Tessa Dowling has been described by a leading language academic as “both erudite and hilarious”. She has taught businesspeople, politicians, doctors, and many other adults how to speak Xhosa, and has written textbooks for learners of African languages.

Tessa holds a Distinguished Teacher Award from UCT, where she lectures. She writes prize-winning academic articles and lighter humorous pieces on African languages, is a popular speaker at conferences, and is often asked to comment in the media on language issues.

Having begun her study of Xhosa at the age of twenty-five, Tessa is living proof that an English-speaking South African adult can master an African language.

In her Speak Xhosa in Eight Weeks course, Tessa takes participants from zero knowledge of the language to “breaking the ice” level. She gives participants the building blocks of the language, enlivened by songs, videos and activities.

• Holds a PhD in African Languages
• Specialises in teaching African languages to non-mother-tongue-speakers
• Co-ordinates Xhosa Communication major at UCT
• Teaches Xhosa online to students at Harvard, Cambridge, Sorbonne-Nouvelle, and King’s College London
• Produced Speak Xhosa With Us multimedia package, highly rated by Yale University’s Software Review panel
• Received Provincial Arts and Culture Award for promoting multilingualism
• Has worked with clients such as Discovery Health, NBC Holdings, CapeTalk, Western Cape Government (including the Premier), City of Cape Town, University of the Western Cape, and the British Embassy