Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Things Fall Apart is an unsentimental novel which appeared in 1958 as Chinua Achebe's first novel. It is regarded as a classic of world literature. It is deemed vital that such rich literature as the one of Achebe, be made accessible to readers in as many language communities as possible. It is through the vehicle of translation that a multitude of readers are endowed with the power to make some form of contact with much of the world's great writings. But translation of literature is a very complex process, which poses some difficult yet interesting problems that demand particular notice and specific attention. In translation of literature one is not just dealing with words written in a certain. time, space and sociopolitical situation, most importantly it is the cultural aspect of the text that should be taken into account. Therefore, translation of literature is not just the transfer of information between languages, but the transfer of one culture to another. Literary texts in isiXhosa and English, which are not only written in different languages but also represent different cultures, differ greatly in terms of linguistic, literary and cultural-social conventions. Challenges such as these make it difficult for a translator, in this case K.S. Bongela, to render the source language text flawlessly in the target language. This study thus investigates how Bongela coped with transmitting the cultural issues in Things Fall Apart into Lwadilik'udonga. It will highlight the various problems the translator encountered in search for equivalence and adequacy, and also analyse the strategies he has employed in this transference of cultural elements to the target text. As will be seen, it is possible to relate the translation of this text to the six general rules mentioned by Bassnett-MacGuire (1988: 116- 117) for the translator. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Things Fall Apart is 'n onsentimentele roman wat in 1958 as Chinua Achebe se eerste roman verskyn het. Dit word beskou as fn klassieke werk in die wêreld van letterkunde. Dit is ook belangrik dat letterkunde wat so ryk is soos dié van Achebe aan soveel verskillende taalgemeenskappe as moontlik bekend gestel word. Dit is as gevolg van vertaling dat fn verskeidenheid lesers die geleentheid het om kontak te maak met die wêreld se beste geskrewe werke. Letterkundige vertaling is fn baie komplekse proses waar uitdagende maar interessante probleme voorkom, en dit verg besondere en spesifieke aandag. Met die vertaling van letterkunde word daar nie net gebruik gemaak van woorde in fn sekere tyd, plek en sosio-politieke situasie nie, maar belangriker is die kulturele aspek van die teks waarmee rekening gehou moet word. Daarom is vertaling van letterkunde nie net fn oordra van informasie tussen tale nie, maar fn verplasing van een kultuur na fn ander. Letterkundige teks in isiXhosa en Engels is nie net in verskillende tale geskryf nie, maar verteenwoordig ook verskillende kulture wat baie verskil in terme van taalkunde, letterkunde en kultureel-sosiale gebruike. Sulke uitdagings maak dit baie moeilik vir die vertaler, in hierdie geval K.S. Bongela, om die brontaal foutloos in die teikentaal te vertaal. Die studie gaan oor hoe Bongela met die vertaling van Things Fall Apart na Lwadilik'udonga, die kuturele uitdagings gehanteer het. Die verskillende probleme waarmee fn vertaler met die soeke na gelykwaardigheid en geskiktheid in aanraking kom, asook die analise van strategieë wat gebruik word in die oorskakeling van die kulturele elemente in die teikenteks, word aan die lig gebring. In die studie sal daar aan die lig gebring word dat dit moontlik is om fn verband tussen die vertaling van die teks en die ses algemene reëls wat deur Bassnett-MacGuire (1988:116-117) aangegee word, te sien.

