Multilingualism in action
Stellenbosch University creates opportunities for the advancement of multilingualism in academic and social spaces to increase equitable access to a university education, foster an inclusive campus culture and support student success.
Awareness-raising of the value and importance of multilingualism at SU and in the wider community
Promoting individual and institutional multilingualism and a multilingual mindset in the workplace
Building multilingual student communities to enhance inclusivity and social cohesion
Undertaking research into multilingualism in collaboration with various experts in the field at SU and beyond
Raising awareness of the possibilities of multilingualism in academic spaces, including teaching, learning and assessment
Supporting the development of isiXhosa, Afrikaans and South African Sign Language as well as English language proficiency
Projects, initiatives, blogs and articles
Multilingualism in action – projects and initiatives
- EUTOPIA-SU Languages Week 2026
- SU Language Day 2025
- SU Language Day 2025 – programme and format
- SoTL conference 2025 – Language and academic literacies in teaching-learning-assessment: Concepts and practices
- Clinical communication modules for learning Afrikaans and isiXhosa
- SU Language Centre: Language services
- EUTOPIA SU International (Centre for Global Engagement)
- MobiLex – a multilingual web-based subject glossary
- Words Open Worlds
COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
Learn more about the SU Language Policy
Download the SU Language Policy (2021):
Download an infographic about the SU Language Policy (2021):
Resource: SU Style Guide
Language at SU – blogs, interviews, news and articles
- 21 May 2026 – Geoscience for everyone: word bank of geological terms in all South Africa’s eleven spoken languages
- 14 May 2026 – Dazzling gala commemorates Afrikaans dictionary’s centenary and ties with SU
- 7 October 2025 – SU Language Day reflects on multilingual mindset as the centre of student success
- 24 April 2025 – Let’s talk language freedom in celebration of Freedom Day
- 18 February 2025 – Languages matter! International Mother Language Day 2025
- 24 May 2024 – The days of the week in isiXhosa
- 13 February 2024 – New, updated MobiLex app ready to use
- 29 November 2021 – Multilingualism in higher education – challenges and solutions
- 30 June 2020 – MobiLex: Multilingual Glossary Project
IN THE MEDIA
- 14 May 2026 – We have always been doing it – Simangele Mashazi on multilingualism, translanguaging and linguistic range in South Africa
- 5 May 2026 – Language and belonging – Prof Richard Stevens on the Language Policy and multilingualism at Stellenbosch University
- 24 September 2025 – Heritage: Language a powerful thread that connects the past with the future we want – Prof Deresh Ramjugernath