Suchergebnisse

The integration of research and community service learning (also referred to as service learning or service-learning in this volume) opens up opportunities for contributing to the much discussed transformation of higher education in South Africa, through which institutions of higher education are urged to become more democratic, more responsive to community challenges, and conducive to partnership-building with a wide variety of stakeholders. The twofold premise of this introductory article is the following: service learning as a pedagogy is strengthened through scholarly inquiry and, secondly, the South African research agenda can be advanced through the philosophy and epistemology of service learning that promotes collaborative, open systems of knowledge production. The aim of the article is to establish why and how the above should and could be achieved, placing the other contributions to this issue of Acta Academica Supplementum within the framework of a more inclusive service learning research agenda for South Africa.

From text: Human diversity is a reality which poses both unique and similar challenges in countries world-wide, although their scope and intensity varies. In South Africa, multilingualism is a manifestation of the country's diversity which, on the one hand, has the potential to undermine democracy, but on the other hand, could facilitate development of the creativity and resourcefulness of the people of the country, with their rich variety of cultures.

This study deals with the dire need for professional (community-based) interpreters (CBIs) in the South African health services. Attention is focused on the costing of such services, since economics seems to be one of the most important factors affecting (language) policy decisions. It is expected that the proposed National Languages Act for South Africa will encourage the allocation of funding for language services by institutions at all levels of government, including the health sector. The latest developments in the training and utilisation of CBIs in South Africa are discussed in the context of this promising new legislation.