Photo:  Students learning more about the CUT Language Policy, which promotes multilingualism within the institution, during the annual African Languages Week.

The African Languages Week, which is celebrated annually from the 24 to 30 January in celebration of African languages, is an initiative launched in July 2022 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso by the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) to empower African languages and promote their use in all domains of society.

Student Academic Development and Support (SADS), a unit in the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT), took part in the celebrations hosted by CUT's Writing Centre. The week is focused on raising awareness amongst first-year students about the CUT Language Policy, which promotes multilingualism within the institution.

The University Languages Committee (ULC) deals with all language-related matters at CUT and drives and monitors the implementation of the language policy. To ensure that all voices are heard, the CUT Writing Centre has the mandate to promote the usage of Indigenous languages in learning and teaching and is continuing to work on the creation of discipline specific English-Sesotho Lexicon booklets.

Photo: Dr Ntsoaki Malebo, Senior Director: Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching; Mr Thabang Mkhize, Bloemfontein Campus Writing Centre Coordinator and Dr Kholofelo Nunes Deputy Director: Student Academic Development & Support.

So far, Civil Engineering and Biomedical Technology terminology lists have been developed and translated into Sesotho; verified, authenticated, and endorsed by the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), CILT and the Sesotho National Language Body (SLNB) standardised the work.

The celebration also aims to promote the dynamics of African worldviews and philosophies of life, as well as to showcase the importance of African languages for the integration and long-term peace and development of Africa.

Are you aware of CUT's multilingualism activities?