Institute of Language Studies

Collaborations with other Universities.
Kabale University has a memorandum of understanding with Ngozi University of Burundi for a one-month student exchange programme in a linguistic perfection course. Students from Ngozi University come to Kabale University to perfect their English language and students from Kabale University go to Ngozi University to perfect their French language.

Director’s Message

Welcome to the Institute of Language Studies! Human life is not possible without language. Our languages are the best vehicles of our heritage from the past and of our communication in the present and the future. At Kabale University we believe in the importance of preserving and developing our own native languages, even as we believe in the importance of learning other people’s languages.

Thus, located as we are in south-western Uganda, we teach Runyakitara (or Rukiga, Runyankore, Rutooro, Runyoro and the other Ugandan, north-western Tanzanian and eastern Congolese languages that are highly mutually intelligible with these four), plus Swahili, English and French. But we are also considering opportunities to teach German and Chinese.

In each language discipline we teach the language itself, plus the literature of the speakers of that language, as well as other aspects of the life and culture of those people. Within each discipline we teach translation theory and practice since this skill is basic for communication in our multilingual and multicultural world. For those students who are committed to their studies and do well, there are many jobs in the multidimensional language industry both locally and globally.

For those who love their mother tongues and take them seriously, there are, besides teaching in secondary schools and tertiary institutions, opportunities in drama, journalism (newspaper, radio and television), translation, editing, writing, research in areas like lexicography (dictionary-making) and teaching mother tongue to foreigners. We want to “grow” our own Shakespeares, Charles Dickenses, etc. to complement what the Benedikto Mubangizi’s and Festo Karwemera’s have achieved.

We even want to be able to develop pure science, medical, engineering etc. textbooks and other works in our mother tongues. Language studies are some of the most exciting academic disciplines and they are a key to almost everything. The fact that the cross-cutting English communication proficiency course must be taken by each student in the University and even in all other universities in our country, no matter what they are studying, tells you why mastery in language is such an essential thing in determining success. Welcome to the world of languages!