Thesis (M.A.)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores how the theoretical framework pertaining to reading as advanced by Davies (1995) can be employed to develop reading skills in Xhosa and to assist learners to see reading as a process. Teaching reading to language learners has many problems. The critical thinking relevant to reading and analysis of the text in teaching reading are examined. The study explores the current genre approach in the analysis of Xhosa Bona Magazine with its articles. The research of certain scholars like Davies, Wallace, Swales, and Cope and Kalantzis will be explored, in particular, the hierarchy of five levels of text, as advanced by Davies. Reading is an integral part of the school curriculum, and to use reading texts depends on the purpose for which the educator wants to use it, i.e. to develop reading comprehension skills, to present new vocabulary and structures, or as a basis for language practice. This study examines reading in Outcomes-base Education (O.B.E.) as a current issue in South African education, to determine how the specified outcomes relate to the framework for the development of reading skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe die teoretiese raamwerk vir die analise van tekste vir leesbegrip soos voorgestel deur Davies (1995) aangewend kan word in die ontwikkeling van leesvaardigheid in Xhosa en in die hulp aan leerders om lees as 'n proses te verstaan. Die onderrig van leesvaardigheid word gekenmerk deur talle probleme. Hierdie studie ondersoek die kritiese denke wat relevant is vir leesbegrip en die analise van tekste in Xhosa ter sprake in die onderrig van leesvaardigheid. Die studie aanvaar die huidige perspektiewe van die genre-benadering vir die analise van die Xhosa BONA tydskrifartikels. Die werk van bepaalde navorsers soos Davies, Cope en Kalantzis, Swales en Wallace salondersoek word en, in die besonder, Davies se raamwerk van hierargiese vlakke vir die beskrywing en analise van tekste. Lees is 'n integrale deel van die skoolkurrikulum, en die gebruik van tekste vir die doeleindes van leesonderrig hou verband met die meer spesifieke doelstelling waarvoor die onderwyser die tekste wil gebruik, bv. om leesbegripvaardighede te ontwikkel, om nuwe woordeskat en strukture te ontwikkel, of as basis vir taalgebruikoefening. Hierdie studie salook leesonderrig in uitkomsgebaseerde onderrig onder die loep neem, as 'n huidige vraagstuk in taalonderrig, ten einde te bepaal hoe die spesifieke uitkomste verband hou met die raamwerk vir die ontwikkeling van leesvaardighede.

