By: Qhawekazi Memani – 03 April 2023

From left: Dr Tebogo Rakgogo TUT, Thabang Molatou VUT and Jacob Thamaga VUT

Through its African Languages Development Unit (ALDU), the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) recently attended the 1^st Batho Abantu African Languages Association (BAALA) 2023 Conference which was hosted at the Riverside Sun Hotel in Vanderbijlpark.

Jacob Thamaga, the ALDU Acting Manager and Thabang Molatou, Language Practitioner participated at the conference and jointly presented two papers titled: “A multimodal analysis of linguistics landscape of Vaal University of Technology: Language Policy Issues” and “The Usefulness of Promoting Translanguaging Practices in Higher Education: A Case Study of the Vaal University of Technology”.

According to the duo, the platform awarded them an opportunity to share the efforts made by the VUT in promoting and advancing the African languages by presenting two papers which they co-authored. They also added that the conference was a great networking opportunity with peers from other institutions.

They also said the presentations triggered other institutions to want to form partnerships with VUT on various projects of multilingualism and they further exposed the University to other important stakeholders in the field of language practice / linguistics in terms of the African languages development activities.