Some of the most significant premises of Stellenbosch University's 2016 Language Policy are that language should promote access to SU and also support the academic and career success of students and staff. SU's Language Policy is often subjected to scrutiny, and phrases such as "the final nail in the coffin of Afrikaans" or "Afrikaans on a slippery slope at Maties" are not uncommon. In the most recent Matieland, Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, talks frankly about language and the erroneous assumption that this policy means the end of Afrikaans as language of instruction at SU. 

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When Stellenbosch University's new Language Policy was adopted earlier in 2016, this again sparked fierce debate on Afrikaans at the institution, especially with allegations of English being promoted to the detriment of Afrikaans. It is time to put an end to these misconceptions once and for all.

The expansion of the English offering for the sake of greater access does not mean the abolishment of Afrikaans as a language of instruction at Stellenbosch University (SU). Some critics maintain that language application is a matter of Afrikaans or English, whereas SU has been following the Afrikaans and English approach for many decades. The way in which it is implemented certainly differs from previous years.

Language usage cannot merely be measured in terms of the number of minutes lectured in either Afrikaans or English. The new Language Policy will be applied within SU's acknowledged blended learning model consisting of traditional lectures (talk-and-chalk) supplemented by interactive contact sessions, technological aids and simultaneous interpreting. The focus of language application has shifted beyond the lecture to all learning opportunities.

Some of the most significant premises of SU's 2016 Language Policy are that language should promote access to SU and also support the academic and career success of students and staff. Language use should facilitate pedagogically sound learning and teaching.

In short: The implementation of the Language Policy must ensure that the lack of proficiency in Afrikaans or English should never serve to exclude any student from SU's academic offering, or any staff member from the University's activities.

According to our Institutional Intent and Strategy broadening access is an approved strategic priority. One way to achieve such an objective is through the effective implementation of multilingualism. "Broadening", however, does not mean that Afrikaans-speaking students, academics and other staff suddenly have a lesser place at SU.   

Indeed, SU has a historical association with Afrikaans. The donation by Jan Marais was specifically intended for establishing a university where Afrikaans could develop as an academic language alongside Dutch. One could even argue that an Afrikaans university was established as a countermeasure for higher education in two colonial languages, Dutch and English.

That was nearly a century ago. SU is preparing for its centenary celebrations, and plans to acknowledge this heritage in an appropriate way.  But the world, the South Africa, the higher education sector and the students of 2018 have come a long way since 1918.

How will the new Language Policy be implemented in practice?

In undergraduate modules, Afrikaans and English will serve as the languages of learning and teaching. Where reasonably practicable and pedagogically sound, separate Afrikaans and English lectures will be presented for large groups, although tutorials and practical sessions will again involve students from both language groups.  

In lectures using both Afrikaans and English, all information will be conveyed in at least English, supplemented with a summary or emphasis of facts also in Afrikaans. Questions are answered in the language of the question. Simultaneous interpreting will be available during each lecture in first-year modules. In further years of study, interpreting will be provided at a faculty's request.

Single-medium undergraduate lectures are allowed only where justified by the nature of the subject matter, where the lecturer is proficient to teach in one language only, or where all students in a class group unanimously vote for one language by ballot paper. For at least the first year simultaneous interpreting into the 'other' language will be available. 

Students will be supported further in both Afrikaans and English, via consultations in office hours, routine tutorials and practical sessions, information and communication facilitated learning (audio and video recordings) and the service offering of the Language Centre.

All compulsory reading material will be made available in English, and will be provided in Afrikaans also (excluding published material). SU's module frameworks and study guides still are available in both languages. In undergraduate modules, test and exam papers as well as other assessments are set in both Afrikaans and English, and students may complete all assessments and written work in either Afrikaans or English. The multilingual model also supports Afrikaans students who in the first study year have not yet mastered English at an academic level. By their final year they will be able to hold their own nationally and internationally.

For students with Afrikaans as preferred language Afrikaans will be applied amply and practically in all three language modes. Although all information will be conveyed also in English, Afrikaans is not pushed to the background. Our point of departure is knowledge transfer in more than one language, focused on the needs of our students. 

SU promotes the academic potential of Afrikaans through teaching; research; symposiums and short courses, courses in Afrikaans language acquisition; supporting language teachers and hosting guest lectures in Afrikaans; developing academic and professional literacy in Afrikaans; supporting reading and writing development in Afrikaans; providing language services such as translations, editing and document design of Afrikaans texts; developing multilingual glossaries that include Afrikaans; the SU Woordfees, and popular science publications in the general media.

SU is committed to promoting isiXhosa where reasonably practicable, through short courses in basic communication skills for staff and students, career-specific communication, discipline-specific terminology guides and phrase books.

How does SU ensure that its Language Policy is correctly implemented?

Each faculty drafts a language implementation plan – aligned with the Language Policy – for approval by Senate, and annually reports on compliance. The Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching annually also reports to Council on the faculty feedback. Council retains its oversight role and approves the Language Policy with the concurrence of Senate.

How will a student know in which language a particular module is presented?  

Language combinations for modules will be published on faculty webpages and in the relevant module frameworks.

For its second century Stellenbosch University is positioned well to be accessible to the best of all students, both English and Afrikaans.

More information:

• Explaining the practical implementation of the Language Policy for 2017's newcomers: Language of instruction at Stellenbosch University

• www.sun.ac.za/language