Speaking Zulu

January 23, 2010

Speaking Zulu

One of my goals here in SA is to learn a little Zulu. Zulu I find is not easy. There are different click sounds for different letters, to name a few the c, ch, q and x. I have not mastered any clicks, since these clicks are different for how you place your tongue in your month to make the click sound. But I have learned a few words.

A couple months ago, James purchased a few books that help people learn new languages for us SALTer’s. This books method is to try and learn new languages by a child’s perspective. Children learn how to speak by listening to grown ups by repeating words and also by try and error. So one of the techniques in the book to use a type recorder and record words and repeat them over and over and then go into the community and use those words.

I do not have a recorder, but my days before Christmas day I read through that book, and went through my little Zulu phrase book to pick out some common phrases and words, and then on Christmas Eve I met up with my dear friend Siphokazi for a couple hours to have her help me. Siphokazi is not Zulu, but actually Xhosa but does know Zulu. Since then I have learned to speak the hello greeting better and a couple goodbye greetings, thank you greetings, and a couple other words. Actually a few months ago probably back in October, I did start a few informal lessons with someone else from work. So in one of my notebooks here I have pages with Zulu words and phrases written down.

Saying hello here is not just a one word phrase of just hello. You actually have to phrase the greetings of “Hello, how are you, I am fine” which in Zulu words would be “Sawubona, unjani, ngiyaphila”; with people that you meet. So, I’ve been working on this with people I know, and people I don’t. When I greet strangers, they are sometimes surprised and often impressed that I am greeting them in Zulu. One morning this week or last at work, I saw one of my friends that works in the tourism office walking across the parking area, instead of saying ngiyaphila (I am fine) I responded “shep shep” (good good in zulu slang), and he chuckled in surprise of my response. Other times that I’ve been trying to use the Zulu words I’ve learned is when I get out of the Kombi and I’ll turn to the Kombi conductor who had opened the door for me and say “ngiyabonga” (I thank you).

So bit by bit I am learning Zulu.

Signing off… or Hamba kahle (my farewell to you all which means, go well), and you could responde back to me Sala khale (stay well)