Dr Fio Dolly Gaebeng Dlavane

My academic journey reflects a lifelong commitment to scholarship. She completed a BA Honours in Setswana, a BEd Honours, a master’s degree in Setswana and subsequently obtained my PhD in 2019. Throughout my career, I actively contributed to national and international scholarship, presenting research at prestigious conferences, including the British Educational Research Association Conference in Edinburgh, the Association for the Development of African Languages in Education, Science and Technology Symposium in Malawi, and the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. 

My research focuses on reading and writing literacy, multilingualism, language policy, and literature pedagogies. I continue to supervise and co-supervise master’s and doctoral students and has contributed significantly to the development of multilingual pedagogies at NWU through the development of short learning programmes. 

My expertise extends beyond academia into national language development and policy. I served as Deputy Chairperson of the Setswana NLU, a member of Setswana National Language Body, and a member of the NW PLC. From 2019 to 2024, I served on the Board of the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), where I chaired the Core Mandate Committee for full two terms, and in 2025 I was reappointed for a second term by Parliament. She has also served on the Department of Basic Education’s Reference Committee for the National Language Unit Initiative and continues to contribute to North-West University’s Senate Committee for Language Planning and Advisory Services. 

Currently, I serve as Director of the Centre for African Language Teaching (CALT) at NWU, the first centre of its kind dedicated to Setswana language education. Through my academic leadership, research, community engagement, and language advocacy, I continue to shape educational and linguistic transformation in South Africa.