Learning Xhosa in the hills of the Transkei

[craigieji]

Every good traveller knows that the best thing to do in a foreign country is to brush up your language skills. Every word is power, every phrase can mean the difference between lost and found, hungry or full, happy or broke.

Well, in SA, even if you live here, its a could idea to get a feel of a local lingo, and there are plenty of those. Even just a smidgen can lubricate the rusty cogs of intercultural understanding. Xhosa is mother tongue to over 7 million South Africans and spoken by a good deal more. It is very similar to Zulu, though they like to emphasise their differences. Together they make up half the peeps in Mzantsi Afrika.

Here is an opportunity to improve communication in South Africa, especially acoss the financial divide, as well as being a source of income for the poorest of the poor, though they live in a place that looks something like heaven, Ubuntu Bridge has been boiling up a medicinal brew designed to help you, even if you don't have anything to do with it, by encouraging a nation to get to know each other, to understand each others needs. Well, its a small start, anyway. Read on....

I invite you to spend 10 days living with a family in a remote, breath-taking coastal village. Daily language, culture and history lessons with me, Craig Charnock form an integral part of your learning, whilst you experience traditional Xhosa life in a contemporary rural environment.

Set in a beautiful, friendly village close to the coast, you will experience the magic of an older, earthier way of life. Collecting wood from the forests, cooking bread on the fire, fetching water from the rivers and streams and shellfish from the sea, the experience adds a deeper meaning to one's life as you interact and bond with a community whose lives are both strenuous and stress free, exuding joy and a warmth for people. Most importantly you will be practicing your Xhosa language skills and building confidence. Visit www.learnxhose.com if you feel rough and ready for the experience of a life time.

[Ming]

This looks like a great experience. How many people can be accommodated in the village? What would a average days itinerary look like?

[craigieji]

Hi Ming, thanks for the response and interest.

The main concern is that there would be so many learners walking around that they could just hang out, speak English and the whole thing becomes a tourist farm. Part of the experience is the sense of immersion. At the moment, I am working on a top number of 15, though 10 would be preferable in the early days. Each person will live alone with a family, though homesteads are often close together and arrangements can be made for people who wish to stay together, such as a father and daughter. The entire village will be aware of the operations and appreciative of its communal benefits, so one will feel most welcome.

A daily itinerary would obviously be flexible and change with the activities of the family one stays with and the time of the year, and would be shaped to a large extent by the choices of the guest. Days in the hills start at dawn, which is a truly magical time. They could choose to accompany their host family on their daily chores, including wood and water collection, food preparation, etc., which I will strongly encourage, as that is where the strongest bond is formed. Then there will be the daily mudhut lesson, where the students will congregate, receive the language lesson, ask questions, report issues, share experiences and possibly organise one of the local businesses such as horse-riding on the beach, forest walks with the herbalist, visiting the solar restaurant, canoeing, all of which you do with guides who speak only Xhosa, so it is great for practicing ukuthetha, though myself and my assisstats are there for the real difficulties.

There is always the opportunity in the evenings for a visit to the shebeen, there are often traditional gatherings on the weekend, the monthly hube party, and perhaps towards the end of the stay, a visit to the lodge, where they sometimes have great beach parties. The village is quite large, and in certain places, you will find a volunteer working with the local people, establishing a nursery and teaching the principles of composting.

It is a dynamic, special place, where nonetheless things move languidly and appreciation for life is tangible. It is an experience for people who really want to learn Xhosa.

I've done a year of Xhosa at UCT and am looking to emerse myself into Xhosa speaking so that I'm actually forced to get fluent (or vaguelly fluent). Whats the longest you can stay? What age group do you usually take? and What is the cost involved? Thanks
Kind regards

Tess

[craigieji]

Hi Tess, the details can be seen in this very same forum at http://forum.southafrica-direct.com/...ei-t336-1.html

The best thing is to get hold of me and we can discuss what may be appropriate for you. Any age is welcome.

Cheers,
Craig