Course Synopses

ALL101            Introduction to the Study of Language and Literature

The nature of language: the structure of Sesotho Language; language for students of Literature. Introduction to the analysis of oral and written literature.

ALL201-6         Phonetics and Phonology

This course introduces students to phonetics and phonology description and classification of speech sounds, Generative phonology and Supragramental phonology.

ALL202-3        Introduction to Morphology

The study of word structure, derivation of words, types of morphemes. A detailed study of the noun, pronoun and the qualificative.

ALL301-6         Syntax and Semantics

The study of sentence structure, syntactic categories, syntactic relations, phrase structure rules and transformational rules. Semantics: the study of meaning; theoretical approaches to the analysis of word meaning; semantic relations among words; semantic relations involving sentences; syntactic structure and semantic interpretation.

ALL306-3        Introduction to the Second Language

The course covers phonology of Zulu, sentences structures, reading, composition, comprehension and translation.

ALL309-3        Introduction to Lexicography

This course introduces students to the art and science of dictionary making. It equips them with the knowledge and skills to undertake practical work in lexicography. It enables them to assess published dictionaries. The course further examines the state of Sesotho lexicography and surveys the current lexicographic needs of Lesotho.

ALL401-6         History and Comparative Bantu Linguistics

Language change: causes and types of language change; types of language classification of Bantu family, specifically, the South Eastern Zone and Sotho groups; the contributions to Bantu Linguistics by Blek, 2 Meinhof, Greenberg, Doke and Guthrie; the Ur-Bantu sound structure and sound shift as illustrated in the Sesotho groups.

ALL402-3        Grammar of Sesotho

A study of the adverb, ideophone, conjunctive and interjective. Application of the current linguistics theory to the study of the adverb.

ALL409-3        Translation Theory and Practice

This course deals with translation theory and practice: Topics include: basic issues and concepts in translation; equivalence; theory and methods of translation; problems and strategies, translators and their role in the translation process, texts and their classification into various types, and practical translation.

ALL501            Syntax. Introduction to syntactic theories

a)          Government and Binding Theory - The Chomskian perspective on Language study; the lexicon and the sentence structure; phrase-structure rules; Transformations; Case Theory; an Inventory of Empty categories.

b)         Lexical Punctuational Grammar; constituent structure, functional structure, the lexicon control and Binding.

ALL502 - Advanced Sesotho Grammar (Pre-requisite(s) ALL501)

The study of the Traditional Sesotho Grammar books convergences and divergences. Application of modern linguistic theories to the Sesotho grammar.

ALL503           Phonetics and Phonology

Principles of articulatory phonetics; Transcription; Introduction to the main theories of generative phonology and supra-segmental phonology. Interface between phonology and other components of grammar.

ALL504           Historical Linguistics (prerequisite(s) ALL503 )

The nature of Language change, sound change, morphological change, syntactic change and semantic change. Principles of the comparative method and the method of internal reconstruction. The Development of the Comparative Bantu Linguistics. The classification of Bantu Languages. Linguistic Typology.

ALL505           Semantics

The Empirical Domain of Semantic Denotation, structure and interpretation. Other factors in sentence interpretation.

ALL506           Morphology

Different approaches to the study of Morphology and their application to Sesotho. Word structure and the system of rules for generating that structure. Morphology and its relation to syntax. The inheritance of the argument structure.

ALL507           Sociolinguistics

Sociolinguistic concepts. Language policy. Language variation, dialects, Language planning and language policy. Language maintenance and shift. Language and culture. Language and gender.

ALL508           Psycholinguistics

Intern-relationship of linguistics and psychological variables in human language use. Developmental psycholinguistics, expereimental psycholinguistics. How language skills are influenced by cognitive development and the process of socialization.

ALL509           Advanced Language Skills

Translation: theory and practice. Composition: development of writing skills in different varieties of Sesotho - legal, journalistic, formal and informal writing.

ALT203-3        Introduction to Literary Theories

This course outlines the various theories or approaches to literary analysis: author-oriented, text-oriented, comparative approach, and Marxist approach.

ALT204-6        Literary Genres

Characteristics of drama, poetry and fiction.

ALT302-3        Drama: Characteristics of Drama

A detailed study of drama, its appreciation and stageability.

ALT303-6        Oral Traditions of Southern Africa

Analysis interpretative approach to the study of traditional prose narratives, traditional poetry and music; stylists, metaphors, riddles and proverbs.

ALT305-3        Modern Sesotho Poetry

A critical study and appreciation of three selected poets from the post independence period.

ALT403-6        Study of Sesotho Works of Fiction

This course is a detailed critical study of: Thomas Mofolo’s works and those of his contemporaries; six other works of fiction, including one in Sepedi.

ALT408-3        Creative Writing in Sesotho

A study of the adverb, ideophone, conjunctive and interjective. Application of the current linguistic theory to the study of the adverb.

ALT413-3         Study of Sesotho Works of Fiction

This course is a detailed critical study of: Thomas Mofolo’s works and those of his contemporaries, three other works of fiction; to help the students to broaden their awareness about the development in Sesotho fiction from its inception to the present; to arouse the students’ interest in both the creation and the reading of fiction texts in Sesotho and closely related languages.

ALT501            Literary Theories

Introduction to the literary theories such as Marxist. Formalist, structuralist, post-structuralist and polysystem.

ALT502           Advanced Sesotho Literature (Pre-requisite(s) ALT501).

The history of the development of the Sesotho drama, novel and poetry and the stylistic devices employed.

ALT503           Oral Literature

The different theories for the analysis of oral literature. The comparative study of the Literary forms such as litšomo, lipina, lilotho, lithoko and maele.

ALT504           Comparative Literature (Pre-requisite(s) ALT501 and ALT503)

The study of the influence of oral literature on the Sesotho Drama, Novel and Poetry.

ALT505           Research Methods

Choosing informants, Techniques of field research. Exercises in the collection and analysis of data. Techniques of analysis and methods of interpretation.

ALT506           Trends in Sesotho (1907-1965).

A chronological review of the main currents in the Sesotho Literature with particular emphasis on trends such as religion,. Education, resistance to colonial rule and struggle for independence. A stylistic analysis indicating the characteristic way in which the authors express themselves to take their points.

ALT507           Advanced Sesotho Drama

The study of dramatic theories and their applications to selected dramas. The analysis of the different kinds of drama: comedy, tragedy, popular theatre, radio and television drama.

ALT508           Advanced Sesotho Novel

The study of the theories of the novel and their application Sesotho novel and their application to Sesotho novels. Poetics and the typologies of the Sesotho novel.

ALT509           Advanced Sesotho Poetry.

The study of the elements of poems such as diction, imagery, rhythm and structure, how they work together with the subject matter to determine individual character and form of a poem, how they guide a poem’s interpretation

OR

A detailed analysis of chosen poets, representative of their time. The use of modern stylistics tools that will highlight grammatical, phonological, and semantic features relevant to the textual analysis.

ALT510            Post -Independence Sesotho Literature

The study of the main works and literary trends in Sesotho literature from 1966 to the present. The stylistic analysis.

ALT511            Women’s Writing.

A detailed study of the writing by Basotho women. A special concern in the way in which language is used, and how women are portrayed in this literature in comparison with the way they are portrayed in selected writings by men.