This study has been undertaken to explore and investigate the genre-theoretic properties of social commentary texts in isiXhosa' -- P. ii. / Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study has been undertaken to explore and investigate the genre-theoretic properties of social commentary texts in isiXhosa. Five social commentary texts are chosen from the Bona magazine dealing with social problems, which the writers want the readers to focus on. The genre-based approach to the isiXhosa texts is employed as framework to analyse social commentary texts. The genre based approach involves the view of being explicit about the way language works to make meaning in social commentary texts. This means in this study that the engagement of students and language educators is important. The genre based approach represents a fundamentally new educational paradigm of language teaching in Curriculum 2005. The implications for teaching isiXhosa will be given consideration given that texts belong to different genres. Some of these implications of Freedom and Medway (1992) are discussed. The genre-theoretic approach is utilized in such a way to form a framework -__ for analysing discourse properties of the isiXhosa texts. The theory of text construction of Grabe and Kaplan (1996) deals with textlinguistic analysis and the ethnography of writing. The following questions are examined: who writes, what, where, why, to whom, how and for what purpose? These parameters of writing give an explicit framework for the analysis. Textlinguistic properties are explored and the isiXhosa texts will be analysed according to these properties. The five learning outcomes which include: listening, speaking, reading and viewing, writing and thinking and reasoning together with their assessment standards are into considered when dealing with Outcome Based language Education in relation to the genre approach to language teaching. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie is onderneem om 'n ondersoek te doen na die genre-teoretiese eienskappe van sosiale kommentaartekste in isiXhosa. Vyf sosiale kommentaartekste is gekies vanuit die BONA tydskrif wat handeloor sosiale probleme waarop die skrywers die lesers se aandag wil fokus. Die genre-gebaseerde benadering tot die isiXhosa tekste word gebruik as raamwerk om die sosiale kommentaar tekste te ontleed. Die genre-gebaseerde benadering behels die siening in hierdie studie dat daar eksplisiet gewees moet word oor die wyse waarop taal werk om betekenis te skep in sosiale kommentaar tekste. Die genre-gebaseerde benadering verteenwoordig 'n fundamenteelnuwe paradigma vir taalonderrig in Curriculum 2005. Die implikasies vir die onderrig van isiXhosa salondersoek word met inagneming dat tekste tot verskillende genres behoort. Van hierdie implikasies, soos ondersoek deur Freedom en Medway (1992) word bespreek. Die genre-teoretiese benadering word aangewend as 'n raamwerk vir die analise van die diskoerseienskappe van isiXhosa tekste. Die teorie van Grabe en Kaplan (1996) hou verband met tekslinguistiese analise en die etnografie van skryf. Dit ondersoek die volgende vrae: Wie skryf wat vir wie, waar, hoe en vir watter doel? Hierdie parameters van skryf gee 'n eksplisiete raamwerk vir die analise van die Xhosa tekste. Tekslinguistiese eienskappe van isiXhoda word ondersoek en die tekste word ontleed n.a.v. hierdie eienskappe. Die vyf leeruitkomste, luister, lees, skryf, praat en denkvaardighede en argumentasie, saam met hulle assesseringsstandaarde, van Kurrikulum 2005, word beskou in die lig van Uitkomsgebaseerde taalonderrig en die verband daarvan tot die genre-gebaseerde benadering.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis employs the theoretical framework of text construction advanced by Grabe and Kaplan (1996) for the analysis of human rights magazine texts in isiXhosa. The theory employed in this study includes linguistic elements, which can be included in teaching methodology for developing the learners' analytic skills in analyzing the discourse structure of written texts. These kinds of analytic skills are strongly reflected in Curriculum 2005 for the learning area languages. The thesis employs a range of textlinguistic strategies for analyzing written genre texts on human and civil rights issues. It is argued that the incorporation of these strategies by teachers in the process of language teaching in Curriculum 2005 will enable the learners to analyse texts successfully and to gain an awareness about how language is used in texts. For the purpose of analysis in this thesis, texts from the Bona magazine with contents ranging on human and community or civil rights were collected. The thesis demonstrates that text analysis involves to a large