An artistic enculturation of Xhosa children in language and critical thinking skills through iintsomi and games

Abstract

Through games and traditional storytelling (iintsomi), this study explores how Xhosa children are enculturated in language development and critical thinking skills. The study investigates the ways in which these cultural activities support the social, linguistic and cognitive development of young children in the Xhosa community, drawing on the concepts of constructivism and sociocultural theory. The study focuses on how games and iintsomi (oral narrative) promote critical engagement, active participation and cultural identity. The research project explores how storytelling or folklore and games can be utilised to transfer cultural information and foster problem-solving abilities and collaborative learning by reflecting on one's own experiences through autoethnography, lived experiences through phenomenology and delving deep into existing knowledge through desk research. Qualitative interpretive research design is used in this study and it explores how iintsomi and traditional children’s games function as indigenous pedagogical tools that foster language acquisition, cultural identity and critical thinking among Xhosa children. This is done by creating works of art that graphically represent the social background of iintsomi, the way oral traditions were communicated, and how traditional games were played. This study argues that these customs preserve Xhosas’ cultural history while offering a rich, contextual learning environment that fosters socialisation, critical thinking and language acquisition. In order to promote holistic development, especially in post-colonial contexts, the study's conclusion highlights the significance of incorporating indigenous knowledge systems and cultural practices within modern educational frameworks. For future research, the effects of iintsomi and traditional games on other facets of child development, such as moral reasoning, emotional intelligence and problem-solving, can be investigated. The study is practice-led and based, and it culminated in an exhibition of artworks portraying the visual interpretation of the Xhosa cultural set-up and selected folklore.

Olu phandolwazi luphonononga indlela abantwana bamaXhosa abakhuliswa ngayo kuphuhliso lolwimi nakwizakhono zokucinga banzi, ngokusebenzisa imidlalo nokubalisa amabali emveli (iintsomi). Olu phandolwazi luphanda iindlela le misebenzi yenkcubeko exhasa ngayo uphuhliso lwentlalo, ulwimi nolwengqiqo kubantwana abancinci kuluntu lwamaXhosa, kutsalwa kwisigama sokudalwa kolwazi nokuqonda ngokwamava okuphila/ezentlalo kunye nengcingane yentlalontle yoluntu. Olu phandolwazi lujolise kwindlela imidlalo kunye neentsomi (amabali abaliswa ngomlomo) ekhuthaza ngayo ukucingisisa banzi, ukuthatha inxaxheba ngokukhutheleyo kunye nokuzazi ngokwenkcubeko. Le projekthi yophandolwazi iphonononga indlela yokubaliswa kwamabali okanye iintsomi nemidlalo enokusetyenziswa ukudlulisela ulwazi lwenkcubeko nokukhuthaza izakhono zokusombulula iingxaki kunye nokufunda ngentsebenziswano ngokubonakalisa amava omntu ngokusebenzisa indlela yophandolwazi apho abaphandilwazi basebenzisa amava abo ukuze baqonde imicimbi yezenkcubeko, yezentlalo, okanye yobuqu (iautoethnography), amava okuphila ngokusebenzisa amava oluntu kwezentlalo kunye nokuphonononga nzulu kulwazi olukhoyo ngophandolwazi olulandelayo. Kolu phandolwazi kusetyenziswa uyilo lophandolwazi lophandontyilazwi lokutolika idatha kwaye luphonononga indlela iintsomi kunye nemidlalo yemveli yabantwana esebenza ngayo nanjengezixhobo zokufundisa zemveli ezikhuthaza ukufundwa kolwimi, ukuzazi ngokwenkcubeko nokucinga ngokubanzi kubantwana bamaXhosa. Oku kwenziwa ngokuyila imisebenzi yobugcisa emele ngokwemizobo imvelaphi yezentlalo yeentsomi, indlela izithethe zomlomo ezazisaziswa ngayo, kunye nendlela edlalwa ngayo imidlalo yemveli. Olu phandolwazi lubonisa ukuba ezi zithethe zigcina imbali yenkcubeko yamaXhosa lo gama zibonelela ngendawo yokufunda etyebileyo, enemeko ekhuthaza ukuhlalisana kwabantu, ukucinga banzi kunye nokufunda ulwimi. Ukuze kukhuthazwe uphuhliso olupheleleyo, ngakumbi kwiimeko zasemva kobukoloniyali, uqukumbelo lolu phandolwazi lugxininisa ukubaluleka kokubandakanya iinkqubo zolwazi lwemveli kunye neenkqubo zenkcubeko kwiziseko zemfundo yanamhlanje. Uphandolwazi lwexesha elizayo, lunokuphanda iziphumo zeentsomi nemidlalo yemveli kwezinye iinkalo zophuhliso lwabantwana, ezifana nokuqiqa ngokuziphatha, ukuthatha ingqalelo kweemvakalelo zakho nezabanye kunye nokusombulula iingxaki. Olu phandolwazi lukhokelwa kwaye lusekelwe kumsebenzi wezandla, lwaze lwafikelela kumboniso wemisebenzi yobugcisa ebonisa ukuchazwa kokubonwayo kwenkqubo yenkcubeko yamaXhosa kunye neentsomi ezikhethiweyo.

