The essential function of a language is communication. Effective communication takes place when speakers understand each other‟s language. Speakers of different languages these days stay with each other. This kind of setting results into multilingualism. Multilingualism refers to the use or maintenance of more than one language in a certain context. In this regard it may refer to the fact that many languages are spoken in South Africa. It serves as a natural solution to the problem of language contact that is extremely widespread throughout South Africa and the world at large. The recognition of the multilingual nature of South African society by the Constitution of this country , as (Made 2010) puts it, necessitates the creation of tools of implementation and redress, in the form of appropriate language policies. Such language policies are designed to correct the universal tendency to practise monolingualism in multilingual societies which disempowers non-mother tongue speakers of the dominant language, to the detriment of both their rights as citizens and in communicative equity in exercising these rights. Many Black South Africans took employment in the industrial centres through urbanization, where they learnt many languages such as Fanakalo, English, Afrikaans and many other languages in the African continent. This resulted into linguistic heterogeneity. Heterogeneity brings speakers of languages together at different workplaces, schools and even places of abode.

Language plays an important part in our lives and the effects of language are remarkable and include much of what people believe. This study is about language and seeks to evaluate the extent of the problems of equivalence and non-equivalence in the texts translated from English into IsiXhosa by identifying those problems in the translated text. Translators strive to carry the meaning across from one language to another, as much as they can. Sometimes a translation shows non-equivalence and therefore the meaning gets lost. There are a number of reasons why this occurs. This study will examine some of them and propose solutions to address them.

The research explores the relationship between language and education, and motivates for the intellectualisation of African languages, isiXhosa in particular, and for their use in education. The main rationale behind this is that access to, and success in education can largely be realised if that education is mediated in one’s first language. The thesis discusses works of prominent scholars who have written on the subject - relating cognitive abilities and achievement in education to language in which that education is offered. The lack of terminology in new domains in African languages as barrier to mother tongue education is laid bare by looking specifically at the history of intellectualisation of isiXhosa, from the missionaries in the 1820s up to the new endeavours as recently as 2008. Terminologies that were developed during the Bantu Education era, where development of isiXhosa and other indigenous African languages was accelerated in order to respond to the demands of moedertaal-onderwys (mother tongue education) are surveyed, and the process of their development analysed. Three main terminology lists developed during this period are analysed against terminology development principles, approaches and methods that are seen as a measure to ensure quality terminology development. The efforts of the development of isiXhosa during the post-apartheid South Africa, especially the government-driven initiatives, are also critiqued even though these are not as effective and as extensive, especially in education. The result of this analysis is that African languages and isiXhosa in particular, can be used in scientific disciplines and at the highest levels of education. Its grammar is advanced, and its lexicon is extensive such that new concepts that need to be named can be named, using appropriate term creation strategies. There are also technological tools such as WordSmith tools that can be used that can advance its development, ensuring that the concept represented in the newly-created term is precise, concise and appropriate in terms of its discipline. Therefore it is argued that, in the interim, terminologies should be developed, in various subjects, to support learning, which at this stage is mediated in English, for those students who have other languages as mother tongue. Those terminologies that have been developed in the various historical periods should be collated, revised and brought into the classrooms. The thesis argues that real intellectualisation of isiXhosa and other African languages rests on the use of these languages in classrooms and lecture halls, and in the value that all role players place on these languages.

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.