extent, an investigation of generic factors such as the communicative purpose, the culture and the community in which the text is produced. Following the discussion of the generic features of texts, a broad definition of the term text is explored, and the textlinguistic construction and certain levels of analysis are identified. In addition to this, the study demonstrates that analysis of the linguistic structure of texts needs to incorporate the discussion of the parameters of the ethnography of writing advanced by Grabe and Kaplan (1996). The ethnography of writing entails that a detailed analysis of texts should address the following questions: 'Who writes what to whom, for what purpose, why, when and how?' The study explores the implications and rationale for incorporating text analysis in language teaching and learning. Lastly, the relationship between the theoretical underpinnings assumed in this study, and the learning outcomes of Curriculum 2005 are explored. This study demonstrates that the theoretical framework of Grabe and Kaplan (1996) which underlies in the construction of written texts, will not only introduce the language learner to an inclusive language pedagogy, but can be employed for effective text analysis of isiXhosagenre texts on human rights in popular magazineslike Bona. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis maak gebruik van die teoretiese model van Grabe en Kaplan (1996) vir die analise van menseregte tydskrifartikels in isiXhosa. Die teorie wat aangewend word in die studie sluit linguistiese elemente in wat ingesluit kan word in taalonderrigmetodologie vir die ontwikkeling van leerders se analitiese vaardighede in die analise van diskoersstrukture van skriftelike tekste. Hierdie soort analitiese vaardighede word sterk gereflekteer in Kurrikulum 2005 vir die leerarea van tale. Die tesis wend 'n verskeidenheid tekslinguistiese strategieë aan vir die analise van geskrewe genre tekste oor menseregte en burgerlike regte vraagstukke. Daar word betoog in die studie dat die insluiting van hierdie strategieë deur onderwysers in die proses van taalonderrig in Kurrikulum 2005 leerders in staat sal stelom tekste suksesvol te ontleed en 'n bewussyn te kry van hoe taal in tekste gebruik word. Vir die doeleindes van analise is hierdie tesis is tekste gebruik uit die BONA tydskrif met 'n inhoud oor menseregte en gemeenskaps- en burgerlike regte. Die tesis demonstreer dat teksanalise in 'n groot mate 'n ondersoek behels van generiese faktore soos kommunikatiewe doelstelling, die kultuur en die gemeenskap waarin die teks geproduseer word. Na 'n bespreking van die generiese faktore van tekste word 'n breë definisie van die term "teks" ondersoek, en die tekslinguistiese konstruksie en bepaalde vlakke van analise word geïdentifiseer. Hierbenewens demonstreer die studie dat die linguistiese analise van tekste die bespreking moet insluit van die parameters van die etnografie van geskrewe tekste soos voorgestaan deur Grabe en Kaplan (1996). Die etnografie van geskrewe tekste behels dat die analise van tekste die volgende vrae ondersoek: Wie skryf wat vir wie vir watter doel, waarom, wanneer en hoe? Die studie ondersoek die implikasies en motivering vir die insluiting van teksanalise in taalonderrig. Laastens word die verhouding tussen die teoretiese grondslae, wat aanvaar word in hierdie studie, en die leeruitkomste van Kurrikulum 2005 ondersoek. Die studie toon aan dat die teoretiese raamwerk van Grabe en Kaplan (1996), wat onderliggend is aan die konstruksie van geskrewe tekste, kan aanvaar word om leerders in te lei in 'n meer inklusiewe taalonderrig en kan aangewend word vir effektiewe teksanalise van isiXhosa genre tekste gebaseer op die menseregte in populêre tydskrifte soos Bona.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to explore interpersonal persuasive messages of Xhosaspeaking women. The findings suggest that the majority of attempts at interpersonal persuasion take place in close and often personal relationships. The findings further show that the majority of Xhosa-speaking women tend to persuade those they are familiar with, such as husbands, children, siblings and friends. Specific cultural aspects also influence the persuasive messages of these women, such as collectivism, indirectness, politeness and ubuntu (caring). Research conducted by Cody et al. (1994), Dillard (1989) and Rule et al. (1985) suggests that individuals seek to persuade others for a variety of reasons. They discovered that the most sought-after influence goals are the following: give advice, gain assistance, share activity, change orientation, change relationship, obtain permission and enforce rights and obligations. These seven influence goals cover a large portion of the persuasive