In March this year, Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga announced the government’s plan to introduce Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education for all South African children. We welcome this direction by the DBE and wrote a piece in The Conversation outlining...
As the year draws to an uncertain close, we have some good news to share. In the latter half of 2021 bua-lit initiated its first materials development project. iSayensi Yethu is a project conceptualised and produced by bua-lit members and affiliates along with new...
While many people think of Kaaps (or Afrikaaps) as ‘slang’ or as a variety of Afrikaans, scholars like Quentin Williams contend that Kaaps first cohered as a language during intercultural encounters in the 1500s between indigenous Africans in the Cape, traders,...
In this Afrikaans/Kaaps interview Prof Dyers describes her upbringing in Elim, Western Cape, and how she struggled to choose a ‘mother tongue’ on school forms as she and her family used many different varieties in her home. She is a ‘Kaapse kind’ but adapts to...
Some South African student teachers began their first and only teaching practice for the year this week in schools. As well as the novel challenges that Covid-19 has thrown their way, they are faced with the usual questions about the language practices they observe in...
Here is an open letter to Minister Angie Motshekga written by 12 year old Gugulethu Nxumalo. This is a perfect example of the kind of writing that young children are capable of from a young age. It is important for children to know they can use their...
