The role played by the isiZulu speaking parents in supporting and encouraging their children to learn isiZulu
Authors: Nkosi Zinhle Primrose , O'Neil Alexandra 
Published: July 2024

Research has shown that learner’s parents, family and community play an important role in the development of language skills, while parents require to play a major role in supporting their children in their schoolwork, for their language learning and development. From lower to higher grades of schooling, this parental support is important for learning the language of the home, and this also applies to second language development. With that in mind, this research focuses on investigating what role the parent and the home need to play in providing support and encouragement for a student to study their home language, with isiZulu providing a case study. Apart from this, this research examines why the parent and the home act in the way they do regarding encouraging and supporting their child so they learn and develop adequate language skills in isiZulu. This research utilizes qualitative methods and it operates under the interpretivist paradigm. A case study is presented with data coming from semi-structured interviews with research participants. The study shows some of the various ways in which a parent can play a role in helping their child improve in their isiZulu lessons at school, such as helping them with their homework, providing an opportunity for them to attend or participate in Zulu cultural events and festivals, communicate in isiZulu at home, and many more. While it is emphasized that the role of a parent is vital in the learner’s language learning and development, the study recommends that there should be programs that help equip parents with knowledge and skills that they will apply when helping their children with school work, so they can improve in the language. Isifingqo Izingcwaningo eziningi ziveza ukuthi umzali, ikhaya nomphakathi kuneqhaza elibalulekile ekutheni izingane zithuthuke ekufundeni ulimi, kanti abazali yibona okufanele babambe iqhaza elibalulekile ukuze umfundi athole ukwesekwa emsebenzini wakhe wesikole, njengakho ukufunda nokuthuthuka kwakhe olimini. Lokhu kwesekwa wumzali kubalulekile ekufundweni kolimi lwasekhaya nolwesibili ezinganeni, kusukela kwezisencane kuye kwesezikhulile. Nokho-ke kulolu cwaningo kuzogxilwa ekuphenyeni ukuthi yiliphi iqhaza umzali nekhaya abalibambile ekwesekeleni nasekugqugquzeleni umfundi ukuba athuthuke ekufundeni ulimi lwasekhaya, ngokwalolu cwaningo, okuyisiZulu. Ngaphandle kwalokhu, ucwaningo luphinde lubheke ukuthi kungani umzali nekhaya benza ngendlela abenza ngayo ukwesekela nokugqugquzela umfundi ukuba afunde futhi athuthuke olimini lwesiZulu ngendlela abakwenza ngayo. Kusetshenziswe izindlela zekhwalithethivu ukuqhuba lolu cwaningo kanti lungaphansi kwepharadaymu yomhumusho. Kusetshenziswe izindlela zocwaningo lwesimo, kanti imininingo yocwaningo ikhiqizwe ngezingxoxo ezisakuhleleka nabahlanganyeli bocwaningo. Ucwaningo luveza ukuthi phakathi kokungenziwa wumzali ekubambeni iqhaza ekutheni alekelele ingane ukuba ithuthuke esifundweni sesiZulu esikoleni ukuba ayilekelele ngemisebenzi yesikole, avame ukuyinika ithuba lokuhambela nokuzimbandakanya emicimbini nasemikhosini yamasiko esizwe samaZulu, ukusebenzisa ulimi lwesiZulu ekhaya, nokunye. Ucwaningo luncoma ukuthi kumele kube nezinhlelo ezizolekelela ekuhlomiseni abazali ukuze bazi ukuthi kufanele bazilekelele kanjani izingane zabo ukuze zifunde futhi zithuthuke olimini.