African Languages: Xhosa and Zulu, Introductory Course

Xhosa and Zulu are both part of the language cluster Nguni. The basic grammatical structure of the languages is very similar and the languages are therefore in this course treated as a language system. Special attention is paid to important differences. Students can choose to focus on vocabulary and texts in one of the two language varieties. The course provides knowledge of basic linguistic terminology, as well as the phonetics, phonology, orthography, morphology, syntax and semantics of Xhosa and Zulu. In the course a vocabulary of about 500 words should be acquired, and reading skills are developed through the study of modified and commented texts. Throughout the course, translation is also practiced, mainly from Xhosa or Zulu into English, but also simple translations into Xhosa or Zulu. Furthermore, the course gives an overview of the role of Xhosa and Zulu in South African society.