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Hope you were not too bothered by our newsletter amongst the piles of junk info that we all have to deal with. Sorry - uxolo!

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Otherwise, Stay well - Sala kakuhle!

Sharp.
UBuntu Bridge.

Xhosa Volunteer Opportunities - The thinking behind it

It is my belief that the best way for people to learn Xhosa and potentially help heal rifts is to go and volunteer, but not to go as some sort of saviour but rather as your humble self, struggling to learn Xhosa and to get to know people in the process. You provide a service, and learn about your fellow peoples in our beautiful country and have a good time. There is plenty of healing to be done on both sides of the wealth and class curtain. Besides, this is how I learnt Xhosa as an adult - Volunteering and interacting. Its a fabulous investment in yourself, let alone the youth of our country.

So, if you wish to be connected through some innovative channels, please check this blog label often or subscribe via RSS or just keep subscribed to my mailing list. But hopefully, you can follow one of the links to organisations below and find a place to volunteer that works well for you. At this time, I prefer to not have to manage this process. Take initiative and contact some of the folk below.

At some point, we hope to have a google calendar, which will provide up to date connections with events and peoples organising things in the townships. The atmosphere of non-work pressure combined with the inquisitive exposure will allow you the mental space to let your Xhosa grow. Epic! Improve your Xhosa, heal the nation and yourself - Volunteer!

Volunteer Opportunities - Links and Contacts

The Sosebenza Centre for Peace is a youth centre in Masiphumelele (MASI). Its is a home away from home to many youth involved in various environmental, music, art, drama, sport and spiritual community based organisations.

Link to their Facebook Page



And Green Pop for fun tree planting activities in the locations:

http://www.greenpop.org/
http://greenpop.org/dates/ - for planting schedule.

The Earthchild Project have some truly inspiring Volunteer projects going and you can have a lot of fun doing great things with wonderful kids.

See the other blog posts below or their site at:  http://www.earthchildproject.org/index.php  

Culture Topics

UBuntu Bridge is happy to provide speakers on Xhosa culture and its adaptations in a modern context. Please email us on info@learnxhosa.co.za

Long-distance Learning options

If you wish to study from a distance you have a few options.

1. Ordering the CDs. These are great for self-study. I teach over the Cds, with which you interact verbally, and the manuals make it clear. Starting with the first two I would suggest as a minimum and working through all four would be ideal. See Cd structures and costs here: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio%20Language%20Learning%20CDs

2. The online learning environment: this is in development, but I can finish it off quickly. Id like you to test the first lesson for me and let me know how it is working for you.

Xhosa Online Learning Environment
View here: http://196.25.114.230/learnxhosa.co.za/moodle/
Description: Read more online, but basically the whole text, audio and video content of my first lesson as taught in my courses, with pronounciations, the clicks, greetings, good-byes as well as cultural tips to help you in everyday interaction. Learn online!

To enter: I have set it up so that guests may enter the site provided they have an enrolment key or password which is "ubuntu".
Click on the above weblink and go to the home page. To get into the course you will need to click on the LearnXhosa Level 1 link in the centre of the page. This will take you to a page where you should enter the enrolment key (ubuntu) and click on "enrol me in this course". From then on you will be able to access the site freely.

NOTE: Do not click Login as you wont be able to access the site. Rather enter the enrolment key (ubuntu) and click on "enrol me in this course".

FEEDBACK including constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

3. Skype lessons: After working through the above options, if you still need some live tutoring or you want someone to practice speaking with, you have the option of skype lessons.

We can converse with you and explain things that need explaining. Its an excellent way to keep your Xhosa in practice, especially if in a country where no one speaks Xhosa.

Or you could work through the first two beginners CDs (i.e. from scratch):

Or the third and fourth CDs:
These are generally better suited to those with a intermediate ability who are looking to practice and actually use the language whilst they are in a circumstance with few Xhosa speakers. However, anyone of any level could benefit from these lessons over the web.

We teach in 30 minute (R250). Special rates if you pay for a number of lessons upfront. 5 x 30 minute lessons for R1100.

For all options, please email: info@learnxhosa.co.za

Learn Xhosa E-Learning Launched

Hi, our online learning is currently a two pronged approach:

1. Xhosa Online Learning Environment
View here: http://196.25.114.230/learnxhosa.co.za/moodle/

Description: Read more online, but basically the whole text, audio and video content of my first lesson as taught in my courses, with pronounciations, the clicks, greetings, good-byes as well as cultural tips to help you in everyday interaction. Learn online!

To enter: I have set it up so that guests may enter the site provided they have an enrolment key or password which is "ubuntu". Click on the above weblink and go to the home page.

