The University of Cape Town’s Multilingual Education Strategy: Reclaiming African Languages in Higher Education
In this blogpost, which is part of NORRAG’s blog series #TheSouthAlsoKnows, Nkosana Sithole kaMiya and Sisi Nkosazana Qavane report on the University of Cape Town’s efforts to integrate African languages into academic spaces.
In the wake of South Africa’s historical struggle against linguistic marginalisation, universities across the country are taking steps to elevate African languages within academic settings. One institution leading this effort is the University of Cape Town (UCT), which has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at promoting multilingualism and intellectualising African languages in higher education. This article explores UCT’s efforts, particularly its new language policy and the launch of an isiXhosa glossary for mechanical engineering, which serve as crucial steps toward achieving these goals.
UCT’s Multilingual Education Strategy
At the heart of UCT’s commitment to linguistic inclusivity is its multilingualism strategy, aimed at transforming the institution into a more accessible and fair space for students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. With 12 official languages in South Africa (with the recognition and inclusion of South African Sign Language (SASL)) the country’s linguistic diversity is an essential part of its identity. However, English has long been the dominant language in academia, often sidelining African languages and making higher education inaccessible to many students. UCT’s efforts to address this issue are captured in its broader vision of creating an academic environment where African languages are not just recognised but actively integrated into teaching, learning, and research. The UCT new language policy proposes three main/official languages, that is IsiXhosa, Afrikaans and English. In addition, the policy has identified South African Sign Language (SASL), Khoekhoegowab and Afrikaaps (Kaaps) as languages for development in various academic contexts.
By shifting the focus from the traditional monolingual model to a multilingual one, UCT is challenging the status quo and working toward a more inclusive higher education system. This policy promotes a balanced approach to multilingualism, ensuring that students and staff are encouraged to use their full linguistic repertoire, including African languages, in academic work.
The Launch of the isiXhosa Glossary for Mechanical Engineering
One of the most significant milestones in UCT’s multilingualism journey is the recent launch of an isiXhosa glossary for mechanical engineering. This groundbreaking initiative, launched by the Centre for Higher Education Development’s (CHED) Multilingualism Education Project (MEP), aims to bridge the gap between technical education and African languages. For many years, African languages were excluded from technical and scientific fields, with students often forced to navigate complex concepts in English, a language that is not their mother tongue.
The isiXhosa glossary for mechanical engineering is a significant change. It provides a comprehensive list of terms and definitions in isiXhosa, allowing students to engage with mechanical engineering content in their mother tongue. This initiative not only promotes accessibility and inclusivity but also demonstrates that African languages can effectively communicate complex technical and scientific ideas. By translating and adapting key terms from mechanical engineering into isiXhosa, the glossary makes the discipline more approachable for isiXhosa-speaking students, ultimately empowering them to succeed in a field that was previously dominated by English.
The glossary reflects UCT’s broader strategy of intellectualising African languages by elevating them beyond informal domains and integrating them into specialised fields of study. This initiative also challenges the pervasive belief that African languages lack the ability to express complex concepts, particularly in fields such as engineering and science. By providing students with the tools to learn in their mother tongue, UCT is helping to democratise access to technical education, ensuring that language is no longer a barrier to knowledge.
Translanguaging: The Bridge Between Languages in Academic Settings
The call and launch of the isiXhosa glossary is part of a larger movement toward translanguaging in higher education. Translanguaging is an approach that encourages students to fluidly navigate between multiple languages in their academic work. It recognises that students’ linguistic identities are multifaceted and that academic success does not require complete abandonment of a student’s home language. Translanguaging allows students to use their full linguistic repertoire, including their mother tongue and academic languages like English, to engage with complex academic content.
At UCT, translanguaging is an essential part of the multilingual education strategy. The isiXhosa glossary for mechanical engineering serves as a resource that supports this approach by providing students with a bilingual tool that allows them to switch between languages as needed. By offering academic resources in both isiXhosa and English, UCT is creating a space where students are not only allowed but encouraged to engage with academic content in the language they are most comfortable with.
