Xhosa/Zulu
L.A. Language Intensives
June 23 - August 15, 2008
This August 2006 photo of Zulu villages outside Eshowe, via the Flickr website, is by "aboscoe"African Languages 17: Intensive Elementary Zulu (12 units) or
African languages 27: Intensive Elementary Xhosa (12 units)
South Africa consists of a population of about 38 million comprising many ethnic groups, each with their own language. In all, there are 11 official languages and several dialectical variants. Among these official languages is a group of Nguni languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Ndebele), which are spoken by more than 20 million people. Of all the Nguni languages, Zulu is the most widely spoken, followed by Xhosa. Zulu and Xhosa are similar enough linguistically to be considered dialects of one language, but the Zulu and Xhosa people consider themselves to be different people who speak different languages. One of the advantages of learning Zulu or Xhosa is that it forms the basis for understanding other Nguni languages. If you can speak Zulu or Xhosa, you will find it easy to learn Swati, Zulu, or Ndebele. This class will familiarize students with basic communicative skills in Zulu or Xhosa, with an emphasis on listening and speaking. Guest speakers, field trips, films, and cultural activities will round out your introduction to Zulu or Xhosa culture.
We will offer either Zulu or Xhosa (not both) depending on the availability of an instructor for one of these
highly similar languages. Students will be asked to switch from one to the other after an instructor is hired.
The Intensive Summer Zulu/Xhosa Program at UCLA offers the equivalent of one year of instruction in only eight weeks.
All UCLA students can enroll in this course using URSA.
All other students can enroll in this course here.
A limited amount of scholarships are available here.
Date Posted: 9/22/2008
