The language enigma: Two decades of quality assuring language assessment in South Africa

presents a template for using accessible vocabulary as a launchpad for understanding an African language by non-mother-tongue speakers. Using textual analysis of past question papers from Siswati as a prototype for indigenous African languages, his findings reveal that vocabulary attention is minimal and that this may not be a good method for easy access to learning African languages. This article has implications for the department’s language policy on the incremental introduction of African languages. It also has implications for an increased focus on direct assessments of vocabulary knowledge in the Siswati FAL question papers at Grade 12 level and the resultant quality assurance practices.