IsiXhosa is the one of the official languages of South Africa. It is the second most common language spoken in South African homes. It is written with the Latin alphabet. IsiXhosa is spoken with three major consonant clicks. There are also many consonant sounds that are uncommon to English speakers.
During my stay in Port Elizabeth, South Africa I had the opportunity to take isiXhosa lessons at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. We were learning basic conversational words and phrases. As a native English speaker I found it very difficult to make the clicks and the uncommon consonant sounds. They were all brand new to my tongue and palate. However, with practice I was able to make the clicks with some degree of accuracy.
The one thing that made the language more accessible was that it is written with the Latin alphabet. It is also very phonetic. There are no blends, and the language is very phonetic.
Taking the class made it easier to communicate with the students at Emafini. Having the ability to say basic phrases like hello, how are you, and basic classroom instructions helped to break the ice and form connections.
Salani kakuhle!
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| Pictures of New Foundation Education Department at NMMU |
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