Unisa offers free language lessons online
The lessons cover several African languages, including isiZulu and Tswana.
THE University of South Africa (UNISA) is offering free African language lessons online.
These include lessons in isiZulu and Xhosa, which fall under the Nguni language group.
African languages in South Africa are divided into the four main groups: Nguni, Sotho, Tsonga and Venda. UNISA’s Department of African Languages, which is housed in the College of Human Sciences is sharing the lessons on the UNISA website.
“We currently offer Northern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Southern Sotho and Xhosa online. As most Africans speak more than one (even four or five) of the various languages, you need not be too concerned that you will go wrong in the choice you make,” read the UNISA site.
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The online lessons will equip learners with basic language skills and phrases that are relevant to South Africans.
“Learning a new language is always exciting and you will see that we have developed the course in a way that allows you to systematically work through the vocabulary relevant to a particular theme. There is a video clip at the end of each theme showing the context in which the vocabulary can be used,” read the site.
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To sign up for lessons, log onto the UNISA website (unisa.ac.za), select the ‘Unisa Open’ tab and then the ‘OER @Unisa’ tab.
Then select ‘Learn to speak an African Language’ and choose from the list of available lessons.
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