This study looks at the curriculum outcomes, teaching practices and learner competencies in isiXhosa at three Eastern Cape schools and across three different grades, 7-9. It explores the link between language learning and teaching as well as the teaching strategies used within the classroom. In particular, the study seeks to analyse how isiXhosa is taught at three different levels of instruction, namely at Home Language (HL), First Additional Language (FAL) and Second Additional Language (SAL) levels. Qualitative methods were used, and the study took the form of interpretive case studies within the respective schools. The purpose of using multiple case studies was to investigate the reality within the three sites selected. The three schools had three extreme settings, in the sense that one of the schools is a rich isiXhosa environment and the other two schools are English environments. The tools used for data gathering were interviews, classroom observations, and an analysis of documents from the Department of Basic Education. Data was then presented and analysed in Chapter 4 and 5 against the backdrop of an extensive literature review in Chapter 2 as well as a detailed methodological approach as outlined in Chapter 3. One of the findings of this research indicates that in two of the schools the teaching culture is largely from a western perspective, whereas in one of the schools the learners are primarily isiXhosa speaking and teachers use a different linguistic approach to imparting knowledge. In the private and ex-Model C school it was found that a lack of exposure to isiXhosa is the primary cause of language problems for L2 learners. Secondly the L1 is not appropriately maintained or promoted in the school environment because it is presumed that learners are sufficiently exposed to their L1 at home. The research found therefore that in this particular schooling environment there is an inconsistency between the curricula that is taught in relation to the linguistic abilities of the learners, many of whom are mother tongue speakers of isiXhosa. Furthermore and more generally, it was found that teachers are still not well informed concerning South Africa’s Language-in-Education-Policy and there is a need for more inservice training that will focus on the nature of additional language acquisition in order to address the challenges of teaching these languages. The thesis concludes that extensive work needs to be done in order to reposition the teaching of isiXhosa at all three levels, but particularly at FAL level. This research shows that there is a disjuncture between the proposed curriculum/learning outcomes and the standards or levels achieved by the learners, more especially at FAL and SAL where oral proficiency in isiXhosa remains a challenge. Specific recommendations are contained in the final chapter of the thesis which also makes reference to the draft policy of the Ministry of Basic Education regarding the incremental introduction of the teaching of African languages from 2014 onwards. This thesis also makes takes as a point of departure the importance of multilingualism in a multicultural society such as South Africa where language is suggested as a strong factor in the fostering of social cohesion. It is for this reason that the thesis argues that the expert teaching of African languages, in this case isiXhosa, at both mother tongue and second language levels is of fundamental importance to the future of South African society.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research work has put into practice the theoretical framework of text construction advanced by Grabe and Kaplan (1996) for the analysis of South African female celebrities' texts in Xhosa. Theoretical elements employed in this study includes linguistic elements and the elements that are applicable to the structure of narrative texts. This framework can be included in teaching methods and approaches for the development of the learners' analytic skills in analyzing the discourse structure of written texts. These skills are to be acquired by learners, are part of the Curriculum 2005 and are meant specifically for the teaching and learning of languages. This study has employed a range of textlinguistic strategies for analyzing written genre texts on issues relating to female music artists and actresses. It is imperatively recommended that language teachers with the incorporation of Curriculum 2005 methodology can use these strategies in order to produce learners that are able to analyze texts successfully and who have an awareness about how language is used in text construction as a reflection of social activities. For the purpose of analysis in this thesis, texts from the Xhosa Bona magazine with contents ranging from acting careers and music artists has been collected. This study demonstrates that text analysis involves to a larger extent, an investigation of generic factors such as the communicative purpose, the culture and the community, and as well as the traumatic and exciting human experiences encountered by people in the society in which the text is produced. A broad definition of a narrative and a text will be established in the discussion of the generic features of texts. The text-linguistic construction, the analysis of linguistic structures, and the elements of the overall structure of narratives will be demonstrated in the analysis of Xhosa texts with emphasis on the discussion of the parameters of the ethnography of writing as proposed by Grabe and Kaplan (1996). The following questions are addressed by these parameters of the ethnography of writing: "Who writes what to whom. for what purpose. why. when and how?" In addition to these parameters the study addresses the elements of narratives based from the overall structure of narrative texts as proposed by Labov (1972). In Labov's framework the following elements are addressed: "the orientation section. the complication. the evaluation. the resolution and the coda". In addition to these elements examined the move structures will be explored as a way of summarising the facts and the message carried by the content of each Xhosa text written for the purpose of analysis. This study explores the implications and rationale for the incorporation of text analysis in language teaching and learning, as well as to explore the relationship between the theoretical underpinning of this study with the learning outcomes of Curriculum 2005 which have to be applied in language pedagogy. Finally, this study has proved that the theoretical framework of Grabe and Kaplan (1996) and the elements of the overall structure of narrative texts of Labov (1972) as employed in the written text construction, will introduce language teachers and learners into an effective language learning and teaching. This implies that the strategies acquired in this study can be employed in any analysis of written text in any language study as it has been explored in the analysis of Xhosa genre texts of South African female celebrities from a Xhosa Bona magazine. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing doen 'n praktiese toepassing van die teoretiese raamwerk van tekskontruksie soos voorgestaan deur Grabe en Kaplan (1996) in die analise van Xhosa tekste oor vroulike bekendes. Teoretiese elemente wat aangewend word in die navorsing sluit in tekslinguistiese elemente en die elemente wat toepaslik is tot die struktuur van narratiewe tekste. Hierdie raamwerk kan gebruik word in taalonderrigmetodes en benaderings gerig op die ontwikkeling van leerders se analitiese vaardighede in die analise van die diskoersstruktuur van skriftelike tekste. Hierdie vaardighede wat verwerf moet word deur leerders, is gespesifiseer in Kurrikulum 2005 vir die leerarea tale. Die studie wend 'n verskeidenheid tekslinguistiese strategieë aan in die analise van geskrewe genre-tekste oor vraagstukke rakende vroulike musiekkunstenaars en aktrises. Daar word aanbeveel in die studie dat taalonderwysers, deur die toepaslike metodologie in Kurrikulum 2005, hierdie strategieë aanwend ten einde leerders te lewer wat in staat is om tekste suksesvol te analiseer, en wat 'n bewussyn het van hoe taal gebruik word in tekskonstruksie as 'n refleksie van sosiale en kommunikatiewe doelstelling. Vir die doel van die analises in hierdie studie, is 'n verskeidenheid Xhsoa tekste oor bekende vroulike musici en aktrises gekies uit die BONA tydskrif. Hierdie studie demonstreer dat teksanalise 'n ondersoek behels na die teks-generiese faktore, die kommunikatiewe doelstelling, en die sosiale en kulturele konteks en die traumatiese en opwindende ervarings ervaar deur mense in die gemeenskap waarin die teks geproduseer word. 'n Breë definisie van narratief en teks sal gegee word in die bespreking van die generiese kenmerke van tekste. Die tekslinguistiese konstruksie, die analise van linguistiese strukture, en die elemente van die geheelstruktuur van narratiewe, sal gedemonstreer word in die analise van die Xhosa-tekste met klem op die parameters in die etnografie van skryf soos voorgestel deur Grabe en Kaplan (1996): Wie skryf wat aan wie vir watter doel, waarom, wanneer. Bykomend tot hierdie parameters, ondersoek hierdie studie die globale elemente van narratiewe gebaseer op Labov (1972), die orientasie, die komplikasie, die evaluasie, die resolusie, en die koda. Bykomend sal die kognitiewe of retoriese skuifstrukture ook ondersoek word.

