Learn Afrikaans: History, Resources, and Facts

The Afrikaans language is largely derived from the Dutch language. Until the 19th century it was considered a Dutch dialect until 1925. Afrikaans was originally the dialect which developed from the Afrikaner settlers who arrived with the Dutch East India Company in the Cape area from 1652 and 1705. While a majority of these first settlers were from the present day Netherlands region, there was a considerable contingent of German settlers.

In comparison to Dutch, Afrikaans spelling is simpler. The person seeking to learn Afrikaans should keep in mind, that Afrikaans also has a more eclectic vocabulary reflective of the various coexistent languages in the region.

The Afrikaans language however, still shares approximately 85 percent of its vocabulary with Dutch, and because of this Afrikaans speakers are able to learn Dutch within a relatively short period of time.

The Afrikaans language also includes words from various sources including English, Indian, Malay, San, and Bantu words among others. Another difference between Afrikaans and Dutch and Afrikaans is that the latter has a much more regular grammar. Written Afrikaans also differs from Dutch in that its spelling reflects a more phonetically simplified language. As a result, many consonants are dropped. The spelling is also more phonetic than in Dutch.

Afrikaans is spoken primarily in South Africa and Namibia. In South Africa is the first language of approximately 60% of South Africa's "Whites", and over 90% of the "Coloured" (mixed-race) population. In addition, large numbers of "black" South Africans and Indians also speak it as a second language. Significant Afrikaans speakers are found in the southern third of Namibia and is also spoken to a lesser extent neighboring Botswana, Angola, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

In Namibia, Whites of European ancestry make up approximately 5% of the population. Most of these Namibian whites and nearly all those of mixed race are Afrikaans speakers.

In recent years, an Afrikaans Diaspora of sorts has occurred, with over 100,000 Afrikaans speakers now living in the United Kingdom. In fact, an Afrikaans newspaper in London now exists to serve this community. Significant communities of Afrikaans speakers are also found in other European cities including Brussels and Amsterdam, as well as in Australia ( e.g. Perth), Canada (e.g. Toronto) and New Zealand (e.g. Auckland).

Democratic change ending Apartheid (racial segregation), is reflected in South Africa's democratic Constitution of 1996. While Afrikaans remains an official language of South Africa, it now has equal status to English and as well as nine other principal languages. As a consequence, of this new shift in policy, the Afrikaans language has been reduced in weight to an extent in favor of English. For the individual seeking to learn Afrikaans, a Dutch background is of great benefit. But like any language learning obstacle, the absence of previous experience is not unsurpassable.

Since Afrikaans and Dutch are closely related to each other, they largely understandable to each other. Both languages share considerable vocabulary, though slightly different spellings and pronunciations do occur between the two.

Why You Must Learn to Speak Afrikaans Before You Visit South Africa

By Gerrit Du Plessis

What old-world language did not exist before the seventeenth century?

Give up? The answer, of course, is Afrikaans - a language derived from Dutch, but nonetheless unique in many ways

Afrikaans is spoken by some twelve million people today, most of them in South Africa and Namibia, but also in Botswana, Malawi, and Zambia. The language traces its history to the Dutch who came to the Cape of Good Hope at the southernmost tip of Africa in 1652. Most settlers were immigrants from Western Europe who had enlisted as soldiers or sailors in the Dutch East India Company and later became farming free burghers at the Cape.

These Dutch settlers employed portions of the indigenous Khoikhoi population as servants, and also employed indentured slaves (many of whom were Muslim) from countries in the Far East like Malaysia and Indonesia. French Huguenots soon joined them and became part of the social mix; we see their contribution in the many French surnames still common in South Africa. They were followed by waves of German and Flemish immigrants.

As the Khoikhoi and slave workers were forced to learn the language of their Dutch masters, a new dialect of Dutch arose. As more and more Dutch people started to imitate the Dutch spoken by their workers, they themselves started speaking this new Dutch dialect at home. This is where the saying comes from that Afrikaans is a kitchen language (kombuistaal), since this is where master and slave communicated with each other on a daily basis.

Certainly as a close relative of Dutch, Afrikaans would logically be written using the Roman alphabet. However, because many Malay slaves were Muslim, it is believed that the first form of Afrikaans was written in Arabic script; Dutch Afrikaners continued to speak standard Dutch, written in the same Roman alphabet its speakers used in the Netherlands. By the late nineteenth century, however, more and more Afrikaners of European descent began to consider Afrikaans their native tongue, and the language began to be written in Roman characters, as Dutch is. Afrikaans was finally recognized as a unique language in 1925, and the Bible was translated into Afrikaans eight years later.