Analyses of Sotho and Xhosa seem to concentrate predominantly on morphological, tonological and phonological studies. Semantics seems to be a relatively neglected area in African Languages. It is the view of the writer that attention should now be turned increasingly to semantics. In fact, except perhaps for van Rooy's Venda work semantic field analysis does not seem to have been undertaken in African Languages. This thesis is an attempt to contribute in this particular area of linguistic analysis. In addition to that, the present study is an attempt to explore new dimensions in African language study, namely the application of componential analysis to two African languages, Sesotho and Xhosa. In general terns, the aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between language and culture. Very little seems to have been done in this particular area in African languages. In this connection the only work that comes to mind is van Rooy' s Venda work which has already been referred to above. In that work, van Rooy tries to show the integration of language and culture in the communication of the Christian message as illustrated by the Venda Bible. Perhaps with the notable exception of Siertsema there seems to be some scholarly concensus about the relationship between language and culture as the following brief survey will show. Boas, the American anthropologist, for example has investigated the interplay of the environment, cultural life and linguistic form. This be has done by comparing Kwakiutl, an American Indian language, with the Eskimo language. Lotz shows how the structure of one semantic field, or area of semantically related terms, namely numerals, can shape the goals a particular linguistic community strives for in a major cultural activity such as sports. Conklin shows how languages may differ not only in their segmentation of a semantic field e.g. colour, but also in the dimensions of semantic fields themselves. Siertsema, on the other hand, takes a different view from the above views. Only a brief summary of his views will be given here. A fuller exposition will be made in the next chapter when some theoretical issues are considered. He disputes the view that language and culture are related. It must be noted though that he does not speak specifically of culture but of a world view. He examines four "properties" of language and on their basis disputes the language - world view relationship which he eventually dismisses as showing circular reasoning. Perhaps another scholar that needs to be mentioned is Whorf who admittedly is not writing about semantic fields. His relevance to the present discussion lies in the fact that he also considers the relationship between language and other phenomena, namely thought. He writes, "We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native languages. The categories and types that we isolate from the world of phenomena we do not find there because they stare every observer in the face; on the contrary, the world is presented in a kaleidoscopic flux of impressions 'Which has to be organized by our minds - and this means largely by the linguistic systems in our minds. We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe signfiicances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way - an agreement that ... is codified in the patterns of our language". Whorf 's theory has been called the Dissection Theory from the opening line of the quotation that has just been referred to. Put in a nutshell, what Whorf is saying is that language has a constraining influence on thought or cognition. Or, perhaps put in another way, it is through language that reality is NECESSARILY apprehended. Thought and cognition have to be seen as necessarily dependent on language, at least in certain respects. Whorf discusses a linguistic - philosophic problem which is not really relevant to a study that addresses itself to semantic fields. In exploring the relationship between language and culture some semantic fields will be analyzed. A lexical analysis of each semantic field will then be done applying some of the insights and techniques of componential analysis. What this means, is that we shall start with vocabulary, analyze it and see through its structure the structured world of culture. The question may well be asked, why Sotho and Xhosa? Firstly, the reason for choosing these two languages is for comparison and contrast. Sotho and Xhosa belong to the same language area, traditionally known as the south-eastern zone. As a result, these two languages share certain morphological, syntactic and phonological phenomena. Because the present study is basically semantic one can also add that the choice of the two languages is meant to reveal the extent of semantic similarities and differences between them. Secondly, the writer is, so to speak, bi-cultural. He is very well acquainted with both Basotho and amaXhosa cultures firstly, because of the circumstances of his birth and secondly, because of his education. The writer is actually Sotho speaking with a Xhosa speaking mother. He also has university training in both Sotho and Xhosa, languages he can speak fluently. All these factors are mentioned here in order to lay some claim to competence in both Sotho and Xhosa. Basotho and amaxhosa live in slightly distinct worlds despite all linguistic affinities between their languages. They have slightly different perceptions of the same reality. This accounts for the difference in the organization of any selected field, however slight in some cases. This factor seems to be an indication of the fact that the conceptualization of the universe differs from language to language. This is the point that is also made by Hoijer and Lyons. Hoijer argues that the "real world" to a large extent depends, perhaps unconsciously , on the language habits of the speakers. He goes on to say that no two languages are so similar as to be considered to represent the same social reality. This naturally goes for Sotho and Xhosa as well. The world in which different peoples live are different and cannot merely be characterized as the same world with only different labels. Lyons is even more pertinent to the present study, ''Every language is integrated with the culture in which it operates; and its lexical structure reflects those distinctions which are (or have been) important in the cultures. This statement cannot be overemphasized. While the assumption will be held that language reflects culture, one may hasten to add that not every word in a language does so. For example, there does not seem to be anything particularly cultural about interjectives or about ideophones. In other words, some lexical items are more significant than others in this respect. One should therefore rather speak of lexical items as being a mirror of culture in 'a selective kind of way. As Hymes puts it, "In a particular culture a language serves as a sort of "metalanguage", a cultural way of communicating about much, not all of the culture". (Emphasis added).

South African indigenous language teaching and learning materials do not provide sufficient information to help additional language learners learn the target languages effectively. While there are institutions that are tasked with developing and sharpening the skills of students in speaking South African indigenous languages, such students hardly, if at all master the art of speaking them eloquently. Students who study these languages in order to converse proficiently with their mother-tongue speakers experience insurmountable difficulties, in spite of various efforts made by the teachers who train them to read books on their own. Passing their examinations does not mean that the students’ ability to communicate with mother-tongue speakers will improve to the extent of eliminating the prevailing misunderstanding between the two groups. The persistence of this problem reveals a discrepancy between the studies of indigenous languages in South Africa and the way of speaking them, whereby important linguistic elements that make communication more authentic are excluded in language materials. This study analyses the use and significance of CIFWs in daily interactions by investigating the two Xhosa CIFWs words wethu and bethu. The overall aim of this study is to explore the use of a corpus in the examination of CIFWs in general, and wethu and bethu in particular. Both a quantitative approach based on the Gothenburg-Unisa spoken corpus and a qualitative approach based on Allwoods’ ACA theoretical framework were used in the analysis and description of the functions and significances of wethu and bethu as communicative and interactive function words. / Linguistics / MA ((Applied Linguistics)

