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(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)

Digital technology must speak African languages

Governments use digital platforms to communicate with society but, on a continent with more than 2 000 languages, it remains stubbornly monolinguistic

International Day of Sign Languages: South African sign language must be promoted

The Schools Act considers South African sign language as an official language for the purposes of learning in a public school

(Graphic:John McCann/M&G)

The duplicitous conceit of innovation

Because of the multidisciplinary and collaborative nature of innovation, human foolishness and pettiness are often thwarted in favor and pursuit of the bigger picture which, in…

Analysis of news coverage in May shows a governing party that is broke — and bitterly at war with itself. (Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

The ANC has moral decay on its plate, and the garnish is bitter

Analysis of news coverage in May shows a governing party that is broke — and bitterly at war with itself

(John McCann/M&G)

On language, power and privilege in tertiary education

Advocates of retaining Afrikaans as a language of instruction are blind to their own prejudices

Libraries build services and communities (Photo Archive)

Libraries build services and communities

But librarians face difficulties in a society where the culture of reading is not widespread

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

All that’s needed to take part in mobile and e-learning is a smartphone and data, right? Yet with the majority of our youth not having access to these indispensable educational tools, South Africa’s young adults face limited prospects in the future. (Graphic: John McCann/M&G)

Skills deficit undermines 4IR promises

Technology is not necessarily the panacea it’s said to be, de-skilling further the under-skilled

On the power of language (Photo Archive)

On the power of language

Educating our children in their mother tongues will help to address underdevelopment in Africa

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

(Mauro Vombe/AFP)

In Mozambique, classes come alive in local languages

Almost all teaching in Mozambique is in Portuguese but the majority of Mozambicans speak one of more than 40 local languages

Introducing rural and indigenous communities to science
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Indigenous languages must feature more in science communication

The combination of knowledge and communication leads to social, cultural and technological development

Outlandish: Second additional language is a seriously toned-down offering

Multilingualism for everyone, not just a select few

"The quality of ‘input’ or the language exposure students receive is a big factor in the learning of new languages"

The internet-based isiZulu Oxford Living dictionary.

​Dictionary maker Megan Hall keeps her word

Digital and print have distinct advantages – and even the online version is compiled by a publisher.

Language barrier: The monument to Afrikaans in Paarl. Should words in non-English SA languages be italicised?

Othering SA languages stops here

Italicising words distances languages from their place in South Africa.

There will be dragons: Fo Guang Shan Nan Hua Temple will be celebrating the Year of the Goat with a Chinese Cultural Festival in Bronkhorstspruit.

Chinese volunteers to teach Mandarin in SA schools

The Chinese embassy requested that the subject be introduced and will be responsible for bringing in teachers from China and training SA teachers.

SA is rich in undervalued languages, but greedy for more

"We are such a multilingual country, but in government, when you hear people talk, you think we are a bilingual country"

Confucius defuses Mandarin flap

Local institutes named after the philosopher have laughed off claims of a sinister agenda.

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille fought a long battle against a faction of her own party, which included going to court. The battle is over but everyone is bloodied. (David Harrison/M&G)

What’s Motshekga’s Mandarin plan?

A department circular highlighting the Chinese language has frustrated teacher unions.

In tongues: Dan Roodt speaks for a group with something to lose. ­Others have yet to gain the most fundamental rights.

Letters to the editor: June 19 to 25 2015

Readers write in about language, Fifa, al-Bashir and the paper itself.