interpreter working in Africa, please share your story with us. E-mail us at taalsentrum@sun.ac.za.

Source:
Wallmach, K. 2015. Africa. In Pöchhacker, F. (ed.) Encyclopaedia of Interpreting Studies. London: Routledge.

Blog by Dr Kim Wallmach, Director of the Language Centre

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So many kinds of freedom

“I never even knew that that kind of personal freedom existed, because I had never experienced it before …”

Liselotte Voets, a Belgian exchange student from KU Leuven  (Catholic University of Leuven) who visited SU last year as part of her studies towards a master’s degree in philosophy, attended the Language Centre’s Afrikaans course for Dutch-speaking students while she was in South Africa.

In celebration of Freedom Day on 27 April, she shares her thoughts about freedom with us, originally in Afrikaans, but translated into English below.

My exchange visit of five and a half months in Stellenbosch kicked off in February 2022. Choosing South Africa was obvious to me: the cultures, the people, the scenery, the history, the mountains and the climate appealed to me. All these aspects naturally made a huge positive impression on me. One result of my visit I had not expected, is the new way in which I now look at the concept of freedom. If I had to explain in an intuitive way how I experienced freedom in South Africa, I would first of all mention the landscape. In my opinion, the vastness of the country represents in a very symbolical way what it means to be free in South Africa. There are still so many open spaces that can be filled. The possibilities seem to be endless. If one compares it with Belgium, where I am from, you have to conclude that most of Belgium has been built up. It really is a challenge to find a piece of open land from where one can see the horizon across an open expanse; where everything is not covered with walls, houses, streets, towns and cities.

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 It feels as if one is being watched – always and everywhere – and as if you can’t escape and commune with nature.”

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Now that I’m back in Belgium, I find it even more difficult to endure, and I miss South Africa so much more. Of course, in Belgium we have more (a feeling of) safety and security. The price we have to pay for it is our personal freedom. However, I never even knew that that kind of personal freedom existed, because I had never experienced it before. Perhaps it is also typical of Europeans to regard the kind of freedom we know as the only kind of freedom and not to leave room for other interpretations. But this is actually a contradiction in terms. I should have known that ‘freedom’ can’t be encapsulated in a single viewpoint. I’ve also noticed this kind of personal freedom in the South Africans I’ve met: they are not being lived (their lives are not being ruled and regulated), but they live on their own accord; they welcome others with open arms and start each day courageously. This great personal freedom in South Africa seems to come at a price, though, and is something that should absolutely not be underestimated: many people are left to their own devices – to fend for themselves. They need to survive on their own. Seen from that perspective, my impression was that some South Africans see the South African landscape more as a kind of emptiness than an open future. I think, and sincerely hope, that this can still change.

Blog by Liselotte Voets; translated by Ingrid Swanepoel

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Mother language, heart language

Mother Language Day: A day dedicated to the language in which our very first thoughts were verbalised – that’s a world we can believe in. We’re so different, but this is something that we all share.

Our mother language is regarded as the language we hear most as a baby and toddler, and it’s usually the language of the mother figure who was responsible for us when we were very little. It’s also the language in which we would have said our first words, and the language that has, while we were acquiring it, established the blueprint for all the languages that we may learn later in life. Some people may even have two languages as mother languages, particularly when they come from a multilingual household.

Mother Language Day creates a space for us to reflect on that very foundation of our language repertoire – something that also influences how we interact with the world around us. It’s about a very deep emotional connection with our own language instinct, yes, but it’s also about where language can take us. When we connect with others, we bring our own language repertoire to the table. Our mother language becomes intertwined with the languages we use in other spaces, for instance in the workplace. One could choose not to acknowledge this multidimensionality and suppress parts of oneself – however, recognising the richness of different experiences, ways of expression and points of view makes for much stronger and more agile individuals and teams that can communicate better with each other and with those they serve.

In celebration of this unique strength and sense of possibility within each of us, some Language Centre staff shared something of their connection to their mother language:

The connection with identity

[us_cta title=”” color=”light” btn_label=””]“I like to think of isiXhosa as my identity. I grew up loving my language without even realising it. That reflected in my essay writing or book analysis in high school. I even had a book where I would write isiXhosa poems. I remember my teacher showing off to her colleague about a book I had analysed while I was doing Grade 11. I would say it was all of this that inspired me to want to know and learn more about my language, as I ended up majoring in isiXhosa even at university. And at that time, I didn’t even know that there are several jobs other than teaching that one could do with language, but I continued to study isiXhosa because of my love and passion for the language.”
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The joy of sharing it

[us_cta title=”” btn_label=””]“I am proudly Afrikaans. I grew up with a West Coast father who taught me words like ‘snoek’, ‘bokkoms’ [salted and dried mullet or harder, also known as Cape biltong] and ‘galjoen’ [galleon]. Today I still use his favourite expression, ‘Siesa Skipper!’, when someone has done something well.
I am now a lecturer with the privilege of teaching international students Afrikaans. The enthusiasm with which they learn my mother language astounds me time and again. And everything is ‘LEKKER’ [very enjoyable] to them! Nelson Mandela’s words, ‘If you talk to a man in his language, that goes to his heart’, are so true. I regard it as my calling in life to touch people’s hearts by introducing them to my mother language.”
– Dr Vernita Beukes, Afrikaans lecturer
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A reflection of its speakers

[us_cta title=”” color=”light” btn_label=””]“My mother language is English, and my father language is English too. That makes me different in my home country South Africa, where only around five per cent of the population have English as a first language.

Language has been a passion for me since I was very young. I first started my language journey paying extra attention to convoluted English spelling and pronunciation, and just loved trying to wrap my head around its difficulties. Very soon, though, as I began to learn French, Afrikaans and a bit of isiZulu, English became my guide in mapping out how languages differ from each other.