Can Dutch speakers understand Afrikaans, and vice versa? Yes - because the two languages share so much of their vocabulary. In general, the differences between Dutch and Afrikaans have to do with pronunciation, sentence structure, grammar, and spelling. Despite using so many of the same words as Dutch, Afrikaans is pronounced differently. Afrikaans grammar is undeniably simpler; there is only one definite article, and verbs conjugate very cleanly, with few if any irregularities. Afrikaans spelling is also simpler than Dutch; it's very phonetic, and tends to use fewer letters used to form similar words. But Dutch speakers can still understand Afrikaans easily, and with some exposure and practice, Afrikaners can pick up Dutch as well.

Why learn Afrikaans today? Although English is understood by most people in South Africa, it is not the language in which the majority of Afrikaners are most comfortable. Regardless of whether you plan to visit South Africa for business or pleasure, learning a bit of Afrikaans will help you get to know the people better, and that will undoubtedly enrich your travel experience. Kom saam (come along) -- give Afrikaans a try!

Gerrit du Plessis whose first language is Afrikaans is the founder of the popular Learn a Language website. Visit it today and discover the secrets how you can easily learn to speak Afrikaans with the Afrikaans Byki Deluxe language course starting now...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerrit_Du_Plessis


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Talk Now Afrikaans

Talk Now! is the world's best selling language learning CD-ROM series for beginners, used by more than eight million people to date. It's ideal for travelers, holiday makers, business people, school children, students and families. Anyone beginning to learn Afrikaans will find the disc indispensable.

Nine topics first words, food, colors, phrases, parts of the body, numbers, time, shopping and countries.

Speech recording compare your voice with native speakers

Two quiz levels Test what you've learned, earn points and monitor your progress.

Memory Games to improve your knowledge of key vocabulary.

Intelligent Software remembers words you get wrong and targets your weak points.

Automatic Localization lets you choose the language you learn from (more than 100 available).

Wide range of words from greetings and phrases to parts of the body, numbers and shopping.

Gold Award if you get all 1800 points when using the disc.

Printable Dictionary with color pictures.

iPod integration listen to Talk Now Afrikaans wherever you are!

Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher; Windows 2000/ME/XP/Vista; iTunes 6 required for MP3 function

For more information visit Talk Now Beginner Afrikaans Software.

Talk The Talk Afrikaans

TALK The Talk is designed with teenagers' social lives in mind. It concentrates on the words and phrases young people need for social conversation, including plenty of useful, up-to-date vocabulary. It then builds their spoken confidence, allowing them to compare their accent to that of a native speaker.

Will it work for me?

This program is best suited for teenagers who are beginning to get to grips with Afrikaans. It's best if you know some basic vocabulary before you start.

Because it's aimed at recent beginners, everything you hear will be clearly spoken at a speed that you can easily keep up with.

What will I learn?

To talk about the things that are relevant to you. We won't bother you with lots of information you won't need or don't find interesting.

Talk The Talk teaches phrases like "I'll send you a text message later" and "we won the game on penalties". Topics include family, school, hobbies, travelling, home, technology, work and sport.

How does it work?

Watch and learn! See and hear how to speak Afrikaans by watching video footage of native speakers.

Build confidence on a computer. Before testing your new speaking skills in the real world, record yourself, then play back to compare your pronunciation with a native speaker. (Note that we don't use electronic voice analysis: the human ear is usually much more accurate.)

Play interactive games. The comprehension quiz prompts you to react to real life situations, while a challenging recording quiz tests your knowledge and pronunciation.

You earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or on the ferry. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
QuickTime 6 or higher

For more information visit Talk theTalk Afrikaans Beginner Software.

Talk More Afrikaans

THIS program teaches basic conversational phrases with structures that can be adapted to fit different situations. It also tackles one of the main challenges in learning a foreign language: building the confidence to speak it. Talk More's recording function allows you to compare your accent with that of a native speaker. Perfect for building a learner's spoken confidence.

Will it work for me?

If you know some basic Afrikaans, but you don't think you could handle a full conversation, Talk More will get you talking. Because it's aimed at recent beginners, everything you hear will be clearly spoken at a speed that you can easily keep up with.

What will I learn?

In this program you'll start putting together complete sentences, as opposed to learning individual bits of vocabulary. We've selected a range of phrases you commonly need abroad, including many that you might find essential: for example, "I'd like to pay by credit card", "My camera has been stolen", and "Where is the pharmacy?"

