African language and culture workshop
The International Studies Abroad once again invited UBuntu Bridge to do our fun African language and culture workshop for their students. We were delighted 🙂
About ISA
Since 1987, International Studies Abroad (ISA) has provided college students the opportunity to explore the world. ISA’s mission is to provide high-quality education abroad opportunities to U.S. and Canadian university students at an affordable price. ISA offers students a wide range of academic settings, campus cultures and extracurricular options through an established network of reputable host institutions.
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
In addition to language courses, ISA provides on-site tutoring at select sites and the option to add an Intensive Month program prior to semester or summer programs to accelerate language acquisition. Students are also encouraged to adhere to the ISA Office Language Pledge by promising to only speak the host country language when interacting with staff and fellow students.
UBuntu Bridge’s role
ISA invited us for the third time around to come and facilitate the African language and culture workshop at their Cape Town offices in South Africa. This two and a half hour workshop gives an insight in a fun as well effective way to the Xhosa culture, the origin of the Xhosa people followed by teaching basics of the Xhosa language. Our aim really is to ready them for their first ever conversation in Xhosa, getting them confortable and confident with being able to know how to greet, introduce themselves and know the Xhosa clicks.
The clicks
By this we hope the experience will open their minds and help build sustainable relationships that they could potentially have with the locals. We believe the best way to learn about a country and its people is through learning their language. And being in South Africa with eleven official languages one might think it’s too much but what we always advise people is to learn the language that’s being spoken where they are in South Africa.
Greetings
The beauty of being in Cape Town and learning Xhosa is that once people start speaking Zulu, Swati, Ndebele you will recognize similar words to Xhosa and might even be able to understand and find it easy to learn those languages. It’s a good challenge that if you take on you stand the chance of having a fulfilling, raw and beautiful experience of being in South Africa and its people.
Ibhasi & Umxhentso
Feel free to contact us if you would like more information about our workshops!!