To get into the course you will need to click on the LearnXhosa Level 1 link in the centre of the page. This will take you to a page where you should enter the enrolment key (ubuntu) and click on "enrol me in this course". From then on you will be able to access the site freely.

NOTE: Do not click Login as you wont be able to access the site. Rather enter the enrolment key (ubuntu) and click on "enrol me in this course".

It is free to try for a limited time. All we ask in return is for you to give us brief, but WRITTEN (info@learnxhosa.co.za) feedback, comments, suggestions. Thank you!

2. Xhosa Phrase-A-Day
View here: http://ubuntubridge.posterous.com/

Description: A simple email with a phrase and audio file or movie file to help you pronounce it correctly. You need to engage with a language daily to really grow in it. This is just the right amount for daily consumption in a busy world.

SUBSCRIBE here

#4 Have a nice weekend - Ube nempelaveki emnandi

 Please SPREAD the word, FORWARD this to friends and PRACTICE with the peeps.

Have A Nice Weekend by Ubuntu Bridge 
Download now or listen on posterous

Have a nice weekend.mp3 (260 KB)

Phrase Breakdown:

Ube - You must be with (Have)

Impelaveki - a weekend*   (You could put imini here to mean have a nice day - ube nemini emnandi)

Emnandi - that is nice

Pronounciation Guide:  

- The accent or lengthening in Xhosa is on the second last syllable - "emnaaaaandi".

- Xhosa must be spoken loudly.  anyway, its rude to whisper, even in the middle of a play.  Don't you know, darling?

Subscriptions and More Info:

If you liked this, don't forget to subscribe via RSS or twitter and pass the info on to your friends.  Connecting you to the Spirit of South Africa.

To Subscribe, click here and choose RSS (email to your inbox) or Twitter subscriptions:  http://ubuntubridge.posterous.com/

Also see upcoming course dates at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Courses

And info on our Xhosa learning Products at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio%20Language%20Learning%20CDs

Siyabulela.

UBuntu Bridge

Learning Xhosa * Bridging Gaps * Uniting a Nation

Mobile:  072 60 90 666

Skype:  Craig Charnock

Email: info@learnxhosa.co.za

Website: www.learnxhosa.co.za

Posted via email from The UBuntu Bridge Xhosa Blog

#3 (Mp3) Yho, Its a beautiful day! - Yho, Imini inhle!

 Please Spread the word, forward this to friends and practice with the peeps.

The Day Is Beautiful by Ubuntu Bridge  
Download now or listen on posterous

The Day is beautiful.mp3 (125 KB)

Phrase Breakdown:

Yho! - An expression meaning "Yho!" or "Gosh", or "wow!"

Imini - the day, or daytime

inhle - it is beautiful, specific to nouns in group 9 (i.e. starting with in)

Pronounciation Guide:  

- Must be pronounced with vigour - listen to audio file for example

- hle is not pronounced "shle".  Start with a Sh sound and then press the tongue against the pallette.  Spit and air should come out on either side of the tongue.  This is correct.  It should sound like the welsh pronunciation of Llandudno, or Llanelly.  Hllllllll.

Now listen to the audio file for proper pronunciation of hl.  

Pronouncing Hl by Ubuntu Bridge  
Download now or listen on posterous

Pronouncing Hl.mp3 (367 KB)

Subscriptions and More Info:

If you liked this, don't forget to subscribe via RSS or twitter and pass the info on to your friends.  Connecting you to the Spirit of South Africa.

To Subscribe, click here and choose RSS (email to your inbox) or Twitter subscriptions:  http://ubuntubridge.posterous.com/

Also see upcoming course dates at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Courses

And info on our Xhosa learning Products at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio%20Language%20Learning%20CDs

Siyabulela.

UBuntu Bridge

Learning Xhosa * Bridging Gaps * Uniting a Nation

Mobile:  072 60 90 666

Skype:  Craig Charnock

Email: info@learnxhosa.co.za

Website: www.learnxhosa.co.za

Posted via email from The UBuntu Bridge Xhosa Blog

#2b: The African Handshake

Watch the Video here:

And

please subscribe to my youtube video channel, or favourite it or something.  Please Spread the word, forward this to friends and practice with the peeps.

The African Handshake as demonstrated in the video is used often in greetings, introductions and good-byes, sometimes for entire conversations.

Handshakes are common between genders, mostly using the ‘African handshake’, consisting of the standard western grip, followed by a loose gripping of each others thumbs by the fingers, and then reverting back to a western grip.

Handshakes are usually soft, though it has slowly adapted to the traditionally firmer western grip (excluding the ‘wet fish’ handshake), which gives most people the woobly woo’s.

Handshakes between good friends can last for minutes and often the whole conversation, and sometimes as you continue walking down the road. 

