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Join the Online Discussion Group

There is a discussion group to support this site -- "Learn-Afrikaans" on Yahoo Groups. Click here to visit the group. You are invited to join if you are interested to talk to others learning the language.

Are you ready to get going? (Is jy reg om te begin?)

You might be curious and find yourself surfing around to acquaint yourself with the reach of the development. That is a good start.

Step 1 – Do the Pronunciation

As a beginner, be patient and sweat the small stuff -- Be near sighted for a while and focus on mastering each little lesson in pronunciation. Stick with it till you feel you have an inner voice and you can trust your own judgment reasonably well. Then move on to Vocabulary and Grammar. Later on the Contextuary section will be very helpful. The Culture section is not the emphasis right now, but it will be a lot of fun later on.

It is of great value to be able to pronounce, even if you were not going to master the language. In and of itself, it is a worthwhile activity. Go over the pronunciation nodes more than once. Initially listen intently. Do not immediately jump to production. Often, the overly eager student engrains incorrect pronunciation, because it is built upon a premature perception of the sound. Guess what, perceptions are often shaky at the outset, and if you listen more in the beginning, you form a solid and accurate perception.

Once you have gone through the whole pronunciation unit at least twice, it is time to try your new skills with a native speaker. Take some Afrikaans text to a native speaker and read to them. They will give you praise (hopefully) and point out some issues you need to work on some more. If you do not know any Afrikaans speakers, I will be happy to call you anywhere in north America (Noord-Amerika) (You can also possibly use Skype to talk to others via the Internet).

Step 2 – Vocabulary and Grammar

The grammar will follow a sequential progression. Do it one lesson at a time, and review old materials before you move on. Reviewing is vital – build it into your schedule. Some vocabulary lists tie directly to grammar lessons (e.g. Question words and the lesson of making questions). With these two domains in particular, the software will be of great use.

The vocabulary section will eventually be divided in a beginner and advanced section. Many interactive exercises will allow you to learn vocabulary. If you are interested in using Windows software to master the vocabulary and grammar, contact the author at easyafrikaans (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk.

Step 3 – The Contextuary and Culture

After the Vocabulary and Grammar sections, the Contextuary will become a useful domain. Here you will engage in divergent activities to test your perceptions. Activities here include skills in conversation, writing, and listening.

You can read the culture section any time. As you become more familiar with the language, you will want to ask questions, try out your language, and learn about the speakers, etc. When we come to this stage, we will seek for innovative opportunities to make this happen.

Advies aan Nederlandstaliges

PASSIEWE BENADERING

a. Raak bewus van algemene verskille, byvoorbeeld, die werwoord in die infinitiewe form het geen –EN soos in Nederlands. NL=leren AF=leer.

Begin Afrikaans lees. Byvoorbeeld, lees daagliks die nuus op Afrikikaans. Op my webwerf is ‘n spul webskakels.

AKTIEWE BENADERING

Luister na Afrikaans en kopieer die uitspraak, soos ‘n Brit wat die Amerikaanse tongval probeer naboots. Daar is heelwat Afrikaans op die webwerf. Hou vol daarmee totdat u gemaklik voel met die Afrikaanse uitspraak. Luister byvoorbeeld na Stef Bos. Hy doen goed met die Suid-Afrikaanse tongval.

Netwerk met Afrikaans sprekendes. Daar is Afrikaanse sprekendes in Nederland, of maak kontak met Afrikaans sprekendes op Skype. Gesprekke met Afrikaans sprekendes sal jou oor instel en jou help om die klank aan te voel. Eerlik, met ‘n senstiwiteit vir die uitspraak, sal jy vind die woordeskat en grammatika sal heel natuurlik volg.


Skakels van Belang

Afrikaans-Nederlandse Woordelys 1
Afrikaans-Nederlandse Woordelys 2
Afrikaans-Nederlands-English Comparison
Afrikaans-Dutch Forum
Afrikaans-Dutch Written Forms
Afrikaans-Dutch Resources