{"id":11042,"date":"2025-04-14T11:59:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T09:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/?p=11042"},"modified":"2025-06-27T08:54:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T06:54:39","slug":"improve-your-academic-writing-skills-with-sadilars-free-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/improve-your-academic-writing-skills-with-sadilars-free-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"Improve your academic writing skills with SADiLaR\u2019s free tools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

14 April 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic writing is key to academic success: the ability to write in a concise and organised manner allows students to communicate their research ideas and findings clearly, to participate successfully in academic discourse and, ultimately, to contribute to the body of knowledge in their respective fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mastering the art of academic writing can be challenging though, especially for students who are not studying in their mother tongue. Fortunately, the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR), a national research infrastructure that aims to ensure a digital future for our official languages, has enabled the development of resources to assist students with the basics of academic writing \u2013 all of which are freely available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write-it in South Africa\u2019s 12 official languages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Write-it<\/a> is a series of educational videos with handouts for simple reference and optional online tasks, available in South Africa\u2019s 12 official languages (including Sign Language). Developed by the Inter-institutional Centre for Language Development and Assessment (ICELDA)<\/a>, SADiLaR\u2019s language development and testing node, the programme comprises 15 topics, including: task analysis (how to understand what a set task is requiring from you); introduction and conclusions (how to write them); discourse markers \/ logical connectors (how to logically guide your reader through the text); voice, stance and engagement (how to display authority over your text and involve your reader); referencing support (how to reference correctly); and plagiarism avoidance (how to integrate and reference sources in such a way that you don\u2019t plagiarise).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to ICELDA-SADiLaR Node Manager Prof Tobie van Dyk, students indicated the need to write and study in English with the support of their home languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWrite-it aims to fill that gap by guiding the students through writing. The handouts and videos should be used as a package, moreover, in a situation where a student knows the English term used, but not the term in their mother tongue, or vice versa,\u201d says Van Dyk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the course is divided into 15 modules, students are free to pick how they want to interact with it. Therefore, students can use the materials from start to finish or just concentrate on the parts that are difficult for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the videos here: Afrikaans<\/a>, isiXhosa<\/a>, Sesotho sa Leboa<\/a>, Xitsonga<\/a>, English<\/a>, isiZulu<\/a>, Siswati<\/a>, Sign Language<\/a>, isiNdebele<\/a>, Sesotho<\/a>, Tshivenda<\/a>, Setswana<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spelling Checkers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Spelling Checkers for South African Languages<\/a> is a spell-checking software tool for ten of South Africa\u2019s official languages, excluding English (for which there are plenty of spell checkers available). Developed by the Centre for Text Technology (CTexT\u00ae<\/a>), the tool, which works with the Microsoft Office Suite, allows the user to choose their South African language in the relevant Microsoft software. It then recognises spelling and typing errors and offers suggested alternatives for words that are not recognised. Text layout can be improved with the correct word hyphenation for the selected language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spelling checker tool offers an extensive word list for Afrikaans, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Siswati, Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa, Setswana, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. Since many of South Africa\u2019s languages are under-resourced in terms of available data required for tools such as this, and language is constantly changing and evolving, the tool also provides for a custom dictionary to which users can add words they regularly use and that are not in the tool\u2019s existing word lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the user so chooses, these custom dictionaries can then be shared with the developer to be verified and included in future updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download Spelling Checkers for South African Languages here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

LwimiLinks \u2013 a home for multilingual terminology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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LwimiLinks<\/a> is a new online platform that aims to empower language practitioners across South Africa by centralising multilingual terminology and related information in all academic fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Friedel Wolff, SADiLaR\u2019s Technical Manager, LwimiLinks hosts information on South Africa\u2019s available terminology lists and initiatives in multiple languages, and gives credit for all the work already done in terms of terminology development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLwimiLinks offers a solution for the unnecessary duplication of effort. We encourage institutions to upload their resources and register information on related projects. These resources can then be disseminated through the site to students, language practitioners, academics, linguists, lexicographers, and other users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about the origin of the name, Wolff explains that \u2018Lwimi\u2019 refers to \u2018language\u2019 in the Nguni languages. \u201cThe \u2018linking\u2019 relates to the categorisation and multiple connections we try to make between languages, institutions and subjects, but also between the resources and the people who need them and the people working on them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The platform exposes the work at participating institutions by showing projects and documents relating to multilingual support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor example, you could search for a term in your textbook if looking for definitions or equivalents in other languages from a glossary, or you can browse for information in your language to see what support is available,\u201d Wolff says. \u201cThe documents and projects on LwimiLinks create the links between languages, institutions and subjects to enhance the visibility of resources \u2013 even outside of a student’s home institution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get started with LwimiLinks here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*If you have any questions about any of these tools or require further support, please contact the SADiLaR team at <\/em>info@sadilar.org<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Written by Birgit Ottermann)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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