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Mail & Guardian

African Languages

latest news & developments
Spectacular: The Lion King production in London recently won the best musical production in the Black British Theatre Awards and boasts a crew of
over 150 people, which includes many South African actors such as Thenjiwe Nofemele (above) who plays the role of Rafiki. Photo: Supplied

South African stars roar in London

From the opening Circle of Life to the final roar, South African performers make every moment of The Lion King resonate deeply

Aced it: The winning Grahamstown Adventist Primary School team at
the Phendulani Literary Quiz. Photo: Nozipho Maphalala

Give children high-quality books from Grades R-12: they will likely read them

Research shows that classroom libraries increase reading frequency by 70% compared with centralised libraries

South Africa’s official African languages mask dozens of dialects, affecting millions, especially in rural areas

When home tongues clash with classroom words

South Africa’s official African languages mask dozens of dialects, affecting millions, especially in rural areas

Sepedi poet and cultural worker Moses Seletisa

Speaking in tongues: The literary revolution rooted in Sepedi and Setswana

The quiet power of Moses Seletisa’s Sepedi poetry and Sabata Mokae’s Setswana novels

(John McCann/M&G)

Doubts over successful implementation of mother-tongue school  instruction programme

The department of basic education has rolled out the programme for grade four learners in maths, science and technology

A new app ‘speaks’ 50 African languages

The OpenG, a vocal assistant that responds to commands in local languages, improves accessibility for Africans who don’t read or write

File photo

Social employment could transform South African society

One example is the 1 000 literacy champions trained by Nal’ibali to encourage families and children to read together

How to pick good doctors: Why race, language and where people come from matter

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.…

(John McCann/M&G)

Children left speechless, denied identity

Parents think it benefits children to lose their African language, but it leaves them lost instead

(Graphic: John McCann)

Use African languages to promote learning

The use of English in lectures can alienate and silence students because they feel inadequate

Heritage: South Africa recognises 11 languages and it is important that their use is encouraged in a variety of settings.

Restore the languages of dignity

The value of indigenous languages is reflected in the isiZulu greeting, sawubona — we see you

Puo ya pelo: Eileen Elizabeth Pooe comes from a family of educators, but her love for her mother tongue sets her apart.

The pride in African languages

Whether in comic books, novels or academic work, African languages are increasingly becoming the norm

Every two weeks a language disappears, taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. (Madelene Cronje/M&G)

​Roll out the red carpet for SA’s indigenous languages

Although English may not be the de facto talk of the town in South Africa, in written form it continues to dwarf others

Aster Sitoe (Renata Larroyd)

Slice of Life: Determination is my language

‘I was very afraid to speak English, but with her all the fear disappeared’

Being bilingual is better for your brain. Now
Audio

Speak more than one language? This is what it does to your brain.

Speaking more than one language could lead to better tests scores and even being a more empathetic person.