landscape, and were dealt with considerably in this research. The data for this research were collected from Xhosa-speaking women situated in the Eastern Cape, specifically in the region of East London. A total of 20 women in the age range of 30 to 45 participated by writing self-reports in which they attempted to influence their friends, colleagues or family members. Participants also had to relate persuasive incidents that recently took place. In addition, they were asked to mention whether the process of gaining compliance was successful or not. The research data were analysed and evaluated against the following: 1. Different types of influence goals 2. Message dimensions (explicitness, dominance and argument) 3. Evidence in a persuasive message 4. Emotional appeals (threat and guilt appeals) 5. Cultural and conversational constraints The data analysis revealed that the findings of this study among Xhosa-speaking women are on par with the findings of the study by S.R. Wilson (2002) on culture and conversational constraints, as well as with other research conducted by Dillard (1998) in the field of message production. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om interpersoonlike oorredingsboodskappe van ’n aantal Xhosasprekende vroue te ondersoek. Die bevindinge doen aan die hand dat die meerderheid pogings tot interpersoonlike oorreding in nabye en dikwels persoonlike verhoudings plaasvind. Die bevindinge van die navorsing toon ook dat die meerderheid Xhosasprekende vroue daartoe geneig is om diegene waarmee hulle vertroud is, te oorreed. Dit sluit gades, kinders, broers en susters en vriende in. Sekere kulturele aspekte beïnvloed ook die oorredingsboodskappe van hierdie vroue, soos kollektivisme, indirektheid, beleefdheid en ubuntu (omgee). Navorsing uitgevoer deur Cody et al. (1994), Dillard (1989) en Rule et al. (1985) voer aan dat individue ander mense om verskeie redes probeer oorreed. Hulle het uitgevind dat die algemeenste doelwitte van beïnvloeding die volgende is: gee advies, verkry bystand, deel aktiwiteit, verander oriëntasie, verander verhouding, verkry toestemming, dwing regte af en verpligtinge. Hierdie sewe doelwitte van beïnvloeding dek ’n groot gedeelte van die gebied van oorreding, en word omvattend in hierdie studie behandel. Die data vir die navorsing is ingesamel van Xhosasprekende vroue in die Oos-Kaap, spesifiek in die Oos-Londen-gebied. Twintig vroue tussen die ouderdom van 30 en 45 het deelgeneem deur verslae te skryf waarin hulle gepoog het om hul vriende, kollegas of familielede te beïnvloed. Die deelnemers moes ook verslag doen van oorredingsinsidente wat onlangs plaasgevind het. Hulle is gevra om te meld of die proses om toegewing te verkry suksesvol was al dan nie. Die navorsingsdata is ontleed en teen die volgende geëvalueer: 6. Verskillende soorte doelwitte van beïnvloeding 7. Boodskapdimensies (uitdruklikheid, dominansie en argument) 8. Bewyse in ’n oorredingsboodskap 9. Emosionele beroepe (dreigemente en beroepe om skuldgevoelens) 10. Kulturele en gespreksbeperkings Die data-ontleding het aangetoon dat die bevindinge van hierdie studie onder Xhosasprekende vroue ooreenstem met dié van ’n studie deur S.R. Wilson (2002) oor kulturele en gespreksbeperkings, asook met navorsing deur Dillard (1998) op die gebied van boodskapproduksie.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 1991. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is based on the comparison of six Xhosa radio dramas spanning the period 1987 and 1988. The main objective is to investigate the strengths and weaknesses which manifest themselves in the dramas. The dramas are compared with respect to the six structural elements of drama viz., theme, plot, characterization, time and space, and the techniques of production.Themes are studied to establish whether there have been any developments as far as the choice of themes is concerned in Xhosa radio dramas or whether there has been stagnation. Also given is a brief literary history of the themes broadcast in the Xhosa radio. The analysis of the plot structure is also done to identify the areas where they met the requirements successfully as well as where they failed to. The dramas are analysed according to the traditional approach Le. the exposition, complication, climax and the denouement.With regard to characterization, the characters are classified according to the function they perform viz., the protagonist, antagonist, tritagonist and confidante. They are also analysed according to their individual nature Le. whether they are static or dynamic, mono- or multidimensional etc. Techniques that the playwrights have used in the portrayal of their characters are also examined.The aspects of time and space are also