Thundafund Xhosa Video Crowdfunding Campaign

We're super excited to have launched our first ever request for financial assistance, (UBuntu Bridge first started in 2006).  Details are below.  Please support us by viewing the video, rewards, purchasing a reward and forwarding our campaign to other people you think will be interested.

Click here to see the campaign page and help us reach our target:  https://www.thundafund.com/ubuntubridge

Watch the video here:

REWARDS:

Rewards include our recently launched T-shirt campaign, under the following names:

T-Shirt 1:  South African Whitey

T-Shirt 2:  Molo, Mlungu!

Click here to see the campaign page and help us reach our target:  https://www.thundafund.com/ubuntubridge
 
Enkosi
Dankie
Thank you

The Great African Language Learning in Schools Dilemma and Proposed Solution

Molweni, Sanibonani, Dumelang, Goeie Dag, Hello

If you are here, reading this, you probably:

a)   recognize the vital and urgent power of even basic African language learning, coupled with African cultural awareness, as a way to help forge a united nation and heal wounds from our past, relating to intercultural dynamics

b)   are concerned with how we can find a way to make it relevant, convenient and effective for young scholars (the future of this country) and adult learners

For years the debate has raged, and as recently as this morning, we have seen the headline of the Cape Times proclaim that the new policy will require an extra hour to the school day, much to many teacher’s and learner’s dismay.  The issues have been unfolding, often with controversy, for some time!

African languages have been taught at many ‘white’ (arguably where they are needed most) schools over the years and are beset by the following problems with profound consistency:

1)   lack of interest from learners (usually one or two white learners finish it for matric)

2)    sub-standard (and often describes as boring) teaching from mother tongue teachers who have not received training on how to teach their own language as a third language (an equivalent to TEFL - we refer to our methodology and teaching style as TXTL - teaching Xhosa as a third language).

3)   old-fashioned course content, which focusses on deep, non-contemporary Xhosa, thus providing learners with very little practical reward (and thus erodes motivation and interest).

4)   grammar heavy learning, which results in scholars knowing the noun groups, but not how to greet and introduce in a way that facilitates relationship-building and enjoyment of the language

5)   lack of cultural empathy and connection, thus reduced enthusiasm, respect and little authenticity to the learning process, something ‘white’ learners need, as language and ‘race’ issues in modern SA for whities is particularly about identity, shame/guilt, fear, arrogance, ignorance.

As a white, male, adult learner of Xhosa, and having spent much time immersed in traditional villages and modern townships, I have walked the paths (and still do) that I advocate here. 

After years of experimenting and testing, we at UBuntu Bridge believe we have a very viable solution.  At the recent PANSALB Language Indaba we erected a stand which demonstrated our beliefs, and vision.  We wore t-shirts which showed our humour in innovative ways to teach and inspire Xhosa language learning and we displayed our materials and brochures.

We also screened demos of our Xhosa language and Culture learning Videos (demos below):

This is the summary of what we were saying at the conference:

Vision in a Nutshell:

Language Learning in SA is really about two things:

1.         PAST:  Respecting our local cultures, people and history, for proper reconciliation and healing of all our peoples!

2.         FUTURE:  Connecting our peoples across socio-economic divides, to build a nation to inspire the world, again!

Marketing and Motivation:

Language learning needs to be popularised.  It needs to compete with all the other interests and distractions out there!!  But it needs to be marketed via demonstration – videos, music, popular culture.

Once you have interest, there are Three C’s you need to give learners:

·     Confidence - materials and teaching methods that focus on practical essentials!

·     Convenience - multi-platform and mobile learning tools, for adults with busy jobs and scholars with full curriculums!!

·     Cultural Context – immersion opportunities to authenticate the connection and learning process!

UBuntu Bridge has a 5-pointed plan for the situation, which we have been building and testing for 7 years of teaching on corporate, govt, school, NGO, online and public learning platforms (since 2005):

1.   Excellent and engaging materials and teaching methodology

2.   Fun and enrolling live teaching and tutoring

3.   Online, multimedia and mobile learning tools e.g. videos

4.   Online tutoring support

5.   Language and culture immersions in townships and rural villages (which stimulate local micro-enterprises)

BUT WE NEED FUNDING AND INVESTMENT!!!

