TABLE OF CONTENTS
Module Experience Reflection ............................................................................... 1
Family Interview ..................................................................................................... 3
Your Interview/Your Name ..................................................................................... 5
Definition of Culture ................................................................................................ 7
Ukuhlonipha ............................................................................................................ 9
Final Reflection: Have you experienced a paradigm shift? ................................... 11
Academic Honesty Declaration .............................................................................. 12
1
, 1. Module Experience Reflection
Before starting AFL1501, I knew little about the concepts of language, identity, culture,
and community. I had only a basic understanding of language as a tool for
communication and identity as something people gave to themselves. Culture and
community felt vague – I thought they were just about festivals or family gatherings.
What I learned changed everything. Through the study units, I discovered that language
is not neutral; it carries attitude, worldview, and power. Naming processes, forms of
address, and moral codes are all reflections of our culture. The big revelation came in
Unit 5 on Ubuntu the African philosophy that “a person is a person through others.” This
ties every previous unit together. Language builds identity, but Ubuntu shows that
identity is always communal. We cannot exist as isolated selves; our humanity is shaped
by others.
What stood out most was the emphasis on collectivism and interdependence. In African
communities and some other cultures like the Amish, people work together for the
common good ploughing fields, helping with barns, or even in university group projects.
The story of Samuel who was ostracised as a child reminded me how painful it is to be
seen as “not belonging.” Ubuntu rejects that isolation. It teaches us that respect,
generosity, and compassion are not optional, they are the foundation of community.
I also learned that culture is not static. It evolves, but the core values of humanity to
others must remain. In my own life as a student at Unisa, this means I must now
approach every group discussion, every tutorial, and every relationship with Ubuntu in
mind: “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (in Zulu). My understanding of self has shifted from
“I” to “we.” Identity is no longer something I create alone but something we co-create.
Community is no longer just where I live or study. it is how I relate to every person I
meet. This change will shape how I treat lecturers, fellow students, and even strangers.
Ubuntu has given me a new lens: my life only becomes fully human when it touches the
humanity of others.
2
Module Experience Reflection ............................................................................... 1
Family Interview ..................................................................................................... 3
Your Interview/Your Name ..................................................................................... 5
Definition of Culture ................................................................................................ 7
Ukuhlonipha ............................................................................................................ 9
Final Reflection: Have you experienced a paradigm shift? ................................... 11
Academic Honesty Declaration .............................................................................. 12
1
, 1. Module Experience Reflection
Before starting AFL1501, I knew little about the concepts of language, identity, culture,
and community. I had only a basic understanding of language as a tool for
communication and identity as something people gave to themselves. Culture and
community felt vague – I thought they were just about festivals or family gatherings.
What I learned changed everything. Through the study units, I discovered that language
is not neutral; it carries attitude, worldview, and power. Naming processes, forms of
address, and moral codes are all reflections of our culture. The big revelation came in
Unit 5 on Ubuntu the African philosophy that “a person is a person through others.” This
ties every previous unit together. Language builds identity, but Ubuntu shows that
identity is always communal. We cannot exist as isolated selves; our humanity is shaped
by others.
What stood out most was the emphasis on collectivism and interdependence. In African
communities and some other cultures like the Amish, people work together for the
common good ploughing fields, helping with barns, or even in university group projects.
The story of Samuel who was ostracised as a child reminded me how painful it is to be
seen as “not belonging.” Ubuntu rejects that isolation. It teaches us that respect,
generosity, and compassion are not optional, they are the foundation of community.
I also learned that culture is not static. It evolves, but the core values of humanity to
others must remain. In my own life as a student at Unisa, this means I must now
approach every group discussion, every tutorial, and every relationship with Ubuntu in
mind: “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (in Zulu). My understanding of self has shifted from
“I” to “we.” Identity is no longer something I create alone but something we co-create.
Community is no longer just where I live or study. it is how I relate to every person I
meet. This change will shape how I treat lecturers, fellow students, and even strangers.
Ubuntu has given me a new lens: my life only becomes fully human when it touches the
humanity of others.
2
