Afrikaans teachers in Vanderbijlpark

Afrikaans Lessons in Vanderbijlpark

Vanderbijlpark is an industrial town which is situated along the northern banks of the Vaal River, where it forms the border between the Free State and Gauteng provinces. The town is named after Dr HJ van der Bijl who was called back from the USA by President Jan Smuts, to advise the South African government on the planning of the country’s industrial development. Located south of Johannesburg, it houses the biggest steelworks in the southern hemisphere. Metal castings and equipment for power stations and mines are produced in the area. It is also home to a campus of the North-West University and an advanced technical institute. The warm and temperate climate makes for pleasant conditions all year round and a wonderful place to learn Afrikaans.

Why Learn to Speak Afrikaans?

Since you are located in a town where a large percentage of the inhabitants speak Afrikaans, it would serve you well to enrol for a course in Afrikaans. Some people believe it to be a much easier language to learn, because it is far easier than Dutch (not as complicated), the language to which it owes its origin. Another reason is that you will only encounter three tenses in this language, as opposed to twelve in English.

Learning Afrikaans makes economic sense, as a large portion of the town’s inhabitants speak it and, importantly, use it to conduct business. Having the ability to understand, read, speak and write Afrikaans would reflect brilliantly in your CV (curriculum vita). This will enhance the probability of you landing a job at a company of your choice or improve your chances of being promoted. A newcomer to Vanderbijlpark would be able to find his or her way around town easier and make many connections with people who proudly speak Afrikaans.

Why Enrol For an Afrikaans Course?

You can enrol for a course in Afrikaans for a number of reasons. The level at which you study or learn is going depend on whatever your outcomes are. If you only want to converse in Afrikaans with people around you, colleagues for example, then enrol for a course in conversational Afrikaans, at a language school or learning centre. This is where the basic concepts will be reviewed and consolidated. If it is your aim to utilise the language for purposes of work or further study, then enrol at a college or a university. A very good, private tutor could also assist.

Which Route Do You Want to Follow?

• Attending Afrikaans Classes

Let’s look at the option of attending classes, virtually or actually, first. There are a number if institutions in the town of Vanderbijlpark, which offer lessons in Afrikaans. Learning centres can be found online which will enable individuals, who prefer group learning, to attend classes. Classes are great because they provide you with immediate feedback and support. They also make you acutely aware of the fact that you’re not in this process, the learning of a new language, alone; that there are others with the same struggles/ challenges, fears and, maybe, doubts about their ability. A group will help you break out of your comfort zone, so that you can learn, grow and achieve!

The opposite is also true. A group is not the best option for everyone. Within the context of a group, the tutor’s attention is divided as s/he attempts to address the needs of several students within the space of a lesson. This is easier said than done and you may find yourself leaving a class feeling short-changed, neglected and somewhat demoralised. Some students may also behave in a way that distracts you from paying attention to the task at hand and others may ‘steal’ time by hogging the limelight with inane comments and questions. A seasoned educator will, no doubt, have several tools in their repertoire to be able to contend with such negative behaviours. What is important is that you select the route you want to pursue carefully!

The North-West University has various offerings available to students of Afrikaans. It has a writing centre which seeks to improve the academic writing of students. A student can participate in group or one-on-one sessions. The centre seeks to guide a ‘student-writer’ holistically, through all the components of writing, from understanding assignment requirements right through to refencing and the creation of a bibliography. Sounds like a course that will get your creative juices flowing. The ATKV School, similarly, offers short writing courses for individuals who wish to improve their creative writing skills. These courses can run anywhere between one and five days and this may happen at a venue not too far from you.

The NWU also has a Centre for Academic Literacy and Professional Language Practice (CAPLP) which arranges various workshops and short courses in languages. More details are to follow on their website.

• Working with an Afrikaans Tutor

If you’re tired after spending many years in a classroom, an option, may be to engage one-on-one with an Afrikaans personal tutor. A very cursory search on the Internet will bring up a host of tutors who are available in Vanderbijlpark or in very close proximity. These tutors will indicate to you whether they are prepared to travel, teach remotely or do both. The beauty of learning like this is that your teacher will avail him- or herself at your convenience. Tutor rates are specified up-front and, so, you can decide on the number of sessions you can afford in advance.

A great avenue to pursue would be to enlist the help of a Superprof tutor. While Superprof currently only has a few Afrikaans tutors signed up, this number is growing steadily. These professionals are screened before being allowed to interact with learners via the Superprof portal, which also displays verified reviews from, generally, highly satisfied students. The fact that they, in most cases, offer the first lesson at no charge, makes it a wonderful way for a new student to experience a ‘taster’ lesson, before she or he decides which tutor to work with. These tutors’ rates are highly competitive and very often beat the market average. They also respond very promptly, normally within a few hours. So, waarvoor wag jy? Weg is jy!