Centre for African Languages Teaching (CALT)

Centre of African Language Teaching – CALT@UJ

The Centre of African Language Teaching (CALT@UJ) was established in semester 2 of 2018. This centre is a first of its kind in South Africa and was established in 2018 through funding from the Department of Higher Education (University Capacity Development Programme; Teaching and Learning Capacity Development Programme). CALT is embedded in the work of the well-established Department of Childhood Education and focuses on two languages – both offered in the Faculty’s BEd in Foundation Phase (FP) Teaching and the BEd in Intermediate Phase (IP) Teaching namely Sesotho and isiZulu. These two languages are also the languages of teaching and learning in the university-affiliated school, the Funda UJabule School (FUJS). The main aim of CALT@UJ is to enable practice-based research and research-based practice in the education and development of teachers who teach African languages in the foundation phase and intermediate phase of schooling and who teach through the medium of African languages in the foundation phase of schooling. A secondary aim is to develop artefacts and materials supporting the development of the two African languages offered at the UJ Soweto campus, namely Sesotho and isiZulu.

Lifetime Award by the South African Association for Language Teaching (SAALT)

Prof Lionel Posthumus, a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for African Language Teaching, was presented the Lifetime Award by the South African Association for Language Teaching (SAALT).

This award was presented to him at SAALT’s gala dinner on 11 July 2024 which took place during the SAALT Conference in Cape Town. This award was presented to him “…in recognition of his contribution to research and practice in the field of African linguistics and language acquisition, focusing on morphology, phonology, semantics and theory building.” He says: “it is heartwarming to know that your colleagues take note and acknowledge your dedication and hard work.”