高考英语 考前突破阅读理解能力 文化教育 南非某大学将祖鲁语设为必修课素材.docVIP

南非某大学将祖鲁语设为必修课 A leading South African university says it will make Zulu language classes compulsory for all first-year students from next year.? 南非一所主流大学称，祖鲁语明年将成为所有大一新生的必修课。 Some 80% of people in KwaZulu-Natal speak Zulu ? The decision by the University of KwaZulu-Natal is aimed at promoting nation-building and bringing diverse languages together, an official said. ? Zulu is among the most widely spoken of South Africas 11 official languages. ? It is the mother tongue for about 23% of the population and is also used as a lingua franca（通用语，混合语） by many others. ? However, few people from minority racial groups speak it.? ? This is the first time a South African university has made it compulsory for students to learn an indigenous（本土的） African language, the local Mercury newspaper reports.? ? Surprising ? University of KwaZulu-Natal Deputy Vice-Chancellor Renuka Vithal told the BBC the decision would help students obtain a vital communication skill for their professional and personal lives. ? You can come through the schooling system without learning any of the indigenous African languages, she said. ? It is surprising that this is still the case, nearly 20 years after apartheid [racially-enforced segregation] ended.? ? The university is located in South Africas KwaZulu-Natal province, where Zulu is the mother tongue of most people.? ? Until white minority rule ended in 1994, English and Afrikaans, based on Dutch, were South Africas only official languages.? ? The African National Congress (ANC) government - which took power after apartheid ended - has done little to promote indigenous languages, critics say.? ? Zulu is spoken by more than 80% of people in KwaZulu-Natal, AFP news agency reports.? ? It is the only African language in which a major daily newspaper is produced.? ? Related languages are also spoken in some neighbouring countries.