Intercultural Communicative Competence in a Globalised World
In a time marked by heightened connectivity and globalisation, the ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries has become an invaluable skill. While linguistic proficiency is undeniably crucial—forming the basis of conveying ideas and information—a deeper understanding of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is essential for navigating the complexities of our interconnected world.
Language Discrimination in South Africa
We live in a beautifully diverse world in which well more than 7, 000 languages are spoken. There are even some countries, like South Africa, that have multiple official languages — eleven to be specific: Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Northern Sotho, Venda, Tsonga, Swati, and Ndebele. However, there’s a dark side to South Africa’s multilingualism, one that is characterised by colonialism, apartheid, and discrimination, which only aggravates the vicious cycle that keeps so many South Africans in a poverty prison.