The Multilingual Language Services Office coordinates and manages free language editing, translation, and interpreting services within an academic, management and administrative context. These services are limited to the official languages of the University, namely English, IsiZulu, Afrikaans and Sesotho sa Leboa. We build Sesotho sa Leboa and IsiZulu terminology databases and authenticate this through our collaboration with other universities and language interest bodies/organisations. This is our attempt to develop these indigenous languages to the level of operation enjoyed by both English and Afrikaans.

The MLSO also coordinates the annual NP van Wyk Louw and the biennial EB van Wyk commemorative lectures, as well as the UJ Prize and the UJ Debut Prize for creative writing in the four official UJ languages as well as the prize for literary translation.

The MLSO will offer an online short learning course in Afrikaans editing next year.

Staff Details

​Head of Department
​Prof Marné Pienaar
​011 559 4213
​mpienaar@uj.ac.za
​English Language Specialist
​Esmé Grobler
​011 559 4223 ​esmeg@uj.ac.za

​Sesotho sa Leboa Language Specialist
​Moroamofo Leshilo
​011 559 4209
​mleshilo@uj.ac.za
​IsiZulu Language Specialist
​Nomusa Sibiya
​011 559 4216
​nsibiya@uj.ac.za
​Afrikaans Language Specialist
​Corne Johl
​011 559 1424
​cornej@uj.ac.za
​Departmental Secretary
​Tara Kok
​011 559 4220
​tarar@uj.ac.za