Topics cover greetings, shops and restaurants, getting around, hotels, phone calls, emergencies, leisure and the basic vocabulary of business and technology.

How does it work?

Watch and learn! See and hear how to speak Afrikaans by watching video footage of native speakers.

Build confidence on a computer. Before testing your new speaking skills in the real world, record yourself, then play back to compare your pronunciation with that of a native speaker. (Note that we don't use electronic voice analysis: the human ear is usually much more accurate.)

Play interactive games. The comprehension quiz prompts you to react to real life situations, while a challenging recording quiz tests your knowledge and pronunciation.

You earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or on the ferry. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
QuickTime 6 or higher

For more information visit Talk More Afrikaans Conversational Software.

World Talk Afrikaans

IT'S easy to be fazed when you start a conversation in Afrikaans and the person you're talking to replies using lots of words that you haven't learned yet. World Talk prepares you for these real-life situations with addictive listening games. It will teach you to recognise key words in everyday situations and broaden your vocabulary.

Will it work for me?

If your Afrikaans is good enough to follow basic conversations, but you still need to practice, World Talk is for you.

Everything you'll hear in the program is in Afrikaans, but you don't need to know every word before you start. Listen for key words that you already know, then pick up new words in the same way you would when talking to a native speaker.

What will I learn?

To keep on listening. When a word comes up that we don't recognise, we often stop listening because we're focusing on that one word and nothing else. This program lets you grasp the gist of what someone's saying without getting hung up on the words you don't understand.

You will develop your practical knowledge of Afrikaans. There are 10 different games covering numbers, conversations, descriptions, sentence building, directions and dictation practice. These activities cover a wide range of subjects and give you important practical skills that you can use immediately.

How does it work?

Play interactive language games and earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

Speak and write in Afrikaans. Record yourself and compare your pronunciation with a native speaker, then test your written Afrikaans with four dictation exercises.

You'll start to think in Afrikaans! World Talk is an 'immersive' experience: in this program you will only hear Afrikaans. You'll learn to associate the language with memorable images - not just the equivalent words in your own language. This means you'll start thinking in Afrikaans, which will make you quicker at understanding and recalling words.

For more information visit WorldTalk Intermediate Afrikaans Software Course.

Talk Business Afrikaans

PICTURE yourself doing business with someone who doesn't speak your language. The chances are you'll need more than "holiday level" conversation to get by. That's why Talk Business was developed. It teaches you basic business vocabulary so that you can concentrate on the important stuff and not waste time searching for the right words.

Will it work for me?

Talk Business is aimed at people who already have some experience of the language. You must feel confident enough to start up a conversation and keep it going.

The specialist phrases in Talk Business Afrikaans are clearly spoken at a speed that you can easily keep up with and copy.

What will I learn?

Talk Business Afrikaans gives you essential vocabulary for the workplace. It covers basics such as "what is your website address?" and "my computer crashed and I lost all my files" as well as more advanced discussion of exchange rates, product guarantees and marketing budgets.

Topics covered are: - Trading, buying and selling - Marketing, advertising and PR - IT, Internet, e-commerce and communications - Banking, finance, stock exchange and accounting - Business meetings - Business travel - Careers - Negotiations - On the phone - General business vocabulary

How does it work?

Watch and learn! See and hear how to speak Afrikaans by watching video footage of native speakers.

Build confidence on a computer. Before testing your new speaking skills in the real world, record yourself, then play back to compare your pronunciation with a native speaker. (Note that we don't use electronic voice analysis: the human ear is usually more accurate.)

Play interactive games. The comprehension quiz prompts you to react to real life situations, while a challenging recording quiz tests your knowledge and pronunciation.

You earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or on the ferry. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you.

For more information visit Talk Business Afrikaans Intermediate Software.

This is a complete course in reading and writing, speaking and understanding Afrikaans. It uses a book/CD combination and will be perfect for you if you are a complete beginner or if you have some knowledge of the language which you need to brush up.

The book is very communication-centered and the emphasis throughout is on speaking and being understood in everyday situations.

The course has 17 units (including 3 review units), all based on the kind of language you will need on a visit to South Africa. New language and grammar is presented through dialogues and there is plenty of opportunity for you to practice and check your understanding as you go along.

The culture notes will ensure that you get the most out of any business trip or holiday and the English-Afrikaans and Afrikaans-English vocabularies will be invaluable, both as you work through the course and on any trip you take.

For more information visit Teach Yourself Afrikaans .