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This study investigates the contradictory role of missionary educators in the preservation of Tshivenda and other Indigenous languages in South Africa's Vhembe District from 1870 to 1950. This research utilises a decolonial theoretical framework, employing archival document analysis, historical textual analysis, and an examination of contemporary stakeholder perspectives to explore how missionary educators, operating within colonial systems for evangelical objectives, inadvertently established foundational resources for the preservation of Indigenous languages. The findings indicate that missionary educators functioned within a dual paradigm: advancing colonial linguistic dominance via assimilationist education while concurrently documenting, standardising, and safeguarding local languages through translation efforts, grammar formulation, and bilingual instructional methods. This preservation was inherently selective, emphasising religious material while sidelining traditional spiritual knowledge and dialectical diversity. The research illustrates that comprehending this intricate legacy is essential for modern language revitalisation efforts in post-apartheid South Africa, providing insights on leveraging historical linguistic foundations while mitigating their shortcomings through community-driven preservation initiatives that prioritise Indigenous cultural objectives over external interests.

Multilingualism also contributes to a more inclusive learning environment, reflecting the truth about the first and second language diversity of many?South Africa higher education (HE) students. This paper contributes to a multilingual perspective on the decolonization of knowledge in the teaching and learning practices at?South African higher education institutions. The study?aims to make sense of diverse conceptualisation of curriculum by the universities to examine students’ experiences on epistemic access in decolonisation discourses. A multilinguistic approach to curriculum work incorporates epistemological perspectives?while challenging the dominance of Eurocentric knowledge systems. Curriculum development?that resonates with local histories and global realities, is required in strengthening the relevancy of education in South African schools. In addition, the multilinguistic ideal is not only pedagogically beneficial, but also an important decolonising tool, making higher education in?South Africa reflective of its multilingual society and all students. A systematic qualitative literature review will be implemented in this study and the review process in this application will be?underpinned by literature and statistical evidence supplied by South African universities. This paper seeks to highlight that higher education can be supported to the fullest through reframing the social justice and?resilience theories. From a multilingual standpoint, the findings of this study will contribute to understandings of students’ perceptions of epistemic access and contribute towards the?epistemic decoloniality discourse in South African universities.

In a learning environment where the system is insensitive to the learners' different needs, this is likely to sideline specific learners' populations, preventing their full participation in the teaching and learning processes. This study aimed to explore how translanguaging can enhance an equitable language learning environment in additional English language classrooms. This systematic review addressed two research questions: How can translanguaging enhance an equitable language learning environment in additional English language classrooms? What are the hindrances to translingual practices in English first additional language learning? This data was retrieved from major databases, including Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and Web of Science. After identifying all the articles for the research review, we coded them according to the research questions and theoretical focus. The findings revealed that because of its global appeal in multilingual education, translanguaging has received a plethora of definitions; thus, presently, it has no absolute definition. Also, the paper reveals that translanguaging helps break the language barrier by enhancing the integration of the learners' home languages with the language of teaching and learning, which is English, in this context. Through translanguaging, teachers will employ learner-centred teaching and learning, and not a top-down approach, which is in line with the communicative approach to language teaching. Moreover, through translanguaging, language teachers can use the collaborative approach to language learning; it promotes teamwork, enhances communication skills, and allows for the exchange of diverse perspectives among students. Lastly, the paper shares that the current testing measures are devoid of multilingual approaches in language testing, though there is a call to include learners' multilingual repertoires in their constructs to reflect multilingual lifeworld.