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Deaf students at the Khulani Special School learning sign language. Leisa Tyler/LightRocket via Getty Images

May 23, 2023

Sign language is set to become South Africa’s 12th official language after a long fight for recognition

Theo du Plessis, University of the Free State

Making South African Sign Language official is more symbolic than useful in the lives of a very marginalised community.

Under international human rights law, scaling back the quality of the education provided to children and youth ought to be avoided. (Shutterstock)

July 31, 2020

COVID-19: Provinces must respect children’s rights to education whether or not schools reopen in September

Anne Levesque, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

If returning to in-person instruction is truly impossible for public health reasons, policy makers must make large financial expenditures on quality and accessible distance education.

Integrating African languages could help deal with some xenophobia in South Africa. MICHELE SPATARI/AFP via Getty Images

June 2, 2020

Integrating languages should form part of South Africa’s xenophobia solutions

Karien Brits, University of Johannesburg; Russell H. Kaschula, Rhodes University, and Zakeera Docrat, Rhodes University

Research has shown that African immigrants in South Africa refrain from speaking their own languages and try to speak local languages to blend in.

When people can testify in their own language, this increases their access to justice. Shutterstock

January 20, 2019

Forensic linguistics holds promise for South Africa’s legal system

Zakeera Docrat, Rhodes University and Russell H. Kaschula, Rhodes University

Forensic linguistics can play a valuable role in interpreting evidence.

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