Afrikaans is actually very widely spoken in South Africa. In fact, it is the only language which is spoken in each of the provinces of the Republic. Given that there are eleven official languages in the country, being bilingual would put you in a position to communicate with virtually any resident in the country. The ability to use Afrikaans fluently will, not only help you converse with locals fluently, but may open up important career doors for you, since Afrikaans is one of the main languages used in business in South Africa.
It is one thing to say I want to learn Afrikaans, but totally a different story if you want to use it daily and conduct Afrikaans conversations with confidence. To be able to do so, you have to set clear goals and invest time and money into the hiring of a qualified tutor and in Afrikaans language lessons.
Most South African children would have had the opportunity to take Afrikaans as a subject at school. This would entail speaking, reading and writing the language. So, they would have gained some proficiency in Afrikaans by the time they reached matric. One of the biggest challenges with many young people though, is to get them to use the language in conversation every day. This is crucial towards developing proficiency in any language. Extra Afrikaans lessons would, of course, help if you are such a position, where daily practice has escaped you.
To start off, if you’re at school and learning Afrikaans as a second language, ensure that you make use of your Afrikaans lessons to lay a good foundation for future learning. To do so, you have to pay attention in class, complete all homework and projects and show your teacher that you are very serious about your studies. Your Afrikaans teacher is, of course, a valuable resource and can help you improve grammar and oral use of Afrikaans, help you prepare for Afrikaans exams and facilitate your becoming fully bilingual.
One-on-One Tutoring: Why?
One of the best ways to bolster your proficiency in Afrikaans, is to work with a private tutor who will provide individualised one-on-one lessons.
You are in a fortunate position in South Africa, because, if you’re looking for assistance in learning Afrikaans, there are many qualified (some highly) professionals who can walk by your side. If you were to make use of the Superprof website, you can read reviews by past students to get a sense of the tutor's teaching style and proficiency. Browsing through the Superprof site, you will be able to identify the tutor appropriate for your ability level and not waste endless hours scouring the Internet.
Do you now Superprof is a good site to find online afrikaans lessons?
So, if working with a private tutor is the best option, what are the benefits?
Well, firstly, you can learn Afrikaans at your own pace, at a time and place dictated by you. Additionally, your tutor will be dedicated to your needs, which will in turn influence the content of your customised course. For example, your course content would be very different if you merely wish to be able to interact conversationally in Afrikaans, as opposed to wanting to use the language in a business setting, where you’re going to interact with an Afrikaans-speaking clientele every day. In the latter case, you can request that your tutor includes jargon that is utilised in business and really put some added pep into your acquisition of Afrikaans.
When you search for a private tutor on the Superprof website, you can decide on a tutor who is situated close to you for one-on-one Afrikaans lessons. On the other hand, you work on your Afrikaans conversation skills with someone on the other side of the country (or world for that matter) by doing online Afrikaans lessons, via a webcam.
Learn Afrikaans Through Role Play
Many concepts can be taught and learned by making use of role-play, even in a language like Afrikaans. Children love to imitate their teachers and ‘play school’, so this method would suit them well, especially when they have to teach big Afrikaans words.
In this way, the child can practise his or her best Afrikaans accent, correcting the parents when they get it ‘wrong’. This can be a great way for the family to bond and learn together, while the parents can also actively keep track of their child’s progress and be aware of their level of confidence.
Role play, where a learner explains concepts, is a potent tool which can lead to greater comprehension and clarity. This may be an important spur to the learner seeking greater understanding of Afrikaans, as he or she tries to put across ideas so that they are well understood by his or her audience. Coming up against obstacles will prompt the learner to ‘hit the books’ again to overcome any big Afrikaans words, phrases or confusion in terms of their use.
The Cost of Private Afrikaans Language Lessons in South Africa
If you have said I want to learn Afrikaans, then you may have come to the conclusion that working with a dedicated private tutor is be the best way to proceed.
