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Nhlanhla Mpofu

(She/her)
Chair- Curriculum Studies, Stellenbosch University

Nhlanhla Mpofu serves as the Chair for Curriculum Studies and is an Associate Professor in Second Language Teacher Education at Stellenbosch University. Additionally, she is a rated researcher with the South African National Research Foundation, as well as a Fulbright alumna, and a member of the South African Young Academy of Science. Her research focuses on exploring approaches to second-language learning within classrooms where English is the medium of instruction. Through her work, she aims to develop a strategic, epistemological, and pragmatic understanding of effective language teaching practices. She finds inspiration in culturally sustaining pedagogies that prioritise the use of learners' mother tongue languages as a fundamental aspect of second language acquisition. These pedagogies emphasise the importance of honouring and preserving the linguistic and cultural heritage of learners, recognising that a strong foundation in their mother tongue can greatly enhance their ability to learn a second language effectively.

Experience

  • 2022–present
    Visiting professor, University of Antwerp
  • 2023–present
    Associate professor, Stellenbosch University

Education

  • 2016 
    University of Pretoria, PhD, Humanities Education [English]

Publications

  • 2023
    The implementation of English across the curriculum: An exploratory study of how South African educators teach writing in History lessons, TESOL Journal
  • 2022
    Translanguaging reading assessment in multilingual classrooms: an exploratory case study of primary school teachers., Language Education
  • 2022
    Translanguaging practices in English reading comprehension: a case studies of expert primary school multilingual teachers, Journal of Multilingual Research
  • 2022
    Staffing South African Public Universities, Review of Higher Education in South Africa Twenty-five years into democracy
  • 2021
    English language skills for disciplinary purposes: what practices are used to prepare student teachers? , South African Journal of Education
  • 2021
    English language teaching in teacher education: A personal epistemology account. , International Journal of Language Studies
  • 2021
    Content subject teachers’ views of implementing the English Across the Curriculum (EAC) approach: A study of some South African high schools, Journal of Language and Education
  • 2020
    Examining first-year students’ experience of being tutored: A South African case study., Issues in Educational Research,
  • 2020
    Pedagogical practices involved in integrating English language skills in subject-specific learning: a case of high school teachers, International Journal of Education and Practice
  • 2020
    What counts as disciplinary literacies instructional approaches in teacher education?, The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern
  • 2019
    Reflecting on ESL student teachers’ practice through critical incidents, Journal for Language Teaching
  • 2018
    Embedding values in the South African curriculum: By design or default? , South African Journal of Education
  • 2018
    Exploring the teachers’ experiences of implementing a high school curriculum: A South African view, . Journal of Educational Studies
  • 2018
    Exploring beginner teachers’ sources of knowledge for teaching Literature in ESL classrooms. , English Teaching & Learning
  • 2018
    Exploring the E-Learning Experiences of Academic Staff at a South African University, Progressio: South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice
  • 2018
    A comprehensive model for assessing student teachers’ professional competence through an integrated curriculum approach, The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa
  • 2017
    Fostering critical thinking in initial teacher education curriculums: A comprehensive literature review, Gender and Behaviour
  • 2017
    Reflections on the supervision of postgraduate research: the students' voices in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) context, Progressio: South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice
  • 2017
    Connecting the dots: Exploring teaching dispositions in the South African teacher curriculums, Gender and Behaviour
  • 2017
    Teaching from the heart: Exploring beginner teachers' attitudinal knowledge, Journal for Language Teaching
  • 2016
    What can we still offer? Understanding student support in distance education teacher preparation programs, Progressio: South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice

Grants and Contracts

  • 2019
    The preparation and experiences of teachers using English as the Language of Learning and Teaching
    Role:
    Lead Researcher
    Funding Source:
    NRF

Professional Memberships

  • South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS)
  • Southern African Linguistics and Applied Linguistics Society (SALALS)
  • South African Association for Language Teaching (SAALT)

Honours

Golden Key; Fulbright Alumna; SAYAS member