discussed, to investigate the artistic skills of the different dramatists in handling the time and space relations. Time is viewed with respect to the following: order, duration, frequency, tempo and the presentation of the time structures. Space is discussed with respect to the following: type, function, and the techniques of localisation.A critical comparison of the production techniques used by these different playwrights is explored, the focus being on the microphone, sound effects and music. The examination conducted in the study basically revealed that there is little development in Xhosa radio dramas.The themes that are broadcast are mainly for entertainment and consequently have little intellectual depth. There is also a lack of innovation which is shown by the repetition of the same themes.The playwrights also lack skill as far as plot construction is concerned. The plays are devoid of conflict The absence of conflict in the dramas has an effect on characterization. It has given rise to weak antagonists in the dramas. Lack of focus regarding the main character is one of the faults that is evident in the dramas. Because of the fact that all characters are on the level of importance, it becomes difficult to pin-point who the focal character is. Finally, the Xhosa radio dramas discussed in this thesis revealed that there is latent potential in the Xhosa dramatists and the producers. It is therefore necessary that they should be motivated towards research on the subject and consultation with people who are knowledgeable in this sub-genre. Such actions could be of assistance towards the improvement of skills and techniques needed in the writing of the radio drama / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is gebaseer op die vergelyking van ses Xhosa radio dramas wat strek oor die tydperk 1987-1988. Die hoofdoelstelling is om die sterkpunte en swakpunte te ondersoek soos dit na vore kom in die dramas. Die dramas sal vergelyk word met betrekking tot die ses strukturele elemente van die drama, naamlik, tema, intrige, karakterisering, tyd en ruimte, en die tegnieke van produksie. Die temas van die dramas is ondersoek om vas te stel of enige ontwikkelings wat betref die keuse van temas plaasgevind het, en of daar stagnasie was in hierdie verb and. Voorts sal 'n kort ootsig gegee word van die liter ere temas in radio Xhosa dramas. Die analise van die intrige van die dramas word gedoen om vas te stel waar daar suksesvol of onsuksesvol voldoen is aan vereistes. Die dramas word ontleed volgens die tradisionele benadering van uiteensetting, verwikkeling, klimaks en die afwikkeling. Betreffende karakterisering, word karakters geklassifiseer volgens die funksie wat hulle vervul, naamlik die protagonis, die antagonis, die tritagonis, en die vertroueling. Karakters kan ook ontleed word volgens hulle individuele karakter, dit is, in welke mate hulle staties of dinamies is, enkel- of multi-dimension eel, ens. Tegnieke wat die skrywers gebruik het in die uitbeelding van hulle karakters word ook ondersoek Die aspekte van tyd en ruimte word bespreek ten einde die artistieke vaardighede van die verskillende skrywers te ondersoek in die hantering van tyd en ruimte verbande. Tyd word ondersoek ten opsigte van volgorde, duur, frekwensie, tempo en die aanbieding van die tyd strukture. Ruimte word bespreek met betrekking tot die aspekte van tipe, funksie en die tegnieke van lokalisering. 'n Kritiese vergelyking word gedoen van die produksietegnieke wat aangewend is deur die verskillende skrywers, met die fokus op mikrofoon klankeffekte en musiek Die ondersoek in hierdie studie toon aan dat daar geringe ontwikkeling is in die Xhosa radio dramas. Die temas van die dramas wat uitgesaai word is hoofsaaklik van 'n vermaaklikheids aard met geen intellektuele diepte nie. Daar is ook 'n tekort aan vernuwing, soos aangedui deur die herhaling van dieselfde temas. Die skrywes toon ook 'n tekort aan vaardigheid wat betref die konstruksie van die struktuur van. intrige. Die dramas toon weinig konflik Die afwesigheid van konflik het ook 'n invloed op die krakterisering, wat aanleiding gee tot swak antagoniste in die dramas.'n Gebrekkige fokus betreffende die hootkarater is een van die foute wat opvallend is in die dramas. Omdat byna al die karakters op dieselfde vlak van belangrikheid is, is dit moeilik om te bepaal watter karakter die hootkarater is. Laastens, die Xhosa radio dramas wat ontleed is in hierdie studie toon dat daar latente potensiaal is in die Xhosa skrywers en regiseurs. Dit is nodig dat hulle aangemoedig word om navorsing te doen oor die onderwerp. Konsultasie met kundiges op hierdie sub-genre kan 'n hulp wees in die verbetering van vaardighede en tegnieke wat nodig is vir die skryf van radio dramas.