As stated before, your choice of tutor will be determined by the goals you have set for yourself. If you only want to be conversationally adept at speaking Afrikaans, you may decide on a first- or second-year varsity student to help you along your way. If, however, your acceptance into a varsity course is at stake, where a high level of proficiency in Afrikaans is required, it would be in your best interest to retain the services of a highly qualified tutor, who has the academic knowledge and the appropriate experience required.
Your choice of tutor would, thus, influence the price you would pay for lessons. On average, Afrikaans tutors on Superprof charge around R150, with the lowest quoting around R75 and the most expensive quote being R350. Bear in mind that the quotes provided take into account whether the tutor has to travel to you to do face-to-face lessons or whether they conduct the lessons online.
Find the best Afrikans tutor near me here on Superprof.
How to Choose the Right Afrikaans Tutor for You
Once you have decided that ‘I want to learn Afrikaans’, no matter your ability and goals, what is vitally important is that you connect with your tutor.
This is where Superprof really stands out, as most of its tutors offering the first encounter free of charge. This offers you the chance to see how well you will connect with a prospective tutor, as well as find out more about their lesson structure and teaching style. You should also expand on your reasons for wanting to learn Afrikaans and gauge if you and the tutor will be a good fit.
Make Your Afrikaans Tutor Count: Tips
Here are some pointers to help you ask a tutor the right questions:
Addressing Your Niggles
At the outset, be honest about the areas of Afrikaans that are problematic to you. This will help your tutor to structure a curriculum that will address your learning needs and lay a firm foundation for future growth.
Ask Questions About Homework
To put you in the pound seat and ascertain the depth of your Afrikaans course, ask your tutor questions about any homework that may be assigned. This will help you to set aside enough time for both your classes as well as the additional work that may be required. Finding this out in advance can help to reduce your anxiety about the requirements of your course, the way that your tutor works and what impact the course will have on your time.
Find an experienced afrikaans tutor johannesburg here on Superprof.
How Can You Supplement Your Lessons?
If you feel that you still need to bolster you Afrikaans learning, enquire from your tutor about online resources that are free to use and whether there are podcasts and blogs (or vlogs) that will match your requirements or needs.
Besides working with a tutor, you can consider:
- Playing Afrikaans board games
- Looking up the lyrics of Afrikaans songs that you enjoy
- A native Afrikaans speaking buddy who will only speak Afrikaans to you
- Check out online language learning resources and apps.
By working with your private Afrikaans tutor, you will gain confidence, but to gain mastery over Afrikaans pronunciation and conversation, it would benefit you tremendously if you practise daily with your Afrikaans-speaking colleagues and friends. If they are English or Zulu-speakers, you can improve your proficiency in Afrikaans together.
Also, don’t forget that you must invest time to actively listen to Afrikaans, so, do tune in to Afrikaans radio and TV broadcasts, as often as you can.
Be Committed
Ultimately, fluency in Afrikaans, will not only have an impact in the classes you attend with your tutor, but also have an influence on your education, as well as career opportunities. Additionally, it can enhance your social life and make travelling easier, not only in South Africa, but world-wide, as expats have a presence across the globe.
To attain benefits such as these, will require determination and commitment from you, as you work your way through the nuances and complexities of the Afrikaans language, especially its guttural pronunciation. Having said that, opportunities for you to use Afrikaans in conversation abound in the country of its birth. Make use of them!
Practise what you have learned, outside of the classroom, so that the skill you include in your CV can be tangible in your next job interview and cause you to become the preferred candidate.
Continue to listen to radio stations, watch movies and sing along to your favourite songs. Do all of this in Afrikaans to really lay a solid foundation from which to launch yourself as someone who will be mistaken for a native Afrikaans speaker!
These interventions will work best if your Afrikaans tutor has advised you on which ones are best suited to your needs. Connect with a tutor with whom you can develop a solid interpersonal relationship. This will help to keep you engaged and committed to your study and practice of Afrikaans! Voorwaarts!
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