Please email for more information on sponsorship opportunities!

Quite a White Ou SAPA Speech Videos

On Africa Day, QAWO was invited to speak to 500 school principal's at the South African Principal's Association (SAPA)'s Annual conference.  The talk provided an opportunity for Makhosi to share just a piece of the vision and mission for helping to transform global society into a place where we can rebalance the benefits of technology and modernity with the ancient wisdom still contained in indigenous cultures that is ALL of our heritage, but largely ignored or trivialised by western society.

In part 1, the focus is on introducing language as a way to bring people together to address the core issues in society today - separation and mistrust between people, especially across cultures!



In part 2, the focus is on the notion that we need balanced transformation in society, that western cultures have as much to learn from indigenous cultures as we expect them to learn from us!



In part 3 & 4, the focus is on the notion of a calling to service in society, and how ideally education should help connect children with their calling.  Also talking about edutainment as a strategy to compete with media and and other distractions for the attention of scholars and adults.



In part 5, the focus is on cultural immersions in townships and villages as a global strategy for creating balanced cultural respect, multilingualism, distribution of wealth, de-urbanisation and stimulating micro-enterprises in areas of poverty.



In part 6, the focus is on global context and relevance of multilingualism and multicultural respect, as well as how a new world requires a new way of educating!



Thanks for having me, SAPA!!!!

See the script and slides here:  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2013/06/quite-white-ou-sapa-speech-script-and.html

Westerford High School Xhosa and Mr. Cuan Dugmore

In the last few months, I have had the pleasure of being invited to a number of schools to either perform or show my kwaito spoof music video "Ndingumlungu"(viewable at bottom), and then to share my journey with the scholars, and hopefully inspire them to learn Xhosa.

It was a great privilege and I really enjoyed my time with the learners.  Unfortunately due to the new CAPS policy introduced by the Department of Education in the Western Cape, there is now a real threat to Xhosa being taught in many prep schools and even secondary schools.  For a full article on this dilemma, please see here:  http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/there-s-no-time-to-teach-xhosa-1.1220755

Quite a White Ou and UBuntu Bridge hope to play a role in helping to keep Xhosa consciousness alight, respected and given the due importance that it deserves. 

One of the most delightful schools to go speak at is also one of the schools holding the Xhosa torch most brightly alight.  That school is Westerford High in Cape Town and thanks to their fantastic Xhosa teacher Mr. Cuan Dugmore (pictured above)  and the enlightened enthusiasm of many of their students, they have a wonderful Xhosa programme at their school, most of whom are members of the school's Xhosa society, to whom I had the privilege of speaking.

Nina Bloch, one of the learners who also spent a few days interning at UBuntu Bridge, sent me a great letter written by one of her fellow students and this photo (above) of some of the learners with Mr. Dugmore in the Transkei, where they do annual immersion programmes, to connect with the authentic culture and to improve their spoken Xhosa.  Nice one Guys!

Click here to read the letter....  http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2012/12/white-youth-bringing-hope-through-xhosa.html

UBuntu Bridge also offers village immersions sporadically.... http://www.learnxhosa.co.za/tours.html

Email us for next dates, or create your own trip.  Any backpacker in the Eastern Cape or 'Transkei' will usually have a village homestay programme.  Take your Xhosa books and go for it!! 

Left:  The Kwaito video that got some things started!

White youth bringing hope through Xhosa - article from a Westerford high school Xhosa student

 To see the context to this letter, please see previous blog post here..... http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2012/12/white-xhosa-heroes-westerford-high.html

Ndithetha kancinci kuba ndingumlungu           Stewart S...

Being English and Afrikaans in the Western Cape, communicating in my home language is no big deal. Without exception, if I interact with someone whose first language is isiXhosa, the conversation takes place in either of my first languages. Just because I’m white, it’s presumed that I know absolutely no Xhosa, which is the second most widely-spoken in the language Western Cape after Afrikaans. I find that very unfair.

Someone’s language is an intrinsic part of their identity. Being able to communicate with someone in their mother tongue is a skill which gives one unrivalled rewards: apart from personal benefits like furthering one’s career, simply making an effort to learn more about other people’s cultures and languages is deeply appreciated, especially in the context of our segregated history. This reason, along with a multitude of others, makes taking isiXhosa an absolute no-brainer, in my opinion.

