Multilingualism thrives under Kaschula
Multilingualism has assumed a significant space in our intellectual environments, in the media and in broader society.
At Rhodes University, the growth and promotion of multilingualism began actively in 2006 with the arrival of Professor Russell Kaschula.
A son of the Eastern Cape and a Rhodes alumnus, Kaschula began his quest to promote African languages – specifically to develop and promote the use of isiXhosa at Rhodes University.
The process began with the re-conceptualisation of the role of isiXhosa, through the introduction of the mothertongue based courses. Mothertongue students were encouraged to see the potential of intellectualising isiXhosa at university level.
Kaschula then began the isiXhosa language and society course for non-mother-tongue speakers from first year to third year.
The course has grown in popularity among first year students and over the past three years, in a first for Rhodes, Kaschula has begun teaching the course bilingually with lectures for mother-tongue and non-mother-tongue students combined.
More undergraduate students are studying isiXhosa and fully developed vocationspecific courses taught by the African Language Studies lecturers include isiXhosa for Law; isiXhosa for Journalism; isiXhosa for Education and isiXhosa for Pharmacy.
These are testimony to the importance placed on linguistic inclusivity in academia and on graduating students who are able to communicate with the broader community.
For many of us postgraduates in African languages, the journey began in first year, in Kaschula’s language and society class.
Our intellectual growth and our understanding of multilingualism has been significantly influenced by Kaschula and the lecturers in African Language Studies, who practice the values of Ubuntu in achieving excellence in the field of African languages.
In 2013, Kaschula was awarded the prestigious NRF SARChI Chair in the Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education.
The Chair continues to provide the basis upon which postgraduate research in African languages can thrive.
Kaschula has created an international collaborative network of African language researchers, including with the University of East London in the United Kingdom; Leipzig University; University of Giessen; University of South Carolina in the US and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
Collaborations have resulted in the publication of a series of journal articles and co-published books, the latest being Multilingual Education for Africa: Concepts and Practices (2016).
Research collaborations with the SOAS, University of London and lecturers in African Language Studies has resulted in a series of published works relating to literature, more specifically the publication of previously unrecognised and unpublished poetry. The latest in the series is John Solilo Umoya Wembongi (2016).
As postgraduate students we have benefited through increased engagement with postgraduate students and scholars abroad.
Under the mentorship of Kaschula and lecturers of the African Language Studies Section at Rhodes University, we are engaged in interdisciplinary research that is innovative, creative and, most impor- tant, practical.
One of the primary objectives of Kaschula’s SARChI Chair is that research be of practical importance, making a social contribution to the broader community.
There are significant developments in the field of forensic linguistics, a new research area in South Africa and collaboration between Kaschula’s SARChI Chair, Masters students and the University of Fort Hare Language Centre has resulted in two chapters in the forthcoming book, African Language and Language Practice Research in the 21st Century (2017).
Further accomplishments under Kaschula’s SARChI Chair, are the number of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers breaking new ground.
The completion of a PhD in isiXhosa has proved that African languages are developed languages.
The recognition and promotion of multilingualism remains a primary objective of the African Language Studies Section, in the School of Languages and Literatures.
In June, Kaschula’s SARChI Chair at Rhodes University will host a conference comprising five language organisations.
Research activities, publications, conferences and postgraduate outputs are evidence that multilingualism continues to be advanced at Rhodes University and that African languages, isiXhosa more specifically, are being fully developed on all fronts.
The PanSALB Language Awards held on 28 February 2017 recognised this commitment, with Rhodes University receiving the Education award for the promotion and use of multilingualism.
Professor Somadoda Fikeni said at the first Rhodes University Multilingualism Colloquium in 2012, “The frontier of multilingualism may just be defined at this University, Rhodes University”.