Intermediate Xhosa

"Doing the course was nothing short of profound. Every day I reap the benefits. Tessa took us masterfully on a voyage of learning - she is the most awesome, patient, encouraging teacher!!!"

(This is an intermediate level course. For our beginner course, click here.)

Message from the trainer, Dr Tessa Dowling 

You’ve done a beginner course in Xhosa, like Speak Xhosa in Eight Weeks (or you have cleverly taught yourself), and you can compliment, complain, congratulate, commiserate and wish people all the best. You are starting to impress others and yourself, and a part of you is happily becoming Xhosa. People say “Ndiyavuya ukukwazi” (Pleased to know you) and really mean it!

But now, naturally, you want MORE! You want to get fluent – to speak easily and confidently and to listen with real comprehension.

In Intermediate Xhosa, I explain the grammar to you (simply) as it occurs in natural conversation (using video and sound clips, dialogues, advertisements), and immediately you enhance your Xhosa skills.

For example, you tell the class what frustrated you last week (the fridge broke, the geyser leaked, you had to do your taxes), and what you are looking forward to (a holiday, exciting sports event, massage, TV series, great book). As you speak, I gently correct any glaring mistakes you might be making and give you the missing vocabulary or additional grammar you may need. Each week we track your progress to help keep you motivated and give you a sense of moving forward. 

I want you to think of these classes as conversations that just happen to be in Xhosa. To quote Irish polyglot Benny Lewis, “You don’t know a language, you live it. You don’t learn a language, you get used to it.”

Topics

Conversation topics include:

• Emotions
• Routines
• Opinions and suggestions
• Work and recreation

Grammar topics include:

• Tenses - speaking in the past, present and future
• Moods - being able to say things like "I must ...", "We should ..."
• Adjectives - describing things, people, experiences
• The passive voice - e.g., "The house is being painted", "I am being gossiped about!"

Course delivery

At each 90-minute weekly session, Tessa will expertly and entertainingly present new material. After that, you'll practise what you've seen and heard.

You'll receive PowerPoint presentations, notes, sound files, and a course manual with practical exercises to complete at home.

There are no formal assessments, but Tessa will help you track your progress each week, to keep you motivated and give you a sense of moving forward.
 

If you or your organisation may need a more focused course, covering specific communication needs (e.g. medical, financial, safety), then let us know. Courses can be tailor-made to suit your requirements.