The quiet power of Moses Seletisa’s Sepedi poetry and Sabata Mokae’s Setswana novels
The department of basic education has rolled out the programme for grade four learners in maths, science and technology
The OpenG, a vocal assistant that responds to commands in local languages, improves accessibility for Africans who don’t read or write
One example is the 1 000 literacy champions trained by Nal’ibali to encourage families and children to read together
Opposition groups and others often argue that matric marks alone should determine whether someone gets into medical school – not factors such as race that people can’t control. But research finds that when it comes to making a good doctor, grades aren’t everything
Parents think it benefits children to lose their African language, but it leaves them lost instead
The use of English in lectures can alienate and silence students because they feel inadequate
The value of indigenous languages is reflected in the isiZulu greeting, sawubona — we see you
Whether in comic books, novels or academic work, African languages are increasingly becoming the norm
Although English may not be the de facto talk of the town in South Africa, in written form it continues to dwarf others
‘I was very afraid to speak English, but with her all the fear disappeared’
Speaking more than one language could lead to better tests scores and even being a more empathetic person.
The internet was #blessed with images of Trevor Noah’s new Manhattan digs soon after he announced he’d be coming home for a show later this year.
It’s not unusual to hear Nguni or a sprinkling of isiXhosa in the western part of Zimbabwe.
The first Abantu Book Festival is a journey to black publishers and authors writing in indigenous languages.
This was the central message of Ngugi’s message — of alienation and injustice because of the use of language.
The anthology was published by New York City publisher, Mantle Books and drew praise from African writers such as Chika Unigwe and Helon Habila.
Stellenbosch has also committed to growing isiXhosa in effort to ‘facilitate social cohesion and promote inclusivity’.
Readers write in about Jeff Rudin and race, the immaculate conception, the use of the word ‘marijuana’ instead of ‘dagga’, and the use of expletives.
Pam Maseko, a senior lecturer in African language studies at Rhodes, tells Peter Vale about the fight for greater recognition of our languages.
"We are such a multilingual country, but in government, when you hear people talk, you think we are a bilingual country"
There are many more issues to consider, but with common sense and respectful attitude, the rest will follow.
African writers must embrace their own tongues lest we drown in an English-dominated world.
Too few stories have been translated into African languages: let’s do something about it.
The practicalities of implementing the policy will be difficult but the benefits are enormous.
Benefits of bilingualism are offset by obstacles mother-tongue education has yet to overcome.
Every thinking white South African must have toyed with the idea of learning an African language. Few, however, have tried, writes Brent Meersman.
South Africans are hungry for news and stories in African languages, says veteran broadcaster Dumile Mateza.
Universities must help to create social cohesion by promoting the teaching of African languages.
African languages must become mediums of instruction and not remain subjects only.
Can we really blame English for the failure in our children’s learning?
African language proficiency is a worthy goal that can be achieved through an integrated approach at both school and university levels.