I slowly began to understand the richness that learning many languages brings; that the Englishness of beating around the bush and being polite had its origins in the French spoken in the royal court in England until a century or so ago, and left its traces in words like ‘courtesy’, ‘liberty’, ‘fraternity’, ‘equality’ and ‘university’, and many more words relating to civilisation, education and the law. I learned that the blunt Celtic earthiness of words like ‘quaff’, ‘drink’ and ‘sit’ were part of English’s Germanic roots and were echoed in the directness of Germanic languages like Afrikaans and German. And, to my surprise, words of isiZulu origin like ‘indaba’ (conference, news) and ‘donga’ (a dry gully formed by the eroding action of running water), ‘babbelas’ (hangover, from the Zulu ibhabhalazi), ‘bonsella’ (surprise gift) were also part of the fabric of my variety of English, spoken at the southern tip of the African continent. My English, learned in my hometown of Johannesburg, also reflects the many immigrant cultures attracted to this mining town, where hustling is still the name of the game. So for me, Yiddish words used in SA English like ‘chutzpah’, ‘schmuck’, ‘kugel’, ‘bagel’, ‘shabbat’, ‘platz’ and ‘meshugge’ add a richness to my vocabulary and are like treasures waiting to be discovered.”
– Dr Kim Wallmach, Director of the Language Centre [/us_cta]

A sense of coming home

[us_cta title=”” btn_label=””]“Afrikaans is something I learnt from my mother. She had a voice like a bell, and she spoke Afrikaans with the unpretentiousness and honesty of the Sutherland Karoo where she grew up – the Afrikaans of NP van Wyk Louw. During a recent family holiday in Swakopmund I was struck by how different it was there and how much I felt at home, all at once. One hears Afrikaans everywhere: in the street, in a conversation between two Herero women clad in traditional garb; from the Ovambo barista in the coffee shop: ‘Is mevrou al gehelp … wat gaan dit vandag wees?’ [‘Have you been served yet … what will it be today?’]. A woman ordering her coffee stands next to me and spontaneously starts chatting. Later she sits next to me and shows me photos of the Spitzkoppe. She says she grew up in Namibia, but lived in the Republic for most of her adult life. She has now returned and would soon start teaching at a school in Windhoek. Her words echo my own experience: ‘It feels like I’ve come home … I can breathe here.’ In my case, this feeling had a lot to do with the fact that I could hear my language everywhere; spoken spontaneously and unselfconsciously: beautiful – mooi – Afrikaans.

While on a cycling tour through the Tsauchab river, I remarked to the Damara tour guide and my family how pretty the tamarisk trees in the riverbed were. In Afrikaans, a riverbed is a ‘rivierloop’, and the word ‘loop’ also means ‘to walk’ or ‘to flow or run’, in the case of a liquid. One of my children replied: ‘Hier is nie water nie, hoekom sê Mamma die rivier loop? [‘There is no water here – why do you say the river is flowing?’] The tour guide stopped everyone and got off his bicycle. He spoke to the children: ‘Your mother speaks Afrikaans beautifully – mooi Afrikaans. That is something you children should never lose.’ When I asked him about his linguistic background, he replied that his family spoke Damara and English, and even a little German. ‘Maar ons praat Afrikaans as ons lus is om Afrikaans te praat, as ons móói wil praat.’ [‘But we speak Afrikaans when we feel like speaking Afrikaans; when we want to speak beautifully.’]

To me, that Damara man was one of the highlights of our holiday. In his company, there was a general relaxed feeling, a sense of friendship, of familiarity and of mutual understanding; and even a sense of happiness. As I watched him cycling energetically ahead of me along the dusty path, I knew this: My beautiful – mooi – language is flourishing, just like the delicate, tough tamarisks in the dry riverbed of the Tsauchab.”
– Dr Carmen Brewis, interpreter and researcher
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The language within

 

We also have a poem to share, and we chose not to translate the poem, but rather share it in its original Afrikaans form. This poem is about language as one’s heritage and how one’s language mentors (parents, teachers) also have a profound influence on what one regards as your own.

My taal, my erfenis

 Afrikaaps is nie my taal nie.
Sommige woorde kan ek nie verstaan nie.
My taal
het ek geleer van kindsbeen af
saam met die klingel en tongklap
van die aksent
wat my streek rojaal kweek.

Daar het ek begin verstaan
en geleer my ma en pa se taal.
Met my Afrikaanse onnie
wat berispend die spelreëls aanhaal,
nie tjent nie, maar kind,
nie tjy nie, maar jy.
Idiome sou ek goed onthou:
Iemand wat hard werk
is ʼn werkesel,
anders was dit die rottang vir jou.

My taal kom uit die boeke wat ek lees.
Tussen die blaaie
kon ek kies om iemand anders te wees.
Daar in die stilte van my drome
sonder die kletterende lawaai
in ʼn omgewing sonder energie belaai,
kry my taal sy lêplek
daar sonder die tjy en tjou,
daar lewe ek.

My komvandaan is eenvoudig,
tog is alles volop rondom en binne my.
Daar teen die Weskus het ek my asem gekry.
Daar is taal in my erfenis gebrei.
Nou kruip en klou
die wortels van my taal
diep en welig
sonder ophef of kabaal
lewe dit uit my pen
koester dit die erfenis wat ek ken.

– Anne-Mari Lackay, Writing Lab consultation coordinator

At the Language Centre we believe that it is language that brings us together, and we will keep on connecting people by improving communication and understanding.

Blog by Susan Lotz and Dr Kim Wallmach; translated by Ingrid Swanepoel

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