Stellenbosch University Language Centre

Tag: Reading Lab

So, what does the Language Centre actually do?

The Language Centre is a vibrant hub for students, staff and clients who require language and communication assistance.

One of our most important jobs is to help students speak university. Although academic language is no-one’s mother tongue, you could get by very well once you’ve learnt its ins and outs.

We assist students to get there, in many different language-related ways:

  • We present credit-bearing academic literacies modules in seven of the University’s 10 faculties to equip our students for strategic communication – in an academic setting and in their occupation and industry. Modules focus on professional, business and scientific communication, writing skills and skills for academic discourse.
  • We provide real-time interpreting in lectures – in Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa or South African Sign Language.
  • We’ve created a safe space to discuss one’s writing with a trained writing consultant at our Writing Lab, as well as opportunities to create writing support groups, take part in writing marathons, or attend workshops on writing research proposals, literature reviews, journal articles or other academic writing.
  • We’ve established a Reading Lab that offers workshops, consultations and a visual cognitive processing program to optimise reading.
  • We’ve built a trilingual terminology tool for subject terminology in Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa – try it out here.
  • We present various courses to local and international students aimed at either enhancing skills in a language or acquiring a new language, such as the English for Academic Purposes Programme (EAP) and the Intensive English Programme (IEP), or tailored Afrikaans and isiXhosa We even have a Language Learning Hub for social language learning.

The Language Centre also casts its language and communication assistance net wider than the student community:

  • We offer an editing and translation service in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa, and we translate into more than 12 other languages. Our services are available to the University, corporate clients and individuals, and we can edit and translate any document – from letters, reports, journal articles and advertisement copy to informed consent forms. In addition, we do transcriptions.
  • We provide an interpreting service at meetings or conferences. We work in Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa and German, but you could speak to us about other language combinations too.
  • We offer language courses aimed at individuals or groups who would like to learn isiXhosa or Afrikaans, or prepare themselves for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or who wish to gain the skills to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL).
  • We also present superbly crafted corporate communication short courses through our Comms Lab. Think: effective office documentation, report writing, writing for the media, or crafting confident presentations, to name but a few possibilities.

For us, language creates a transformational space that has the power to change lives, inform policy and unite people. If one of our services or courses appeals to you, speak to us at taalsentrum@sun.ac.za or 021 808 2176.

Great things happen when you work with us!

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Book tsunami: The biggest wave yet

“This year, only half a box of books was left over after the Book Tsunami,” says Dr Vernita Beukes, Language Centre lecturer and organiser of the Centre’s annual Book Tsunami, held on Friday 6 September this year.

The Book Tsunami is a nod in the direction of British actress Emma Watson’s Book Fairy project, which encourages people to leave books in public places for others to find, read and return the favour later on. This year marks the third year that Vernita and other Language Centre colleagues have taken over the Neelsie Student Centre with books. “We unpack the books early, to surprise everyone coming for their first cup of coffee with a book.” Each year the Book Tsunami is held as close as possible to 8 September, International Literacy Day. This year’s theme was literacy and multilingualism.

“In this way, we’re giving back to the community and we’re celebrating a significant international day,” Vernita explains. Language Centre staff members are also involved in the community by International Literacy Day at pre-schools in Stellenbosch, Cloetesville, Ida’s Valley, Jamestown, Kylemore and Pniel. “We’re not sure who enjoys it most: the readers or the kids!”

The joy of reading is contagious. If you’d like to try it, you can contact Vernita to sign up to read to children, or perhaps you could benefit from collaborating with our Reading Lab. The Language Centre’s Reading Lab helps adult readers to read faster and smarter – it doesn’t matter whether the reading material is business reports, academic articles or text books. E-mail Marisca Coetzee  for more information on the Reading Lab.

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