Study in South Africa Summer 2025

The Zulu GPA coursework is comprised of two sections: Language and Culture Education. The communicative/conversational language acquisition & use (Part I) of the Zulu course is tied to rest of the GPA curriculum components, namely guest seminars, educational tours of cultural/historical sites, workshops, resource materials, and modules development. The course is designed around the 5Cs of the U. S. National Standards for Foreign Language Learning, namely, Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities to enable participants in their process of becoming lifelong learners to develop insight into the nature of the language and the culture of the Zulu people as well as the ability to use the Zulu language in appropriate contexts. The contents of this section are mainly drawn from authentic materials including stories, newspaper articles, poems, ads, and songs. Texts from various textbooks designed for second language learners are also used. At the completion of this course participants can discuss a variety of contemporary issues (cultural and religious practices, family life/relationships, political events, education, Zulu history etc.). Culture Education (Part II) of the Zulu course is tied to the language education section (Part I) as well as the rest of the GPA curriculum components, namely tours to cultural and historical sites, workshops or discussions, lecture seminars, resource materials and module development.

Lecture seminars are held weekly, by expert faculty from partnering institutions in South Africa as well as community experts on a wide range of topics, including Zulu history, aspects of the Zulu culture, gender in the Zulu culture and impact on health, language and health in South Africa, indigenous healing of the Zulu people, role of health attitudes and beliefs in South African societies, impact of apartheid and democracy on health and healing, pre and post- apartheid migration and its impact on health, culture, and language in South Africa, and the history of music, role of music during apartheid, its impact on the psyche and behavior, etc.

Participants will visit historical and cultural sites in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape Provinces. Examples of sites include Apartheid Museum, Freedom Park Museum, Phansi Museum (Zulu clothing museum), EShowe Museums (Christianity/Zulu wars/Zulu Baskets & Beads), Soweto Township/Nelson Mandela House Museum, Migrant Labor Museum, the Kirby Collection at the College of Music at the University of Cape Town, Robin Island, etc.

The hands-on workshop and discussion attendance are designed to teach participants how health and healing are understood and practiced in South Africa.
 

Participants will visit bookstores, markets, and indigenous music instrument stores in all three provinces to acquire resource materials to be incorporated in the development of their U.S. curriculums.

Participants will utilize the final week of the project to work on their modules, these modules will be incorporated into their curriculums. Once the modules have been finalized, reviewed, and approved by the participants they will be made available electronically to the entire community of educators and administrators in the United States, and participants will disseminate the modules at relevant conferences and workshops in the United States.

The program is funded by U.S. Dept. of Education to provide intensive instruction in the Zulu language and culture. During the project participants will have time to make contacts with South African academics and administrators to discuss research affiliation and similar matters related to their future academic/research plans. But participants will not have time to pursue personal projects related to their own educational program.