Subscriptions and More Info:

If you liked this, don't forget to subscribe via RSS or twitter and pass the info on to your friends.  Connecting you to the Spirit of South Africa.

To Subscribe, click here and choose RSS (email to your inbox) or Twitter subscriptions:  http://ubuntubridge.posterous.com/

Also see upcoming course dates at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Courses

And info on our Xhosa learning Products at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio%20Language%20Learning%20CDs

Siyabulela.

UBuntu Bridge

Learning Xhosa * Bridging Gaps * Uniting a Nation

Mobile:  072 60 90 666

Skype:  Craig Charnock

Email: info@learnxhosa.co.za

Website: www.learnxhosa.co.za

Posted via email from The UBuntu Bridge Xhosa Blog

#1: I am Grateful - Ndiyabulela

Phrase Breakdown:

ndi - prefix for I / I'm

(alternative:  si - prefix for we) 

ya - a construct with no direct translation, but indicates present tense.

bulela - verb for grateful

Pronounciation Guide:  

- Pronounce the first two together as if saying the country "India", then add "boo - le - la".

- the accent in xhosa is on the second last syllable "le" - you stretch it out slightly - "in di ya bu leee la"

 

Now listen to the audio file for proper pronunciation.  

 

 

I Am Grateful - Ndiyabulela by Ubuntu Bridge  
Download now or listen on posterous

I am Grateful - Ndiyabulela.mp3 (154 KB)

 

 

 

Subscriptions and More Info:

 

If you liked this, don't forget to subscribe via RSS or twitter and pass the info on to your friends.  Connecting you to the Spirit of South Africa.

To Subscribe, click here and choose RSS (email to your inbox) or Twitter subscriptions:  http://ubuntubridge.posterous.com/

Also see upcoming course dates at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Courses

And info on our Xhosa learning Products at:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio%20Language%20Learning%20CDs

 

Siyabulela.

 

UBuntu Bridge

Learning Xhosa * Bridging Gaps * Uniting a Nation

Mobile:  072 60 90 666

Skype:  Craig Charnock

Email: info@learnxhosa.co.za

Website: www.learnxhosa.co.za

Posted via email from The UBuntu Bridge Xhosa Blog

Volunteer Opportunities

Molweni
Remember, to learn a language you need to hear it and speak it as often as possible. The eastern cape is far away and time is rushed in daily city life, so make some time to go interact with a community, bring some of your love and enthusiasm and wisdom/knowledge to communities in need. Its a great way to contribute to nation building and improve your Xhosa.

NEED VOLUNTEERS:

And if you know of any safe and appropriate opportunities for people to provide service whilst improving their Xhosa, let me know.
Obviously, the condition is that it will be taking place in a Xhosa community or involving lots of xhosa speakers.

Otherwise please include:

Name of organisation:
Description:
Need volunteers who can:
Venue/Directions:
Email:
Phone:
Website:

Customised phrase CD Topics

Are you a doctor or a professional from a particular profession and need special Xhosa vocab specific to your industry? We now make customised Cds of phrases specific to your needs:

Examples of Topics:

- The Body, emergency situations, medicines, health care, hospital

- Family, kinship and occupational/career terms
- eating out / at the green grocer
- School and university
- Around the house and garden

- at the office / meetings
- banking and money matters
- post office and communications

- Law courts and Law enforcement
- government
- The media and Politics
- church

- Sport and recreation
- Seasons, Climate and Weather
- birds, animals, insects

Prices:
Email: info@learnxhosa.co.za

Volunteer: Earthchild Project extra mural clubs

Dear friends of the Earthchild Project

We’d like to invite you to our upcoming Volunteer Workshop.  The focus will be in line with our
Term 3 theme – the environment.  We have a fascinating and inspiring guest speaker, Robyn Smith, coming to shed more light on why we should go organic.  Together with her husband, Robyn started the online organic store called Faithful-2-Nature.  Her talk is highly informative and shows us how everything is connected and how literally, “what we put in, is what we get out”.

In addition, we will also be running a short facilitation skills workshop where you will learn lots of new games and songs to use with the earthchildren.

You’ll also get to meet our new volunteer coordinator, Linci Abrahams :-)

Date: 23rd September 2010
Time: 2:00 – 4:30pm
Venue: KarmaShala Yoga Studio – 117 Hatfield Street, Gardens
Refreshments will be served
The workshop is open to volunteers, old and new, and is free of charge

Please RSVP as soon as possible and feel free to contact us should you have any questions.

We also have some exciting volunteer opportunities coming up…

YOUNG WOMEN’S CLUB

Xoli, in collaboration with Hannah Loewenthal (movetomakespace) will be exploring a 5Rhythms dance -based group for young women, with a vision to create a safe space for these adolescents where they can find new pathways to empowerment and to achieve their goals.

