Principles of task-based course design for a Zulu second language course on socialization for businesss people

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The concept of exploring principles for designing a Zulu language learning course forbusiness people stemmed from the need that there is not enough course materialavailable for learners wanting to learn a second language. The preliminary component ofthe thesis is based on the theoretical framework for language learning theory advanced byNaam Chomsky, which is theory-driven and derives from an in-depth analysis of theproperties of languages in an effort to determine the highly abstract principles of grammar.This study reviews the different definitions of second language learning and teachingemployed by various linguists, for example, Cook, Odlin and Sharwood-Smith. It presentsthe different kinds of grammar explored in the analysis of a second language. Followingthe discussion of principles of grammar, a broad definition of the term 'universal grammar'(UG), is explored and how this UG model relates to views on teaching of Zulu, is identified.The thesis demonstrates the relation between second language learning and languageteaching and the influence that UG has on language teaching. It will be argued that thetheory of Chomsky and the knowledge of second language acquisition is suitable as aframework for language teaching because it incorporates the essence of second languagelearning that may be useful to a second language educator.Finally, this study will present the principles of task-based course design which will befollowed by a discussion of the types of syllabuses required for the construction ofcommunicative Zulu tasks.It is hoped that the conclusions arising from this study will assist in the development ofresearch material and teaching aids for second language Zulu task-based courses, thusproviding the field of second language teaching with efficient and successful languageteachers and researchers.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University