South African indigenous language teaching and learning materials do not provide sufficient information to help additional language learners learn the target languages effectively. While there are institutions that are tasked with developing and sharpening the skills of students in speaking South African indigenous languages, such students hardly, if at all master the art of speaking them eloquently. Students who study these languages in order to converse proficiently with their mother-tongue speakers experience insurmountable difficulties, in spite of various efforts made by the teachers who train them to read books on their own. Passing their examinations does not mean that the students’ ability to communicate with mother-tongue speakers will improve to the extent of eliminating the prevailing misunderstanding between the two groups. The persistence of this problem reveals a discrepancy between the studies of indigenous languages in South Africa and the way of speaking them, whereby important linguistic elements that make communication more authentic are excluded in language materials. This study analyses the use and significance of CIFWs in daily interactions by investigating the two Xhosa CIFWs words wethu and bethu. The overall aim of this study is to explore the use of a corpus in the examination of CIFWs in general, and wethu and bethu in particular. Both a quantitative approach based on the Gothenburg-Unisa spoken corpus and a qualitative approach based on Allwoods’ ACA theoretical framework were used in the analysis and description of the functions and significances of wethu and bethu as communicative and interactive function words. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Applied Linguistics)

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--Stellenbosch University, 20008. / This study employs the theoretical framework of text construction advanced by Feez and Joyce (1998) and Grabe and Kaplan (1996) for the analysis of Xhosa texts of biographical recounting and consequential explanation. Text-linguistic methods are used to analyse five written biographical recounting texts and five written consequential explanation texts taken from Bona magazine. These text-linguistic methods explore the incorporation of texts in the National Curriculum 2005, in order to equip both teachers and learners with the skills to get to know the Xhosa language – to learn, to teach and to follow the language structure when writing. The analysis facilitates the discovery of the communicative purpose, culture and social elements in written text. In addition, models of writing, text-linguistic construction, properties of written text and elements of text structure are explored in the analysis of the Xhosa texts. Based on these terms, the broad emphasis will be on parameters of the ethnography of writing as proposed by Grabe and Kaplan (1996). These parameters are, among others, as follows: who writes what to whom, for what purpose, why, when, where and how? This study also proves that the theoretical framework advanced by Feez and Joyce (1998) and Grabe and Kaplan (1996) about written texts could result in effective teachers and learners who have acquired skills and become text experts.

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 (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)--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 (MPhil (African Languages))—University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Financial institutions are among the key players in the economic growth of the country. The success of these institutions is, among other things, dependent on the support of the members of the public. This shows that it is important that the relationship between the two parties is sound. One of the ways of sustaining the communication between the financial institutions and the members of the public is to ensure that the information from the institutions reaches the clients/customers or prospective supporters. Since there is a wide range of the members of society in terms of language, culture and educational levels, it is crucial that the financial institutions take note of these factors. The implication is that the information that is communicated to the clients or customers should be available in the language that the clients/customers are familiar with. Previously, most of the information was communicated in English and Afrikaans. With the introduction of eleven official languages in South Africa, this indicated a need for material that is translated into different languages. The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether there is material available from the financial institutions that is translated into isiXhosa. If it is available, I would like to know whether it is reader-centred and whether it communicates with the target reader. The evaluation of the existing translated material is done by using samples of brochures which are drawn from three institutions. Using the views of some of the theoretical approaches to translation, I do a critical analysis of the translated material. In order to have a balanced evaluation of the translated material, the views of the members from the community are tested through interviews and by using questionnaires. In the conclusion, I highlight the results of my findings and observations which are based on the responses that the participants gave.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The purpose of this study is to apply relevant and up-to-date theories concerning language learning and acquisition to the specific needs of second-language learners of isiXhosa in the field of health sciences through microanalysis of doctor-patient dialogues in isiXhosa. This study explores a task-based approach to language learning and teaching that differs from traditionally applied methods. In this approach, the performance of a task is regarded as the key feature in the language-learning process. This is in accordance with the central aim of the task-based approach to language learning and teaching, which is to transform the prescribed roles of teachers and learners in the classroom context so that learners move from being passive observers to being actively involved in their own learning processes, and teachers become facilitators and not presenters of the language.In an endeavour to exploit the possibilities of tasks in the teaching and learning of isiXhosa for health sciences needs, this study investigates the various components that comprise a task as well as the possible effects that these components may have on language learning and use. The results of the study could then provide teachers of second-language courses with specific notions and strategies, which, when successfully applied, could ensure optimal language learning and acquisition for language learners. To expand the study, an analysis is conducted regarding the presence and nature of cognitive complexity and syntactic complexity in authentic doctor-patient dialogues in isiXhosa. The classification of these conversations will serve to inform the manner in which tasks could be sequenced in a task-based language teaching course for second-language learners.