The glossary is just one example of how translanguaging can be applied to make technical education more inclusive. It allows students to gain a deeper understanding of mechanical engineering concepts by engaging with the material in both languages. This approach not only improves comprehension but also helps to bridge the gap between African languages and academic discourse.
The Impact on Students: Accessibility and Empowerment
UCT’s multilingualism strategy, including the launch of the isiXhosa glossary, has a profound impact on students, particularly those from African language backgrounds. Many students in South Africa, especially those from rural areas or disadvantaged communities, face significant language barriers in accessing higher education. For these students, the use of English as the primary language of instruction can be an obstacle, hindering their ability to fully engage with academic material and reach their potential.
The isiXhosa glossary for mechanical engineering is a significant step toward addressing these barriers. By providing students with a tool to understand technical content in their mother tongue, UCT is making higher education more accessible. The glossary empowers students to approach mechanical engineering and other technical fields with confidence, knowing that they have the resources to navigate these complex subjects in their own language. This not only improves their academic success but also contributes to their sense of belonging in the academic environment.
Furthermore, the glossary serves as a symbol of linguistic pride and cultural recognition. It allows students to see their languages represented in the academic realm, affirming their identity, and validating their experiences. This recognition is crucial in a country like South Africa, where linguistic diversity is a fundamental part of national identity.
Promoting African Languages Beyond UCT
UCT’s multilingualism efforts extend beyond the confines of the university itself. The institution is actively collaborating with other universities and institutions to promote the intellectualisation of African languages on a national level. By creating resources like the isiXhosa glossary, UCT is setting an example for other universities to follow, proving that African languages can be effectively integrated into academic fields that have traditionally been dominated by English.
Additionally, UCT’s Multilingual Education Project includes outreach programs and workshops that promote the use of African languages in informal academic settings. These initiatives encourage students to practice their language skills and engage with their cultures in a supportive environment. They also help to foster a sense of community and belonging, which is essential for students’ academic success.
At the University of Cape Town (UCT), IMLD must be more than a symbolic gesture—it should be a catalyst for radical transformation in language policies and knowledge production. UCT’s multilingualism initiatives, including its efforts to integrate African languages into academic spaces, align with the global struggle for linguistic justice. However, true transformation requires moving beyond policy rhetoric to actively institutionalising isiXhosa, isiZulu, and other African languages as intellectual mediums. This means embedding these languages into curricula, research, and scholarly discourse, ensuring they are not merely supplementary but foundational to academic inquiry.
The dominance of English as the primary language of instruction continues to alienate African students and academics, reinforcing epistemic exclusion. If universities in South Africa, including UCT, are serious about dismantling colonial hierarchies, they must confront the linguistic injustices embedded in their structures. The elevation of isiXhosa and isiZulu as languages of theorisation, scientific inquiry, and innovation is not an optional add-on—it is a necessity for genuine decolonisation. UCT’s efforts represent a model for other institutions to follow, as universities around the world work toward building more inclusive, multilingual academic environments. The launch of the isiXhosa glossary for mechanical engineering is just one example of how African languages can be used to foster educational equity and intellectual diversity in the 21st century.
The Authors:
Nkosana Sithole kaMiya is an IAPSS-Africa Regional Public Relations Officer as well as a Research Fellow of the WITS Society, Work and Politics Institute (SWOP) doing research under the “Violent State, State of Violence” project. He is also a GLUS Sue Ledwith awardee as well as a Mellon Development Program Fellow funded by Andrew. W. Mellon Foundation. His research interests are in the Intersectionality of Epidemics and Development, Decolonial Pedagogy, and Political Theory.
Sisi Nkosazana Qavane is a Communications Assistant for The Children’s Institute, a multidisciplinary policy research unit at the University of Cape Town. She is also currently pursuing a Master of Arts at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and has expertise in media liaison and social media monitoring. Her research focuses on the intellectualisation of African languages in Higher Education, as well as gender studies, media discourse, and governance.