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.