Blog

Nal’ibali collaborated with South African role models and public figures to highlight the importance of mother tongue languages in children’s literacy development this International Mother Tongue Day! This video emphasises the challenges faced by many young children as they engage with print and other literacy materials in unfamiliar languages on a daily basis. Local celebs such as YouTube sensation, Suzelle DIY, actress and Freshlyground lead singer, Zolani Mahola, as well as soccer...

This International Mother Tongue Day, Dr Pamela Maseko, Senior Lecturer at the School of Language in African Languages Studies at the Rhodes University in Grahamstown, analyses the role of multilingualism in education. We all learn better when we understand what the teacher says and the language we understand best, in normal situations, is, of course, our mother tongue. In our context, mother tongue refers to the language...

In support of our New Year’s drive to get parents to adopt reading resolutions, we held two pop-up bookstores in Cape Town and Soweto on 31 January. Not only were the ‘bookstores’ a chance for people to choose books to take home and enjoy with their children, but also the opportunity for the Nal’ibali team to hand out Story Power Pacts - which is part of...

In 2014, celebrities, organisations, and most importantly, caregivers and parents helped us spread the power of stories across the country. Let’s take a look at the best of these inspiring moments! Embracing International Mother Tongue Day To celebrate the importance of mother  tongue languages in South Africa, celebrities tweeted for us in their home language, helping to get #InMyLanguage trending on Twitter.  The celebs who helped...