Ka dipapadi le go anega dikanegelo tša setšo (iintsomi), nyakišišo ye e sekaseka ka moo bana ba Mathosa ba rutwago setšo ka gona ka tlhabollong ya polelo le mabokgoni a naganišišo ya tsinkelo. Nyakišišo e nyakišiša ditsela tšeo ka tšona mediro ye ya setšo e thekgago tlhabollo ya leago, ya polelo le ya temogo ya bana ba bannyane setšhabeng sa Mathosa, go tšea dikgopolo tša Kagokwešišo le teori ya setšo sa leago. Nyakišišo e šeditše godimo ga ka moo dipapadi le iintsomi (kanegelo ya molomo) di tšwetšago pele go poledišano ka tsinkelo, go tšea karolo ka mafolofolo le boitšhupo bja setšo. Protšeke ya nyakišišo e sekaseka ka moo go anega dikanegelo goba dikanegelo tša setšo le dipapadi go ka šomišwago go fetišetša tshedimošo ya setšo le go oketša bokgoni bja go rarolla mathata le go ithuta ka tšhomišano ka go naganišiša ka maitemogelo a motho ka noši ka othoetenokrafi, maitemogelo ao a phetšwego ka fenomenolotši le go tsenelela ka gare ga tsebo ye e lego gona ka nyakišišo ya tafoleng. Tlhamo ya nyakišišo ya tlhathollo ya khwalithethifi e šomišitšwe mo nyakišišong ye gomme e sekaseka ka moo iintsomi le dipapadi tša setšo tša bana di šomago bjalo ka didirišwa tša thuto ya setlogo tšeo di godišago go hwetša polelo, boitšhupo bja setšo le go nagana gabotse gare ga bana ba Mathosa. Se se dirwa ka go hlama mešomo ya bokgabo yeo e emelago ka dikerafo setlogo sa leago sa iintsomi, tsela yeo ditšo tša molomo di bego di fetišetšwa ka yona, le ka fao dipapadi tša setšo di bego di bapalwa ka gona. Nyakišišo ye e bolela gore ditlwaedi tše e boloka histori ya setšo sa Mathosa mola e fa tikologo ya go ithuta ye e humilego, ya diteng yeo e godišago go gwerana le batho, go nagana gabotse le go hwetša polelo. Gore go tšwetšwe pele tlhabollo ye e feletšego, kudu maemong a ka morago ga bokoloniale, phetho ya nyakišišo ye e laetša bohlokwa bja go akaretša ditshepedišo tša tsebo ya setlogo le mekgwa ya setšo ka gare ga ditlhako tša thuto tša sebjalebjale. Go dinyakišišo tša ka moso, ditlamorago tša iintsomi le dipapadi tša setšo go dikarolo tše dingwe tša kgolo ya ngwana, go swana le go bea mabaka ka boitshwaro, bohlale bja maikutlo le go rarolla mathata, di ka nyakišišwa. Nyakišišo ye e etetšwe pele ke mokgwa ebile e theilwe, gomme e ile ya feleletša ka pontšho ya ditiro tša bokgabo tšeo di tšweletšago tlhathollo ya pono ya peakanyo ya setšo sa Xhosa le ditšo tše di kgethilwego.