Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages

Dr NE Letsoalo

College of Human Sciences
School of Arts
Department: Linguistics and Modern Languages
Chair
Tel: 012 429 6385
E-mail: letsone@unisa.ac.za

Qualifications

  • PhD (Linguistics) (UL, 2019)
  • MA (Translation Studies and Linguistics) (UL, 2016)
  • BA Hons (Translation Studies and Linguistics) (Cum Laude) (UL, 2013)
  • BA (Communication Studies) (UL, 2012)

Fields of academic interests

  • Paremiology
  • Indigenous languages and masculinity
  • Indigenous language development
  • Language and politics
  • Youth registers

Field of Specialisation

  • Phonetics
  • Phonology
  • Syntax

Books

  • Letsoalo, N. 2022. What if it’s Culture? A Closer Look at the Gender Situation in Sepedi ‘Manyalo’ Songs. In: Baloyi, M.E., Molobi, V.M.S and Naicker, L.  Religion, Marriage, Sexualities, Culture and Family Dynamics. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications, pp 171-220.

Journal articles

  • Letsoalo N & Rammala J R. 2020. Derivation of interrogative words from ‘wh-stems’ in Sepedi. South African Journal of African Languages, 40(2): 164-170, DOI: 10.1080/02572117.2020.1804216
  • Letsoalo, N., Mabaso, D and Gouws, P. 2022. Access to information through translation: a case of multilingual OER robotics project at a South African university. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 88(1): https://sajlis.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/2150/1623   doi:10.7553/88-1-2150.
  • Letsoalo, N.E. 2018. Toward the development of political terminology for South Africa’s African languages. Paper presentation at the 7th Annual International Conference on Language, Literature & Linguistics, Singapore, 25 - 26 June 2018. (Print ISSN: 2251-3566, E-Periodical ISSN: 2251-3574)
  • Ngoepe, M., Shaku, K and Letsoalo, N. 2022. Development of an indigenous language through crowd-sourcing on social media. Bulletin of the National Library of South Africa, 76(1): 63 – 78.

Paper presentations

  • Letsoalo, N. 2023. Automated self-guided orientation through WhatsApp bots: A case of CODeL context. Paper presentation at the 11th Teacher Education & Interdisciplinary Research Conference, Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre, Namibia, 10-14 April 2023.
  • Letsoalo, N & Kgasago, TJ. 2022. The quality of translation during COVID-19 crisis in Limpopo Department of Health: Crisis Communication in Sepedi. Paper presentation at the 2nd NIHSS Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Conference, Online, 2-3 November 2022.
  • Letsoalo, N. 2022. Modernizing Indigenous Knowledge: emoji-based proverbial writing system. Paper presentation at the 2022 Spring Lectures, University of Limpopo, 5-6 September 2022.
  • Letsoalo, N. 2021. Masculinity in language: A psycholinguistic approach to the interpretation of figurative expressions in Sepedi among young men. Paper presentation at the 2nd NIHSS Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Conference, Online, 3-4 November 2021.
  • Letsoalo, N. 2021. Towards the development of multilingual OERs at Unisa: A case of Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages. Paper presentation at the CHS Unisa Curriculum Transformation Webinar on “Accelerating Transformation to Consolidate the African Intellectual Programme”, Online, 13-14 September 2021.
  • Gouws, P and Letsoalo, N. 2021. Learning to Speak Robotics Indigenously. Paper presentation at the CHS Unisa Curriculum Transformation Webinar on “Accelerating Transformation to Consolidate the African Intellectual Programme”, Online, 13-14 September 2021.
  • Letsoalo, N. 2020. What if it’s culture? A closer look at the gender situation in Sepedi ‘manyalo’ songs. Paper presentation at the NIHSS Inaugural Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Conference, Online, 4-5 November 2020.
  • Letsoalo, N.E. 2019. From social contact to social distance: results on gender attitudes from Sepedi dictionaries. Paper presentation at the SADiLaR language seminar, University of Limpopo, 31 July 2019.
  • Letsoalo, N.E. 2019. Young men in denial: Exploring the meaning and interpretations of the saying ‘go pompa lebili leo le sa tlalego’. Paper presentation at the 21st BIENNIAL ALASA International Conference, University of the Free State, 8 -10 of July 2019.
  • Letsoalo, N.E and Motseki, M.C. 2018. Language usage in the construction of gender and culture in a Pedi context: A criticism of toxic masculinity. Paper presentation at the International Conference on “Complexities, Appeals and Paradoxes of Language”, Birkbeck, University of London, 17 November 2018. 
  • Letsoalo, N.E. 2018. Decolonising the craft of translation for academic purpose in South Africa. Paper presentation at Thetha sizwe: Intersections, Practices, and Identities - Rethinking Gender in African Languages and Literature (International Conference), University of Pretoria, 5 - 6 April 2018.
  • Letsoalo, N.E. 2018. Derivation of interrogative words from wh-stems in Sepedi’. Paper presentation at the NIHSS Annual National Doctoral Conference, Johannesburg, 31 October - 1 November 2018.
  • Letsoalo, N.E. 2018. Language in Conflict: politeness in the street version of Sepitori’. Paper presentation at the International Congress of Linguists, Cape Town, 2 - 6 July 2018.
  • Letsoalo, N.E. 2018. Toward the development of political terminology for South Africa’s African languages. Paper presentation at the 7th Annual International Conference on Language, Literature & Linguistics, Singapore, 25 - 26 June 2018.
  • Letsoalo, NE. 2017. In Other Words - Defrosting Sepedi Idiomatic Expressions for Translation Purpose, presented at the 2017 Faculty of Humanities’ Spring Lectures, 2017, University of Limpopo.
  • Letsoalo, NE. 2017. The Youth Version of the Popular Multilingual Register in Pretoria: #LearnSepitori, presented at the 2017 Faculty of Humanities’ Spring Lectures, 2017, University of Limpopo.
  • Letsoalo, NE. 2016. Some aspects of verbal morphophonemics in Northern Sotho, presented at the Conference for Language Associations of Southern Africa, 2017, Rhode University.
  • Letsoalo, NE. 2016.   Toward the development of political terminology for South Africa’s African languages, presented at the Conference for Language Associations of Southern Africa, 2017, Rhode University.

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

  • Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans (Mail & Guardian, 2022)
  • Multilingualism Award (Pan South African Language Board, 2022)
  • Best Digital Humanities Collection: Community Engagement (National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, 2022)
  • Best Paper Award (National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, 2020)
  • Excellence Award in Tuition: Student Assessment (University of South Africa, 2019)
  • L3 Conference Best Student Paper Award (Global Science and Technology Forum, Singapore, 2018)
  • LSSA Annual Young Linguist Award (Conference for Language Associations of Southern Africa, 2017)

Projects

  • Masculinity in language: A psycholinguistic approach to the interpretation of figurative expressions in Sepedi among young men
  • Learning to Speak Robotics Indigenously
  • Multilingual and multicultural approach to language learning and communication
  • Skills Training for corpus building and presentation
  • WhatsApp Chatbot for Education Purpose
  • Soshanguve+ Paremiology
  • A Comprehensive Sepedi Online Dictionary

Other