This article examines the construction of Afrikaans masculinity through a multimodal analysis of representations in Afrikaans magazines from 2005 to 2015. Understanding gender, and therefore masculinity, as a fluid social construct, the study considers how media representations shape evolving gender roles in response to political, social and economic shifts. The study is grounded in critical masculinity studies and draws on Connell's relational model of masculinities, alongside inclusive and caring masculinity frameworks, to analyse how power and status are imbricated in representations of Afrikaans masculinity. Using multimodal critical discourse analysis, the research shows that Afrikaans masculinity is linked to power, authority and material success, while also entangled with violence, both as perpetrated and experienced. Some portrayals reinforce traditional ideals, such as the value placed on the traditional 'boer' (farmer) and conservative gender roles. Others reflect a departure from historical masculinities and indicate the influence of broader global discourses. Family support and religious beliefs are often portrayed as essential to success. By investigating these representations, the study contributes to understanding how media discourses shape perceptions of gender in Afrikaans communities. Although representations of Afrikaans masculinity show signs of expansion, they largely reproduce global hierarchies of power and status, with change occurring selectively and within culturally specific parameters. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die konstruksie van Afrikaanse manlikheid deur middel van 'n multimodale kritiese diskoersanalise van Afrikaanse manstydskrifte wat tussen 2005 en 2015 verskyn het. Deur gender - en dus manlikheid - as 'n dinamiese sosiale konstruk te benader, ondersoek die studie hoe die media ontwikkelende genderkonstruksies skep in reaksie op politieke, sosiale en ekonomiese verskuiwings. Die analise toon aan hoe Afrikaanse manlikheid dikwels met mag, gesag en materi & euml;le sukses verbind word en terselfdertyd met geweld verweef is - beide as oortreder en as slagoffer - uitbeeldings van mag en status te ontleed. In party uitbeeldings word tradisionele ideale versterk - soos die verheerliking van die 'Boer' en konserwatiewe genderrolle - en ander weerspie & euml;l 'n verskuiwing in historiese manlikheidsideale, wat dui op die invloed van bre & euml;r globale diskoerse. Gesinsondersteuning en godsdienstige oortuigings kom na vore as kernwaardes vir sukses binne die konstruk van Afrikaanse manlikheid. Deur hierdie konstruksies te ondersoek, dra die studie by tot 'n dieper begrip van hoe mediadiskoers persepsies van gender binne Afrikaanse gemeenskappe vorm. Hoewel konstruksies van Afrikaanse manlikheid tekens van verruiming toon, reproduseer dit grotendeels globale hi & euml;rargie & euml; van mag en status, met verandering wat selektief en binne kultureel-spesifieke kontekste plaasvind.
First language (L1) transfer effects have been reported both in adult and child second language (L2) acquisition. Further, cognitive demands of cross-linguistic transfer have been found to modulate suppressibility of L1 effects. However, L2 acquisition research is largely dominated by studies on older learners, or younger learners in acquisition-rich environments. To understand L2 development in early-onset learners in instructed contexts, this study employed grammaticality judgment tasks to examine the influence and suppressibility of L1 syntactic features - specifically Chichewa free-word order and pronominal incorporation - on the development of English as a foreign language in a formal school-based context among learners with the age of onset (AoO) of six. The study sampled 202 Grades 9 and 11 learners across three linguistic backgrounds: Chichewa-speaking learners of English, Norwegian-speaking learners of English and English native speakers. Results from inter-L1-group differences, intra-L1-group similarities and L1-interlanguage congruity revealed transfer effects exclusively for pronominal incorporation, indicating that suppressibility operates in a gradual, feature-specific manner. As an obligatory syntactic operation with high cue density, high resting level and entrenched automatisation in Chichewa, pronominal incorporation persists in L2 English as 'excess automatisation'. These results advance our understanding of L1 influence and suppressibility in early-onset L2 acquisition under formal instructional conditions.
This article considers the colonial framing of indigenous gender by investigating how indigenous masculinity and femininity are portrayed in Johann Kr & ouml;nlein's Nama-German dictionary, Wortschatz der Khoikhoin (Namaquahottentotten). It does this by investigating trends in the actions performed by and on men and women respectively in relation to Michael Halliday's process types. Overall trends show many more explicit references to men than women, gendered differences in the proportionate likelihood of serving as a performer or object of a verb and variance in the processes performed by gender. The example sentences tend to construct an image of men as physical, active leaders, while feminine domesticity and passivity are suggested. While actions related to men portray them more positively than women, both sexes are frequently framed as dysfunctional through references to poor character, temperamentality and immorality, reflecting not only a general colonial racist colouring of gender stereotypes, but power dynamics particular to Kr & ouml;nlein's missionary environment. The research argues that stereotypical gender portrayals may have served a stabilising function, establishing order and optimism in the civilising mission by affirming familiar gender tropes, gendered status distinctions and a common humanity, whereas dysfunctional depictions signalled class, moral and civility differences to justify Western authority.
In 2022, the discipline of music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) embarked on a ground-breaking initiative in its Introduction to Music Fundamentals module. With integral involvement from senior translation students at Durban University of Technology (DUT), this endeavour aimed to translate a specialised bilingual textbook into isiZulu. Facilitated by an English/isiZulu music glossary and guided by UKZN and DUT lecturers, this project received crucial support from the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences Catalytic Research Project. Drawing on a functionalist theoretical framework, particularly Nord's translation-oriented text analysis, and guided by the accuracy, readability and acceptability (ARA) model, the project employed a collaborative qualitative methodology that included student translation tasks, iterative review workshops and reflective feedback from both translation and music students. It marks a significant stride towards decolonising the teaching of music theory in South Africa, specifically through the formal introduction of isiZulu materials. Divided into three phases, the project encompassed curriculum revision, translation and meticulous review processes. The findings indicate that collaborative translation significantly enhances the accuracy and accessibility of technical terminology, strengthens student engagement and highlights key lexical gaps that require long-term development. With hopes to extend this initiative to subsequent modules, this endeavour underscores the intellectualisation of isiZulu in higher education institutions. Moreover, it provides valuable insights into the complexities and benefits of such translation projects, serving as a guide for future endeavours in diversifying educational materials across South African languages.
Increasing linguistic diversity in higher education, particularly in South Africa with its 12 official languages, creates both challenges and opportunities for universities. This article argues that responsible language planning and management are essential for supporting students' diverse linguistic repertoires and fostering inclusive, equitable learning environments. Using evidence from the 2023 national language resources audit, it shows that strategic, data-informed decisions, such as language prioritisation, curriculum integration and targeted support services, are vital for translating multilingual policy aspirations into institutional practice. Located in the meso-tier of the Van Dyk (2026) meta-framework, the article examines how institutional structures, governance systems and strategic interventions shape the implementation of national language imperatives. It demonstrates that institutional preparedness and leadership commitment determine whether multilingual transformation becomes lived practice rather than rhetoric. Ultimately, the article calls for responsive, integrated language planning and management systems that reflect contemporary multilingual classrooms and advance academic success, social justice and institutional transformation.
