Karien Brits

Karien Brits started her studies at the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (now the North-West University) in 1999. In 2002 she received the four-year degree in business communication, in 2003 an honours degree in Setswana (cum laude), and in 2006 her master's degree in Setswana (cum laude). From 2002 to 2006 she worked as publication officer at the Marketing and Communication Department on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. She was responsible for publications (in Afrikaans, English and Setswana). She moved to Poland in 2006 where she was a senior lecturer at the Department of Dutch and South African Studies at the Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznan. She taught the subjects Afrikaans (language acquisition), South African English, History of Afrikaans, Cultural Studies, Setswana and English (writing course for MA students). In 2010 she returned to South Africa to join the North-West University as language practitioner in the Language Directorate. During this time she was privileged to be part of a multilingual reading programme (Afrikaans, English, Setswana) at six primary schools in the area. She is since 2012 a Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary Club Orkney) based on her work in that reading programme. Since August 2013 she is manager: language at the ATKV (Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging – an Afrikaans language and culture NPO and NGO) where she is responsible for the language service, language marketing and promotion, and the multilingual focus (Afrikaans-in-Soweto Project and Setswana classes at the ATKV head office in Randburg). She is also a part-time lecturer at the University of Johannesburg's Department of Languages, Cultural Studies and Applied Linguistics where she teaches Language in Practice (honours classes). Karien has a passion for languages, multilingualism and mother tongue education. Karien is the author/co-author of 14 national and international conference papers on various topics: lexicography, computational linguistics, multilingualism, literacy, comics, intercultural studies, onomastics and didactics.