The group will begin with 12 adolescent women ages 12-16years from Sakumlandela Primary and other surrounding schools in Khayelitsha, meeting once a month on a Sunday.  The first session is on Sunday19th September 2010.

We need volunteers to help achieve our mission, so if you feel inspired about the project and would like to get involved please find below a list of how you can help!

·        Preparing Lunch: This will require shopping for lunch ingredients and helping to prepare it (money, utensils and space will be provided)

·        Fundraising: If raising funds is your passion and you have contacts that we can send the proposal to, this might be a great offer for you.

·        Resources: This will require sourcing materials for our arts &crafts sessions

·        Sourcing Mentors: We need to source 12 amazing elder woman to mentor our young ladies

·        Planning excursions: This will involve sourcing exciting outings around Cape Town and helping to organize them.

·        Helping to source guest speakers or running an activity

·        Media: This could involve writing press releases, connecting us with your contacts or even coming to take photographs of some of our sessions

Contact Xoli @ 0731446475 or xoli@earthchildproject.org for more info

Frequently Asked Questions

General:
1. How do I join the newsletter?
- go to http://www.learnxhosa.com and click on red/blue flashing button.

About CDs:

2. What level am I at and what is covered on what Cds. Which one is right for me?
- See detailed CD/Course content here: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2009/12/audio-cd-content.html. Level 1 is designed for absolute beginners who know nothing. However, many people who did know those basics found it extremely useful to recover it and get a feel for the way in which our style of Xhosa teaching is structured. Recovering the content will increase your knowledge and your confidence.

3. What are the prices of the various CDs?
- See http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2008/07/xhosa-cd-orders.html

About Courses:

4. When are the next course dates?
- See http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Courses

5. Which course should I do? What level am I at?
- See detailed CD/Course content here: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2009/12/audio-cd-content.html. Level 1 is designed for absolute beginners who know nothing. However, many people who did know those basics found it extremely useful to recover it and get a feel for the way in which our style of Xhosa teaching is structured. Recovering the content will increase your knowledge and your confidence.

6. Am i going to be able to speak fluent Xhosa after the course?
- You will know how to confidently approach Xhosa people, greet, introduce yourself, be polite and respectful, communicate clearly your Xhosa speaking ability, ask for help, ask and answer some polite questions in various conversational contexts and finally to escape a conversation. What you put in is what you get out. Each CD gives you more and more conversational ability, but becoming fluent in a language depends on how much effort you put in to learning and how much time you spend practicing with mother tongue speakers. It is a journey. We know how to get you started and how to support you along the way.

7. How do I book?
- Decide which course you want to do and email us at: info@learnxhosa.co.za. Send us your cellphone number as well. We will then send you booking info based on availability.

About Village Experiences:

8. When is the next one?
- See: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Village%20Experience
Or join the newsletter here: go to http://www.learnxhosa.com and click on red/blue flashing button.

How much will you learn?

9. How effective will I find your CDs?
- You will find the CDs and manuals very effective. They are great leaning tools for the car or for learning on the go. See below.

10. How will your CDs help me in learning this language?
- What's great about the CDs is that they have a unique way of introducing the underlying grammar and structure of Xhosa sentences in a way that is practical, simple and immediately usable and practical in conversational contexts. The Cds teach and explain in clear English, with silent spaces for the listener to practice and repeat what they hear. Throughout the Cd, the English is spoken, a pause follows for the listener to attempt the answer, thereafter the Xhosa is pronounced clearly, followed by another pause for the listener to repeat the Xhosa out loud. It helps you to develop a feel for the rythym, tempo and pronunciation of the language. The manuals are clear, user-friendly and well structured.

"THE CDS WERE GREAT! They really help to get the sound, the rhythm and tempo of the language right" - Gene Falk, Exececutive Director, Mothers2mothers HIV Counselling -

"There is an obvious attention to detail shown in the development and structuring of the CD and notes. An excellent learning tool." - Beryl-Lyn Cocks, Operation Manger for the Cape Region of Valuation Alliance -

11. After the course, will a person be able to speak Xhosa?
- You will be speaking Xhosa during and after the first lesson. From there you keep learning.

12. And how long will it take me to speak the language fluently?
- Fluency is different depending on your effort to learn and your commitment to time spent just listening and practicing the language with people. You will get immediate results of great value within a couple of weeks (or even days), but fluency over a number of contexts and courses can take from a couple of months to a year to a couple of years, again depending on your efforts and circumstances. You will need dedication and patience. We give you the best (clear, humourous, multiplatform, mobile) materials to make it as easy for you as possible.