Thesis (DLitt (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / This study deals with research that has been conducted within three government departments (Education, Health and Social Development) that form part of the social needs cluster in the Province of the Eastern Cape. Five portfolio committee members were interviewed in each department (six in the department of Health). Reproaches (failures and challenges of service delivery and policy implementation) were developed using information obtained from the “policy and budget speeches” of the afore-mentioned departments. In response to these reproaches, committee members had to give accounts (responses, explanations and/or reason-giving). Four types of accounts (concession, excuse, denial and justification) which are typical political accounts have proved to be quite popular and focus has been given to them in the analysis. The focus on the analysis of the accounts was given to effectiveness, argumentation (reasons or arguments that are tendered in support of the accounts to establish the amount of persuasiveness) and politeness. The conclusions of the findings in the interviews were focused on three elements: 􀂃 The interviewee: The analyses of the interviewees were discussed with regard to the accounts together with the number of arguments given. Each reproach was analyzed within an overview of the type of account with regard to three criteria: effectiveness, argumentation and politeness. The analyses of the interviewees were discussed individually with the help of tables of each interviewee. The focus was on the accounts of justification and excuses. The interview was judged on two parameters: i. The number of accounts each interviewee has used with regard to the three criteria above. ii. A comparison was made to establish the relative merit of the interviewees among themselves. 􀂃 The reproach: various reproaches in the three departments were discussed separately with regard to the number of accounts and arguments in each reproach. The focus was mainly on the accounts of justification and excuse. A summary was given of the various reproaches with the four major types of accounts. The same criteria of effectiveness, argumentation and politeness were used. Judgment was given on the reproach or reproaches which have shown the most attention in the interviews with regard to the total number of accounts which have been used. 􀂃 The account: various justifications and excuses which have been used in the interactions were discussed with regard to effectiveness, argumentation and politeness. The judgment was made as to which type of account was mostly favored by the interviewees. Implications of the research were discussed with regard to a comparative overview of the political accounts in reproaches with specific attention to the type and frequency of the account as well as possible reasons for this type of preferred account. Four types of accounts have been used consistently in the interviews and among these four types, justifications (36.6%) and excuses (46.1%) are generally favored by all politicians who were involved in the interviews. These accounts are quite popular among politicians because they work in their favor as they are employed to reframe the consequences of the act with the ultimate aim of changing negative perceptions about the policies of the department and/or government (justifications) and to deny any responsibility and/or causal link between the politician and the undesirable outcome of the policy and thereby implying that there is no need for reproach (excuse).

Thesis (DLitt (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This study aims to investigate properties of writing relating to genre-based literacy in isiXhosa as a first language (that is, as home language) for Grade eleven learners. The research investigates the problem of writing in isiXhosa at secondary school level, and the associated instruction, to grade eleven learners, whose first (home) language is isiXhosa. The educational context of these learners is such that the language of instruction in content subjects is English, which is as an additional language to these learners. Furthermore, they take English as a language subject. The learners’ home language is, however, only taught as a subject in this context. The language of instruction officially is English in all the content subjects, hence language proficiency problems in English are often encountered not only by the learners, but by educators as well. The genre-based theoretical framework and associated methodology is explored and employed in this study to establish the extent to which the isiXhosa first language learners are able to transfer the skills they have acquired in their first language, isiXhosa, to writing in the content subjects. Thus, the study has the following five main aims: (i) The study investigates the question of the extent to which high school learners can use their isiXhosa as their home language for the purpose of writing in their content subjects in a bilingual education system, where English as their second or additional language is the prescribed medium of instruction for content subjects; (ii) The study addresses the questions of how genre-based writing skills of learners with isiXhosa as home language are realized in their writing in the home language, isiXhosa as subject, assuming a genre-based approach