Written by a life-long language practioner who has spoken isiXhosa since childhood, this grammar represents a significant advance in understanding the structure of isiXhosa, the language of more than 8 million South Africans. In this ground-breaking book isiXhosa is described in its own right, freeing it from preconceived grammatical ideas derived from European languages. All the features of the language are portrayed in this revisionist grammar that reinvents isiXhosa as a language with its own genius. All students of isiXhosa urgently need this book. Both mother-tongue speakers and those studying isiXhosa as a second or third language have to take cognisance of this new approach to escape the restrictions imposed by a Eurocentric bias. It is essential to authors of textbooks and those who prescribe syllabi. It is also of significance for those attempting to gain insight in the structure of related African languages.

An innovative and insightful exploration of varieties of English in contemporary South Africa.

An in-depth look at the changing sociolinguistic dynamics that have influenced South African society. To date, there has been no published textbook which takes into account changing sociolinguistic dynamics that have influenced South African society. Multilingualism and Intercultural Communication breaks new ground in this arena. The scope of this book ranges from macro-sociolinguistic questions pertaining to language policies and their implementation (or non-implementation) to micro-sociolinguistic observations of actual language-use in verbal interaction, mainly in multilingual contexts of Higher Education (HE). There is a gradual move for the study of language and culture to be taught in the context of (professional) disciplines in which they would be used, for example, Journalism and African languages, Education and African languages, etc. The book caters for this growing market. Because of its multilingual nature, it caters to English and Afrikaans language speakers, as well as the Sotho and Nguni language groups _ the largest languages in South Africa [and also increasingly used in the context of South African Higher Education]. It brings together various inter-linked disciplines such as Sociolinguistics and Applied Language Studies, Media Studies and Journalism, History and Education, Social and Natural Sciences, Law, Human Language Technology, Music, Intercultural Communication and Literary Studies. The unique cross-cutting disciplinary features of the book will make it a must-have for twenty-first century South African students and scholars and those interested in applied language issues.

Answering a long-felt need for a comprehensive English-Xhosa dictionary, this work has been compiled to meet the needs of both Xhosa-speakers learning English, and English-speakers learning Xhosa. Plus: a guide to Xhosa noun classes in the front of the dictionary helps you understand a vital part of Xhosa grammar and how to use your dictionary effectively. Around 15,000 entries comprehensively cover everyday, technical and subject-specific English. The class system of Xhosa nouns is clearly shown to help you avoid making grammar mistakes.

An up-to-date, theoretically informed study of male, in-group, street-aligned, youth language practice in various urban centres in Africa.

Originally planned as a fact-based book on the pre-colonial history of the Eastern Cape in the true tradition of history, this ground-breaking book focuses on epistemological and foundational questions about the writing of history and whose history counts. Whose History Counts challenges the very concept of "e;pre-colonial"e; and explores methodologies on researching and writing history.

Using data from a long-term ethnographic study of English language classrooms in a South African township, this book highlights linguistic expertise in a setting where it is not usually expected or sought. Rather than being ‘peripheral and unskilled’, South African township teachers and learners emerge as skilled (re)languagers central to the workings of South African education, and to our understanding of how language classrooms work. This book foregrounds the heterogeneity, flexibility and creativity of day-to-day language practices that African urban spaces are known for, and conceptualises language teaching not as a progression from one fixed language to another, but as a circular sorting process between linguistic heterogeneity (languaging) and homogeneity (a standard language).