Language
latest news & developments
The weight of a word: Why "Token" is never just a word
A Setswana proverb reminds us that words, once spoken, cannot be recalled. This truth resonated deeply while watching the Madlanga Commission, where the word "token" momentarily…
The final act: Khutjo Green on Scandal!, spirituality and the soul of storytelling
From Stage to Scandal!: Khutjo Green speaks on authenticity, language and creative evolution
Heritage: Language a powerful thread that connects the past with the future we want
Together, heritage and language remind us that by choosing multilingualism, we can build a truly inclusive future
Inkululeko a promise deferred
South Africa’s liberation struggle may have brought democracy, but it did not bring freedom
The language gap hits students hard when they get to university
Higher education institutions cannot be responsible for linguistic deficiencies. The real change needs to start at school level
Sexual violence in South Africa: Whose shame? Whose responsibility?
How we talk about rape should avoid ‘rape talk’ such as calling those who have been sexually abused ‘damaged good’ and perpetrators ‘monsters’
Bela Act a solution to history of language oppression in SA education
The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act should not be used as a political tool by parties
International Mother Language Day celebrated
The day has been observed internationally since 2002
Language of learning at odds with learning of language
Children learn to read and write more easily if they are first taught in their mother tongue. In Ghana, as in many African countries, that’s easier said than done
OPINION| Black writers and publishers are South Africa’s ‘linguistic orphans’
The challenges we face in the world of scholarly and leisure reading and writing are not unique to our country but it is crucial to overcome them if we want to be as good as we…
Sex and censor-bility
Showmax’s ‘Sex in Afrikaans’ explores the continued taboo of representing sex in the Afrikaans language
Pottery dating reveals the origins of Venda
Dating techniques have traced the origins of the Venda language and culture to Mapungubwe, where two distinct cultures merged at initiation schools.
Adam Habib, you can’t say the N-word
The former Wits leader won’t get away with anti-Blackness in the UK by hiding behind a politically Black identity
Why words matter
When the M&G apologised for using the word ‘paralysed’ metaphorically in a newspaper headline, some Twitter users responded with allegations of ‘wokeness gone mad’. But as…
How Jonas Gwangwa used his music to preserve his mother tongue
Music giant Dr Jonas Gwangwa, who passed away on 23 January, used his influence to promote the language of his people MaNdebele ase Nyakatho, writes Lucas Ledwaba