Learn Afrikaans

Before embarking on a journey to learn Afrikaans, it's a good idea to review the history, background, and geographical distribution of it. As with any language, having an understanding of the facts as well as a basic cultural knowledge can go far in guaranteeing your success on your journey to learn Afrikaans.

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.

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