Multilingual Mastery: Embracing Linguistic Diversity

via edX Professional Certificate

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edX Professional Certificate
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$596.00
Languages

English
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Certificate Available
Level

Beginner

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Overview

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This professional certificate is designed to equip you with a deep understanding of the value and significance of multilingualism in fostering connections, embracing diversity, and building inclusive communities. The programme offers four interconnected courses that provide a holistic understanding of multilingualism and its role in fostering intercultural appreciation and collaboration. The four courses cover various aspects of multilingualism, language proficiency and intercultural competence.

Through this programme, you will embark on a transformative journey to explore your own perspectives on multilingualism and embrace a values-driven approach rather than a purely theoretical one. The courses delve into the definitions of multilingualism, from institutional to individual perspectives, fostering a multilingual mindset that goes beyond language proficiency alone. The new insight you will gain into isiXhosa, Afrikaans and SASL language communities will broaden your worldview and deepen your understanding of and empathy for the people around you.

You will engage in reflective activities, scenario-based exercises, and choose-your-own-adventure simulations, allowing you to reflect on your unique language journey, make choices, and understand the impact of those choices. You will explore the dynamics of multilingual spaces, the benefits of visible multilingualism, and the significance of translation, translanguaging, and interpreting.

By completing this professional certificate programme, you can expect to achieve powerful outcomes. You will develop a multilingual mindset that embraces diversity, inclusivity, and intercultural communication. You will also enhance your language proficiency in isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and SASL, enabling yourself to engage meaningfully with diverse communities and navigate multilingual spaces with confidence.

Moreover, you will be guided to foster your own intercultural competence, and, in doing so, gain the skills and sensitivity needed to bridge cultural gaps and build stronger connections across linguistic and cultural boundaries.

You will develop strategies for creating inclusive environments, fostering linguistic diversity, and promoting effective communication across languages. Your newly acquired knowledge and skills will enable you to assume leadership positions and actively contribute to building communities through multilingualism.

Syllabus

Courses under this program:
Course 1: Exploring and Developing a Multilingual Mindset

Having a multilingual mindset is an asset that opens doors to new opportunities and expands cultural understanding. Such a mindset means embracing linguistic diversity in your cognitive and attitudinal approach towards individuals, language learning and communication.

This course will help you better understand the role of language in various contexts, find your way in the complex landscape of language, and develop a mindset that embraces linguistic diversity.

Course 2: Exploring isiXhosa Language and Culture

IsiXhosa forms part of the rich tapestry of languages found in South Africa. By learning to speak and write basic isiXhosa, you will be able to connect with more people. The course is aimed at first-time speakers with little or no prior knowledge of isiXhosa. The course will equip you to carry on basic conversations in this interesting ‘click language’. It will also deepen your understanding of the amaXhosa people and their culture.

Course 3: Exploring Afrikaans Language and Culture

This course offers a brief introduction to the Afrikaans language and culture. You will learn key vocabulary and phrases to be able to carry on simple conversations in Afrikaans. The focus is on using the language in a functional manner. You will learn how to introduce yourself, how to share details about your profession and hobbies, and how to order at a restaurant.

The course is a taster for anyone interested in learning the basics of Afrikaans.

Course 4: Exploring South African Sign Language and South African Deaf Culture

Embracing and learning more about South African Sign Language (SASL) and Deaf culture is a good way to broaden one’s outlook on life and deepen your understanding and empathy for others. This self-paced course, expertly curated by linguist Prof Anne Baker, introduces you to conversational SASL and delves into aspects of Deaf culture. The offering is divided into four lessons:

Orientation and greetings
Introduction and self-expression
Numerals, days, appointments and interpreters
Descriptive skills and literary appreciation

Courses

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4 weeks, 3-6 hours a week, 3-6 hours a week
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This online course will develop your functional proficiency in Afrikaans. Designed for non-mother tongue speakers, it equips you with the strategic, socio-linguistic and linguistic competence needed for basic communication in Afrikaans. Whether you encounter Afrikaans in your work environment or wish to connect with Afrikaans-speaking friends and family, this course is sure to add value.

The practical and interactive lessons will help you acquire Afrikaans vocabulary and deal with various communication scenarios. We focus on all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and incorporate real-life situations to encourage authentic language usage. From introducing yourself and greeting others to sharing personal information and getting around town, you will gain the confidence to converse in Afrikaans.

Yet the course also offers more than just language learning; it provides an appreciation for Afrikaans culture within the broader South African context. Immerse yourself in the origins of Afrikaans and discover the different cultural dimensions that make the language unique.

Led by Afrikaans language acquisition experts Mrs Helga Sykstus and Dr Arné Binneman, this fun-filled and interactive course ensures an engaging learning experience. With their years of experience and passion for sharing the language and culture, they will guide you towards language proficiency and cultural appreciation.