For those less concerned about communication for the sake of communication, the practical reasons for taking isiXhosa are just as compelling. If you speak to anyone worth asking about education in South Africa, or just about living here (Blade Nzimande - Minister of Higher Education, Nelson Mandela or Trevor Manuel, to name a few), they’ll tell you that before you go and study Astrophysics or Neurology at UCT, learn some Zulu or Xhosa. It looks good on your CV; certain University courses, such as Medicine, require it; it gives one a base from which to learn other Nguni languages and it’s a massive advantage in the business world, where you’re constantly interacting with people from a huge variety of backgrounds. Building strong relationships with people in your environment will always be to your advantage, not only within a business context, but in a social context as well.

For most Westerfordian Xhosa students, learning an African language goes further than that. To us, it’s a way to show that we’re committed to reconciliation in our country by embracing another language, and in the case of isiXhosa, the very rich culture surrounding that language. It’s a gesture which aims to forge connections between us and people we wouldn’t usually interact with.

I was utterly convinced that I had made the right decision once I’d been on the Transkei hike. I witnessed my motivations for taking Xhosa becoming reality in front of my eyes. After the first fifty awkward “Molo! Unjani?”s, my conversations with people started gaining substance. As my conversation partners realised that I had knowledge beyond “Molo”, their entire demeanours changed. The standard response I encountered was: “ Umlungu! Yuh, uyasazi isiXhosa?” (Whitey! Yoh, you know Xhosa?), followed by very enthusiastic small talk, drastically zekeleled (slowed down to umlungu-level), and the exchanging of details, ended off with extremely appreciative thanks for taking the time to find out more about them and to learn their language. 

Xolisanani is one of the people we met. He told Jeremy and me that we had made his day; that to find people who were learning his language by choice was an inspiration, and that he wished there were more people like us. To me, that is what learning isiXhosa is about. 

At Westerford, we’ve got some of the best isiXhosa teachers in the country. Let’s face it – Mnu. Dugmore uyintshatsheli (is a champion). There is undoubtedly no better place to learn the language. So what’s your excuse? Why are there only 13 people in my grade that feel the same way I do? Why are there 11 in matric and 15 in Grade 10? Next year’s Grade 10s couldn’t even manage double figures. What is making most Westerfordians ignore the amazing opportunity afforded to us here to enrich ourselves as South Africans?

There isn’t enough emphasis on indigenous languages by our generation. We have this strange misconception that we will either all emigrate to the land of milk and honey or that there is simply no need to learn an African language, or even Afrikaans, because English is the lingua franca. We expect other people to learn our language, but don’t even consider doing the same for our future colleagues and clients who don’t speak English as a first language. That’s the majority of the country, by the way. 

Apart from being selfish, these convictions are pretty naïve. I’ve heard the argument that Xhosa isn’t a ‘universal’ language, and so it is therefore pretty much useless to learn as opposed to, say, French. To that, I say “your argument is invalid.” Realistically, you will most probably live and work here later in life, and should therefore concentrate on what you can do to make ‘here’ a better place to be. Well, unless you find your fairytale French bride or groom and run off to Paris, or if you’re one of those refugee-status-seeking ninnies who run to Perth escaping the ‘dystopia’ of South Africa. I sincerely hope you aren’t, though, because I don’t think we’d be able to be friends.

This is not to say that learning a European language is a bad thing, or that if you don’t study an African language, you’re a traitor to your country. What it is doing is making you aware of the importance of learning one, and how rewarding it can be, especially at Westerford. There needs to be a shift in mindset, and a greater sense of responsibility to the future of our country by us, the upcoming generation of voters and economy-drivers.

Grade 9s, if you ever find yourself looking for that last option on your subject choice form, or if you’re just unsure about isiXhosa, take the plunge. For the rest of you, use Inspector Simon Eybers as inspiration. Apart from taking down Public Enemy Number One, The Nose, this man of steel decided halfway through term 1 of grade 10 that Xhosa was more to his liking than Accounting, and made the swap. 

Simon says, “Go for it.” So do.