{"id":8622,"date":"2015-04-26T15:32:58","date_gmt":"2015-04-26T13:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/responsive.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents\/?p=8622"},"modified":"2022-06-21T13:03:53","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T11:03:53","slug":"south-african-kids-must-speak-an-african-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/education\/reading\/south-african-kids-must-speak-an-african-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Why kids *must* learn an african language"},"content":{"rendered":"

My four-year-old is learning isiZulu. Her pre-school offers it in the form of a weekly class. But she\u2019s also \u2018studying\u2019 isiZulu after school, every day of the week, with her nanny.<\/p>\n

Why? Because I believe that being able to communicate with more than 70%* of our country\u2019s people is an important part of being a South African citizen. I believe that sharing words makes people like each other, so it\u2019s good for our souls. And I believe that bilingualism and multilingualism are healthy for children\u2019s brains.<\/p>\n

The cultural impact<\/h2>\n

Nelson Mandela said: \u201cIf you talk to to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps even more eloquently, according to Meryl Bailey of Linguamites (which is the monthly programme our nanny attends to learn to teach our child isiZulu), \u201cThere is great power in relationship-building through language learning,\u201d especially in the context of current racial and cultural intolerance.<\/p>\n

Language learning can teach children to respect other cultures, to identify with people from different backgrounds, and to grow up to be accepting, responsible and sensitive global citizens.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The cognitive impact<\/h2>\n

But beyond civil society, there are significant brain-related benefits inherent in child bilingualism, explains Meryl, including enhanced cognitive functioning, better memory, superior creative thinking, better problem-solving and the capacity for divergent thinking \u2013 as well as soft skills like adaptability and confidence.<\/p>\n

Bottom line? An additional language can make your kid kinder and<\/em> smarter.<\/p>\n

A brief Q&A session<\/h2>\n

Here are some of the insights I gained during my interview with Meryl:<\/p>\n

Q: How can speaking an African language improve racial tolerance?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A: By learning someone else\u2019s language you are saying, \u201cYou are important, your culture is important and your ideas are important. I want to know who you are.\u201d The divide between us can only get smaller when we say these things to one another.<\/p>\n

Q: Why must white South African kids speak an African language?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Speaking an African language is part of a new South African identity we need to create in order to move forward as a nation. In the future, it has the potential to open doorways for our children and create opportunities we\u2019ve never known before.<\/p>\n

Q: *Why is isiZulu the African language of choice at Linguamites?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A: isiZulu is spoken as a first language by more than 20% of our country, while more than 50% of South Africans use it as a second language. As a Bantu language, isiZulu stands a learner in good stead to acquire other African languages.<\/p>\n

Q: Going beyond African languages to European or Asian languages, how should a parent choose an additional language for his\/her child to learn?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n