to language learning and teaching; (iii) This study examines the writing of learners whose first (home) language is isiXhosa with regards to the extent to which they can transfer the genre-based writing skills they have acquired in writing in isiXhosa as language subject to writing in their content subjects; (iv) This study aims to determine the textlinguistic properties of writing in isiXhosa. Thus, the study will investigate genre-related concerns about the extent to which explicit genre-based instruction in isiXhosa will result in improving genre-based writing across the curriculum while enhancing the educational performance and achievement of learners; (v) This study explores the gap in knowledge and insights as regard the role of writing across the curriculum in isiXhosa as home language (first language), providing theoretically-motivated arguments for the importance of a strong focus on genre-pedagogy for African languages as language subjects, more generally.Therefore, this study aims to address the question of the role of writing in isiXhosa, as learners’ home language in a bilingual education in the learning and teaching context, a central point of concern in the South African education system. The methodology of this study entails the examination of three stages of the learners’ writing in isiXhosa, in both the biographical recount and the expository genres. The three stages are termed stage one, stage two and stage three, respectively, of the learners’ writing. For the purpose of data collection the writing in isiXhosa, two secondary schools in the Cape Peninsula, Bulumko Secondary School in Khayelitsha and Kayamandi Secondary School in Stellenbosch have been examined, focusing on the writing of the grade eleven learners. For all the three stages of writing in each secondary school a class of fourty grade 11 learners was instructed to write essays in isiXhosa on both the biographical recount genre and the expository genre. After the learners had written their essays the effectiveness of the essays was classified according to the levels of learners’ performance, for the purpose of analysis. In stage one, learners write the essay without being taught the genre-based properties of writing. In the stage two essay writing, the learners wrote the biographical recount and the expository essays after they have been taught the genre-based properties of writing. In the stage three essay writing, the learners applied the skills they have been taught in stage two regarding genre-based properties of writing. The teacher and learners brainstormed, discussed and exchanged views with each other on genre-based properties before the learners engaged in the writing in the third stage. As mentioned above, the stage one, two and three essays were categorised according to the learners’ performance, that is the good essays, the middle standard essays and the less or lower performance essays were classified for the purpose of the analysis. This study explores the genre-specific writing in isiXhosa by grade 11 learners with isiXhosa as first language, assuming as framework the genre properties by Feez and Joyce (1998), Grabe and Kaplan (1996), and Hyland (2005), the latter concerning metadiscourse. These models are discussed in chapter two and employed in chapter three for the analysis of both the biographical recount and the expository genres of grade eleven learners. Grabe and Kaplan’s (1996) linguistic and ethnographic construction of texts, the overall structure of texts and the generic move structures were examined in the content of the isiXhosa text. The parameters of the ethnography of writing, “Who writes what to whom, for what purpose, why, when, where and when and how?” posited by Grabe and Kaplan are also employed in this study in the analysis of the essays written in isiXhosa. In addition, the isiXhosa essays have been analysed with respect to Grabe and Kaplan’s (1996) components of information structuring under the writes parameter; topic sentence structure, topic continuity, topic structure analysis, topic-comment analysis, given-new relations, theme-rheme relations and focus-presupposition. In addition to the textlinguistic components of the write parameter, the writing in isiXhosa was analysed as regard the elements of text structure, which form part of the textuality and the structuralism of a text, as well as text cohesion, text coherence and the lexicon. In addition, the writing in isiXhosa was examined as regard Feez and Joyce’s (1998) overall design and language components of a biographical recount, including the three stages that reflect the rhetorical structure. The analysis of the isiXhosa essays has taken into account Hyland’s (2005) classification of metadiscourse according to two dimensions of interaction: the interactive dimension and the interactional dimension. The evaluative discussion invoked evidence from the analysis of the isiXhosa essays conducted in chapter three to demonstrate the view that, despite the variations in the three stages of both the learner’s expository and biographical recount essays, a steady progress and improvement from the stage 1 to the stage 2, and from the stage 2 to the stage 3 was evidenced. The findings of this study confirmed the effective realization and effective transfer of genre-based skills across the curriculum, in accordance with the objectives and aims stated for the study.