Find your Afrikaans tutors near me in Oudtshoorn

Afrikaans Lessons in Oudtshoorn

The ostrich capital of the world is how this Western Cape province town, Oudtshoorn, is known. Situated between the Outeniqua and Swartberg Mountains, it is home to more than 61 000 inhabitants and owes its establishment to the ostrich-feather booms of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Located in the Klein (Little) Karoo region, on the Route 62 wine route, and relies heavily on ostrich farming and tourism. Tourists, local and foreign, travel here from all over the world to visit ostrich farms, a conservation park, specialised ostrich breeding farms, as well as the world famous Cango Caves, a spectacular network of limestone caves which are at least 20 million years old.  

Why Learn Afrikaans?

Well, maybe it’s time that you decided to come out of your cave, or hiding. Get out and do something daring, fulfilling and enriching. Learning a new language, like Afrikaans, can truly change your world. Gone will be the days when you didn’t understand the office banter or not be able to address a shop assistant in their mother tongue. Gone too, will be the time when you didn’t understand the lyrics of Ek verlang na jou. Studying Afrikaans may just be the leg-up you need at work. The lack of knowledge of this widely spoken language may just be what has been hampering your progress at your place of employment.

In a place like Oudtshoorn, a large percentage of the population is Afrikaans speaking. This will be why many of the people you encounter, will use Afrikaans as their default language and would appreciate it if you made the effort to communicate in a likewise manner. This, inevitably, would cause them to willingly assist you if you were to stumble or falter. Many people respect someone who attempts to speak their mother tongue and regard it as a display of your regard (respect) for them as individuals, as well as their culture and traditions. A master-stoke on your part!

What About Immersion?

You may be an adventurous traveller and decide to ‘home-school’, in a sense. Immersion involves a student (you) taking up residence with an Afrikaans native speaking family. Through this process, you will be engaging with first language speakers daily and learning the language in a really practical way, being exposed to Afrikaans in the way that it is used by local speakers. It would be ideal if this family also spoke your mother tongue. That way, you would have an avenue to follow when you were not sure of anything (the meaning of a word or phrase) or needed to query what someone has said.

Host families are great at clarifying phrases that have a particular connotation in the area where you find yourself domiciled. One drawback of this method, of learning a language, is that you may learn certain terminologies which may be misconstrued in another setting. In essence, your learnings may not have been pure or academic and you may walk away with a dialect which may be very localised and not ‘textbook’. If it is your intention to practise the language in that locality, then immersion may suit your purpose. It is, of course, dependent on the level at which your host family uses the language. However, if you intend to use the language in a professional setting, at work for example, then it may be best to enrol with a tutor or to attend classes run by professionals.

Afrikaans Classes Are My Thing

You can initiate an Internet search entitled Afrikaans extra classes near me, if you are already learning the language elsewhere and are not happy with your level of proficiency or if you feel that you are not progressing quickly enough. An Internet search will place at your fingertips, tutors who offer Afrikaans classes close to you.

Certain individuals are suited to attending classes or lectures. Classes are great if you revel in the funny situations which may arise and is you tend to interact well with people, known or not. So, if you feed off the energy which a class generates, then that is definitely the way you should go! Such a learning environment might be just what you need, as you will be surrounded by a group of people who are similarly motivated (as you). They may be a wonderful source of comfort and support when the chips are down and you feel that the going is too tough. An older person, who is toughing it out, might then just be the ‘kick in the pants’ that you need to stay the course. If the draw-back that a tutor might not be able to give you much individual attention doesn’t phase you, then sign up for a class!

Just You and Me, Kid

However, not everyone is geared towards this way of learning. A person who is shy, would prefer one-to-one sessions with a tutor, either face to face or via a webcam.

Tutors, generally, indicate whether they are prepared to travel and teach you in the comfort and security of your own home. They would factor in the price of travelling and still ensure that the rate that they charge is reasonable.

Initially, your tutor will conduct some sort of assessment so that s/he can get a clear idea of where you are in terms of your background in Afrikaans. Information gathered at your initial evaluation, will then be used to inform the curriculum which your tutor will ‘custom design’ for you. This way of learning will, no doubt, be very morale-boosting as your tutor will endeavour to ensure that your learning is systematic and that you progress at a fairly rapid rate.

Enrol for Afrikaans basic lessons and join the growing number of highly satisfied students who have worked with Superprof tutors. They come highly recommended and, in most cases offer the first encounter at no charge, giving you time to decide if you and s/he are a good fit. At an average rate of only R136 per hour, you are guaranteed of value for money, especially if you check out the student reviews. These tutors are caring individuals who will always put your best interests first. Contact one today!