Note that this course is a taster only, providing a brief introduction to the Afrikaans language. While it equips participants with functional communication skills, increased proficiency will require continued study. If you are interested in further enhancing your Afrikaans language abilities, do consider enrolling for follow-up courses. By building on the foundation laid in this course, you can progress to higher levels of fluency and mastery in Afrikaans.
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4 weeks, 3-6 hours a week, 3-6 hours a week
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Learning a new language allows you to access a different culture, see things from a new perspective, and connect with new people. IsiXhosa forms part of the rich tapestry of languages found in South Africa. While spoken across the country, it is most predominant in the Eastern, Western & Northern Cape provinces.

This course introduces you to the basics of the isiXhosa language and key aspects of the amaXhosa people’s culture. It is aimed at non-mother tongue speakers with little or no prior knowledge of the language.

Your learning experience starts with an overview of the amaXhosa’s migration history, traditions, customs and practices. This then sets the scene for an introduction to key isiXhosa vocabulary that will enable you to read and carry-on basic conversations in this interesting ‘click language’.

The four themes of the course are interspersed with short exercises to test your knowledge of the learning content. As you will be required to record yourself, you will need a working mic on your computer.
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5 weeks, 2-3 hours a week, 2-3 hours a week
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Developing a multilingual mindset enriches one’s personal and professional life. It enhances communication skills, broadens cultural horizons, fosters empathy and understanding, and facilitates connections with a diverse range of individuals and communities. Embracing a multilingual mindset goes beyond the ability to use multiple languages. It is an attitude that anyone can adopt, regardless of their language abilities. By embracing linguistic diversity and adopting a multilingual mindset, individuals can tap into the immense benefits and joys of engaging with the world from the perspective of various languages and cultures.

Individuals with a multilingual mindset tend to be:

• open to new languages and cultures, demonstrating a curiosity and willingness to explore and embrace linguistic diversity;

• adaptable on their language learning journey, adjusting strategies and approaches based on the unique characteristics of each language they encounter;

• respectful to different languages and cultures, and empathetic to others’ linguistic backgrounds and experiences;

• self-aware of who they are and how they fit into their community, viewing individual differences as an asset to the community, and community differences as an asset to them;

• culturally aware of nuances associated with each language, and of the importance of cultural context in communicating effectively and bridging gaps;

• confident in using language and seeking opportunities to do so in various context, not afraid of making mistakes; and

• interconnected , appreciating that language is not just a means of communication, but also a window onto different ways of doing and thinking, which leads to a broader outlook on the world.

Having a multilingual mindset means recognising the value of language as a powerful tool for communication, connection and personal growth. It involves embracing the challenges and opportunities of engaging with people of various languages, and actively seeking to expand one’s linguistic repertoire.
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4 weeks, 3-6 hours a week, 3-6 hours a week
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This self-paced course, expertly curated by linguist Prof Anne Baker, introduces you to conversational SASL, delves into aspects of Deaf culture and enriches both your personal and professional life.

Join us as we learn about Deaf culture and gain a deeper understanding of its impact on Deaf and non-Deaf communities. Then move on to learning SASL fundamentals and how to form basic sentences for meaningful interactions with Deaf people. Throughout this gradual introduction of SASL structure, the main objective will be to facilitate communication.

The flexible, self-paced approach lets you tailor your learning to suit your schedule. Content is structured into the following four comprehensive, segmented lessons to help you plan your learning effectively:
- Orientation and greetings: This lesson emphasises the visual nature of sign languages and covers attentive observation, sign production, and greetings vocabulary. Using the narratives of two SASL educators, it also offers insights into Deaf culture.
- Introduction and self-expression: In this lesson, you will enhance your conversation skills with fingerspelling, sign names, and family and hobby vocabulary. You will also explore the concept of hearing privilege.
- Numerals, days, appointments and interpreters: Learn scheduling and appointment signs, and gain a better understanding of the vital role of interpreters in facilitating communication between the Deaf and hearing communities.
- Descriptive skills and literary appreciation: This lesson will teach you SASL signs for describing people. A look at SASL literature will offer you further insight into Deaf culture.
Each lesson is subdivided into sections, along with estimated timeframes to aid your study planning. We recommend adhering to the suggested sequence for optimal learning. Moreover, although you will be completing the course in your own time, we encourage you to maintain a consistent learning pace, as this facilitates memory retention and maximises your progress.

All course materials are provided in English with SASL video content. The SASL videos feature individual signs and brief sentences to hone your comprehension skills. You will also practise sign replication, ideally recording yourself while signing and comparing it to the video.

At the end of each lesson, a “Test yourself” section affords you an opportunity to gauge your progress.