I just came back from my first trip to Africa this week. I still remember a little of the German that I learned in high school so I could pick up some of the words in Afrikaans. For my next trip, I'd like to be able to speak and understand the language better. Are there any language programs for Afrikaans? I looked at Rosetta Stone but I was unable to find anything.

Thanks.

You might explore first the proper method of speaking English with an Afrikaans accent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNJVMJH5OhI

I may have just wet myself. Good one.

I have been lokking some at this sight.

http://www.openlanguages.net/afrikaans

There are some instructional books, a dictionary and tapes/cds available from Amazon.com

If you study hard, you will learn how to count, greet people, say thanks, and perhaps ask where the post office is.

IMO it is really tough to do this without being around people who are speaking it. You will think you know a thing or two but your pronunciation will be all wrong.

I worked at this for a while but was only able to get to where I could read a few things and get through basic greetings, etc..

I had a few years of German and that helped a little with the pronunciation but not much.

I like the language very much but like I said I think you will find it difficult without someone to coach you along.

Try to find a South African who lives near you that can help you. And you can listen to radio stations from South Africa and Namibia.

Alles van die beste!

dla69

In Mozambique Afrikaans will not be necessary.

Mark

Afrikaans is a minor language in the context of Africa.

Learning Dutch will get you there faster than German.

It will also help you out more in Amsterdam.

Drop JJ Hack a line over at www.24hourcampfire.com. He's the moderator on the african forum and is a American who is a PH in RSA and had to learn the language. I'm sure he can give you some tips. He's probably in RSA right now so don't expect a quick response.

quote:

Originally posted by Gator1:
Learning Dutch will get you there faster than German.

It will also help you out more in Amsterdam.

Many aspects of the Afrikaans language seemed familiar to me as I remember my grandparents speaking to each other in Dutch.

if you are headed to Moz., portuguese will be MUCH more useful. Bon Dio!!!!!

Try these:
http://www.sois.uwm.edu/afrikaans/
This one is "retired" but has links to the two below and on other that did not open.


http://www.openlanguages.net/afrikaans

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/learn-afrikaans/

The quickest way to learn a language is to get a girl friend who speaks only that language.

One tends to lear very fast that way

Afrikaans is more closely related to Flemish (the "Dutch" spoken in northern Belgium) than to modern Dutch in The Netherlands. Flemish is a bit analogous to Quebec French vs France French. Neither "old" language moddernized as reapidly as its parent. Thus the Belgian old Dutch is quite similar to Afrikaans.

And I agree, get a girl friend wh0 speaks the language -- I did (Flemish)! And she never lets on that she understands Afrikaans until we are well established with our hosts. When she fesses up, it tends to raise more hilarity than embarrassments.

The history of the Boers is as much Dutch as it´s German, in fact it is 50/50. As a person of German origin I know there are a lot of German words in Afrikaans, absolutely the same spelling but different pronounciation.

Correct, Afrikaans is closer to Flemish than to Dutch. Once I met a Flemish lady, she spoke her language, I spoke Afrikaans. Was real fun but worked very well.

People from Holland call Afrikaans "Kitchen-Dutch". It´s quite a simple language, just the oposite from difficult German. Dutch people normally love Afrikaans. Because of my Afrikaans knowledge I have to difficulties to communicate with people from Holland.

dla69

I had the same reaction. However, since I grew up in Ethiopia nothing from my background helped. I have tried tape and book programs, messing around online with hunting friends and so on. (Also tried the same with Xhosa.)

Without a friend who is also interested in your acquiring Afrikaans, it is a huge struggle. For me, now I just listen to Radio KuduFM out of Namibia and RSG from South Africa online, plus Radio Jacaranda sometimes.

Too bad we don't live closer -- I'd like to learn together. South Africans living over here generally don't need to swap English practice for Afrikaans -- they already use more of the language than we Americans!

Barry

Sunshine, you are quite right in your observations. However, being Dutch I can perfectly communicate with our Flamish 'neigbours' and vice versa. The Dutch language developped more rapidly than the Flemish language, since our anchestors went to S.A. to try their luck. However I have a lot of friends in S.A. who mainly speak Afrikaans. If we communicate slowly with each other in our own language, we can understand each other for 95%. Communications in writing is even more simple.We do not consider Afrikaans as 'Kitchen Dutch', although there are some words, that make you smile because these sound a bit 'chidish'when you hear them the first time. All in all, I love Afrikaans, but maybe it is also due to the fact that S.A is one of the very few countries where I can try my luck with my native language

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The quickest way to learn a language is to get a girl friend who speaks only that language.

One tends to lear very fast that way

I don't think my wife would be real sympathetic to that method. Maybe that's why she got me abook and some tapes. Not the most effective method, perhaps, but certainly the most conducive to continued matrimonial harmony!

