Botswana English (Botswana)This project explores the role of English in Botswana, looking at its status, functions, and societal attitudes within the country’s multilingual ecologies. Using sociolinguistic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, we examine patterns of language use, ideologies, and attitudes. We are also developing a digital corpus of Botswana English to support further research.
More information about the Botswana English Language Project. |
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SiPhuthi (Lesotho and South Africa)SiPhuthi is a Bantu language, spoken by several thousand ebaPhuthi living in southern Lesotho and the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Since 2016, I’ve been working on siPhuthi with Matthias Brenzinger (University of the Free State) and many community members in Lesotho and South Africa (see the 100+ contributors here). Our work focuses on documenting the language and supporting community-led revitalisation efforts. More information about the SiPhuthi Language Project. |
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Namibian and Kroondal German (Namibia and South Africa)My research examines two under-described exterritorial varieties of German: Namibian German and Kroondal German. Namibian German is spoken as a first language by around 20,000 people, while Kroondal German is spoken by a few hundred residents in South Africa.
In a book published in 2024, we provide the first linguistic description of Kroondal German, situating it in its sociohistorical and sociolinguistic context and analysing its salient linguistic properties in comparison with other German contact varieties. More information about the Kroondal German Language Project. |
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N/uu (South Africa)N/uu is an indigenous click language spoken in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Today, only one elderly speaker remains.
From 2013-2016, I directed the N/uu Language Project at the University of Cape Town. The project combined linguistic documentation with community-based support for revitalisation. In collaboration with community members, we developed a practical N/uu orthography and educational materials, including alphabet charts, posters, and a N/uu reader. More information about the N/uu Language Project. |
Check out the N/uu reader on OpenUCT
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Click on the images on the right to listen to N/uu
More sounds |
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Gujarati (England, Singapore, and South Africa)Gujarati is an Indo-European language primarily spoken in Gujarat, India. While most Gujarati speakers live in India, migration over the past 200 years has led to well-established diaspora communities in many parts of the world.
My research looks at language maintenance and shift among second and subsequent generation Gujaratis. During my PhD, I worked with communities in the UK, Singapore, and South Africa, exploring factors that influence language proficiency among students and recent graduates of Gujarati language schools. More recently, I have expanded this work to the Gujarati-speaking community in Kenya, focusing in particular on Swahili loanwords in East African Gujarati. |
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