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.

This study is about the analysis of perceptions and attitudes concerning the study of isiXhosa at tertiary level Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth. The objective of this study is to investigate negative attitudes of African students with special reference to isiXhosa. Chapter One looks at the objectives of the research, the research problem, and its theoretical framework, as well as the literature review, the significance of the study, the research methods and definition of terms. Chapter Two deals with language planning and the current negative attitudes towards African languages, with special reference to isiXhosa. Chapter Three deals with status planning, the teaching of isiXhosa, language maintenance and multilingual education policy. Chapter Four discusses corpus planning, the role that Xhosa educators and students should play in the development of the language. Chapter Five discusses acquisition planning, the attitudes towards isiXhosa language and the maintenance of the language. Chapter Six concludes the study by presenting the summary and recommendations for the future research.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This mini-thesis examines the features of a range of communication tasks in Xhosa that characterize lecturer-student conversations in tertiary context as regards problems of some individual students assuming the Task-based Theory of second language learning and teaching. The study is motivated by the need that exists for the development of specific purposes language courses for African languages like Xhosa in South Africa in the light of the constitutional provision for multilingualism and the advancement of the African languages. The introduction of multilingualism and the advancement of the status and use of the African languages are also specified in the National language policy for Higher Education. In order to commence on the kind of research on syllabus design required for quality second language courses for Xhosa within tertiary context the nature of lecturer-student communication relating to the problems of individual students is investigated in this study. The study focuses in particular on the issue of task design, i.e. the features posited by Pica et al (1993) relating to the interactant relationship between the participants, the interactant requirement (one-way or two-way), the communication goal orientation (i.e. convergent or divergent), and the goal outcome option (i.e. one or several outcome options). The analysis of the Xhosa communication tasks is of crucial significance for syllabus design, course design and pedagogic task design for task-based language teaching. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie mini-tesis ondersoek die kenmerke van ‘n verskeidenheid kommunikasietake in isiXhosa wat dosent-student gesprekke in hoër onderwys kenmerk betreffende die probleme wat individuele studente ervaar. Die raamwerk van Taakgebaseerde onderrig en leer-teorie word aanvaar. Die studie is veral gemotiveer deur die behoefte wat bestaan vir die ontwikkeling van spesifieke doeleindes taalkursusse vir Afrikatale soos isiXhosa in Suid-Afrika in die lig van die konstitusionele voorsiening wat gemaak word vir veeltaligheid en die bevordering van die inheemse Afrikatale. Die invoer van veeltaligheid en die bevordering van die status en gebruik van die Afrikatale word ook gespesifiseer in die Nasionale Taalbeleid vir Hoër Onderwys. Ten einde te begin met die tipe van sillabusontwerp vir gehalte tweedetaal-onderrig kursusse vir Xhosa binne tersiêre konteks, word die aard van dosent-student kommunikasie buite die klas, betreffende die probleme van individuele studente ondersoek in hierdie studie. Die studie fokus in die besonder op die vraagstuk van taak-ontwerp, dit is, kenmerke voorgestel deur Pica et al (1993) betreffende die deelnemers, die interakteerder-vereistes (een-rigting of twee-rigting), die kommunikasiedoel oriëntasie (d.i. konvergent of divergent), en die doel-uitkoms (een of verskeie uitkomste). Die analise van die Xhosa kommunikasietake is van sentrale belang vir sillabus-ontwerp, kursus-ontwerp en pedagogiese taak-ontwerp vir taakgebaseerde taalonderrig.

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.