If you really want to impress your PH than as he greets you at the airport say "Jou Moer" Pronounced "Joe Moor". He will be very impressed and will quite likely buy you a drink and teach you some other usefull words
Alternately try Berlitz...
Good luck
Ian

The best one that I have heard some days ago was - (well you now as all the antelopes are some kind of "boks" in Afrikaans) - that baboon is actually a sit-bok

dla69,

You are a hunter? If you are, why not book a 30 to 90 days hunting safari with me: My wife and I will teach you Afrikaans at no extra cost. I will even give you a special long period booking discount! If you are a fast learner 30 days will get you to the point where you can court a local farm lady in Afrikaans. From there on it will be plain sailing! If you are a slower learner a somewhat longer hunt may be required to get to the point where you can court in Afrikaans, but then I'll consider an even bigger discount. You could even [illegally] work for me as a Camp Helper and so earn part of your keep!

If you realy want to win the respect of most Afrikaans PH's and land owners you may be better off reading and studying some of our history. I have just completed a hunt with a client hwo knew about the Anglo Boer War, the Concentration camps, a lot about the Zulu wars and had a good general feeling for turbulent the history of our young nation. I know how much my estimation of him as a person rose when I realized that he actually knew something about our history! Other PH's can speak for themselves, but a guy that has taken the trouble to find out the basics of our history will be held in higher esteem by me that the guy who has taken more trouble to learn a few Afrikaans phrases and greetings. Not that I don't appreciate a greeting of "Goeie more!"; but I'd rather have a client know some of our history than speak a few words. But that is only my personal opinion!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

That´s an intersting statement Andrew.

Last year hunting in Limpopo I had many interesting discussions with my PH which could trace his Boer ancestors back to 17 and something.

I have read several books about the Boer war and naturally all the stuff from Wilbur Smith
Last book is The Boer War from Thomas Packenham.

He found it strange that a grown up man from the cold and far away Norway knew that much about South Africas history, the Groote Trek and the Boer / Zulu clashes.

He was a religious man and after some days he started to ask me about my faith and how old I thought the world was.
I answered...lots of millions of years, but he shaked his had and said; 10000 years!
He could read that out from the Old Testament!

Anyway, and interesting person with whom I felt friendship and respect, as well as we sheard interest in a field other than hunting.

I picked up som Afrkaans words as well, but if you don´t use a language on a regular basis, it soon drifts away.

Interesting enough I found that a lot of words had the same meaning, and in many cases was written in an understandable way, compared to my native Norwegian.

In my experience, there is one universal word that tends to transend the language barrier and is used with frequency by the Afrikaans speakers. Even the untrained ear will have no difficulty picking out the F**k, in Afrikaans. Sometimes, when listening to a couple of PH's jabbering to one another, I have to laugh out loud at the absurdity and frequency of use of that "English" word by the Afrikaans.

That is a universal word in any language!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The quickest way to learn a language is to get a girl friend who speaks only that language.

One tends to lear very fast that way

THE FRENCH CALL THAT "Taking a dictionary to bed" I have heard it is very effective, however I doubt my wife would approve!!

PM me your address. I'll mail you my Colloquial Afrikaans CD/Book and the Afrikaans-English dictionary.

quote:

Originally posted by mtf:
PM me your address. I'll mail you my Colloquial Afrikaans CD/Book and the Afrikaans-English dictionary.

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The quickest way to learn a language is to get a girl friend who speaks only that language.

One tends to lear very fast that way

Or a boyfriend, for some members.

Or a goat.

I learned Afrikaans by marrying an Afrikaans girl..

Oh yeah, and I lived in Namibia and South Africa for a while too. I was in Pietermaritzburg for a period, and it is very English there, but then I moved to Stellenbosch, and between being immersed in a VERY Afrikaans region and being married to a VERY Afrikaans girl, it wasn't too hard to pick up.

Now that we live back in the USA, we still speak mostly Afrikaans at home.

My wife is South African, speaks Afrikaans and a few other languages, but I still have learned nothing but the ugly words! I think I have a learning deficiency, or maybe I just don't give a S%@t and too lazy to learn. If I need to know she tells me! But I have been around it enough to know most of the conversation, even if I don't admit I know what is being said.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The quickest way to learn a language is to get a girl friend who speaks only that language.

One tends to lear very fast that way

I learned Spanish from a Russian that only spoke Russian and Spanish. I knew just enough to get her to my house. Keeping her there took an every day effort of learning her languages.

quote:

Originally posted by Mvu:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The quickest way to learn a language is to get a girl friend who speaks only that language.

One tends to lear very fast that way

Now there's a man who knows what he is talking about

Has worked quite well for me over the years, mostly southeast asia. Thai, Cambodian, Vietnemes, Chinese(mandarin), Japansese, Phillipino-Tagalog. Agirl friend in each of the localities is in fact the fatest way to learn. It is what the colonials used to call sleeping dictionaries. It is a high motivation to become fluent in those situations. Very effective as well as it is total imersion in the local language. Nothing formal or fancy but verry productive.