Picture of Tessa Dowling: https://skillfully.co.za/Views/CourseDetails/CourseDetails?Id=23
During International Mother Tongue Language Month, Tessa Dowling tells Naomi Meyer about her love and teachings of the Xhosa language.
Tessa, you lecture Xhosa at the University of Cape Town. How did you, as a white woman, become interested in the Xhosa language, in the first place?
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While I was growing up, I heard Xhosa being spoken all around me and was entranced by the sound of it and the way so much of what was said made people laugh with abandon (even though their lives were unutterably difficult at that time). I wanted to be part of that.
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While I was growing up, I heard Xhosa being spoken all around me and was entranced by the sound of it and the way so much of what was said made people laugh with abandon (even though their lives were unutterably difficult at that time). I wanted to be part of that.
Also, I had done Latin at school and had been seduced by its conjugations, so when I saw a Dominican nun’s Xhosa homework – those were the circles I moved in! – with neat noun classes and corresponding concords, it was love at first sight. In a nutshell, I was captivated by the superb sound of Xhosa and the absolute grammatical sense that it made to me! Its power to connect me to people.
It is International Mother Tongue Language Month, and here I am asking this question – there must be something wrong with a country where one even asks a question like this – but isn’t it true that white South Africans would be more inclined to learn only French, Spanish, German, etc, and not also learn an African language from their own country? Please tell me I am wrong if you don’t agree with me.
Ndiyavuma! I agree! It is extraordinary that you can live in a country your whole life, yet not even be able to say, “I love you,” in a language of that country, or “How can I help you?” I think it is great to learn European languages, but even greater if you can add an African language to your repertoire.
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It is extraordinary that you can live in a country your whole life, yet not even be able to say, “I love you,” in a language of that country, or “How can I help you?” I think it is great to learn European languages, but even greater if you can add an African language to your repertoire.
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Why do you think it is important for all South Africans to speak as many of the various languages in this country as possible?
To respect, to understand, to engage and to listen. And as a way of saying, “Enkosi, ke a leboha, thank you, dankie, ngiyabonga,” to all the millions of black South Africans who have learned English and Afrikaans.
How does being able to speak Xhosa empower you in day-to-day situations?
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You get so much help if you can ask for something in Xhosa in the Western Cape. And ego-boosting!
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You get so much help if you can ask for something in Xhosa in the Western Cape. And ego-boosting! I couldn’t find chickpeas at the refurbished Checkers in Muizenberg. I asked an employee in Xhosa if she might know where they were, because, “Le Checkers intsha iyandibhida mos” (This new Checkers is mos confusing me). She was so delighted that not only did she show me where the chickpeas were, she assembled most of her colleagues to come and witness this remarkable phenomenon at the tills apho bendifola khona (where I was queueing). I said a few simple things in Xhosa like, “Enkosi ngokundiceda” (Thanks for helping me), and they applauded and called others, and a young man even said, “Uqala ukuba mhle kum” (You are starting to be beautiful to me).
If you arrive just after closing time, or if you need something urgently, or if you want someone not to be cross with you for something stupid you did, try, “Yhu ubudom bam!” (My stupidity!). Uyabo? (You see?) You can throw in English and Afrikaans, too, like dom, as do Xhosa-speakers.
You also get to hear things not meant for your ears! Like the time I heard (also in Checkers) an English-speaking man ask the teller why she was so happy. She answered in English, “Oh, I am just a happy person,” but in Xhosa, to her friend, she admitted, “Kungenxa yokuba andinxibanga iipenti!” (It is because I am not wearing panties!).
I recently read a magnificent new collection of Xhosa poetry, Ilifa, by Athambile Masola. I felt empowered that I could read these wonderful modern Xhosa poems. And also smug that I understood her satirical Umlung’kazi (White Woman), which gave me such insights into how my group is sometimes perceived – eish!
I listen to UMhlobo Wenene (Xhosa radio) every day and hear stuff that is both sad and uplifting – from the callers who complain about the complete lack of services in their area, to children who can sing their families’ clan praises or quote whole tracts of the Bible.
Do you think there is enough money behind the Xhosa language? What is the drive for people to learn this language, and will it even make a difference in people’s lives, other than being able to chat to fellow South Africans?
Sadly, I don’t really think there is a drive for people to learn the language, and there’s certainly no money. People who have made an effort to learn Xhosa are the biggest advertisement. I had a student who started classes with me not knowing a word in Xhosa, but who can now do much of her work (she is a psychologist) in the language. There are quite a few success stories like that!
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And, don’t forget, skills in African languages are needed by doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers and politicians. Publishing professionals, proofreaders, editors, copywriters, financial advisers, writers of lyrics and love poems – all of them would benefit from learning an African language. Because they all want to communicate to the majority of the population, who do not have English or Afrikaans as a first language.
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And, don’t forget, skills in African languages are needed by doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers and politicians. Publishing professionals, proofreaders, editors, copywriters, financial advisers, writers of lyrics and love poems – all of them would benefit from learning an African language. Because they all want to communicate to the majority of the population, who do not have English or Afrikaans as a first language.
What is the importance of every South African’s mother tongue?
Massive! Your mother tongue is your culture, your history, your humour, your heritage. If English were taken away from me, if I were forced to abandon it because it was considered no longer important in this country, a part of me would die. I would be disempowered, resentful, permanently wistful, wishing to hear someone whose mother tongue it wasn’t, speak it. Because that would mean it matters.
Please talk to me about the video.
Have you watched this? What are your impressions?
It is brilliant, honest, tragic – and what the teachers say about African languages being excluded in education is true! Those clips of English-speaking learners battling to learn in the medium of Xhosa show us a scary, necessary experiment – the misery on those faces! Xhosa-speakers struggling to answer content questions in English (the concentration, the real engagement) are not an experiment; they are a reality. We need to be aware of these challenges and let our classrooms, textbooks and teachers reflect the multilingual nature of our country.
It is said that during these dark times all South Africans should try to make individual changes – starting with themselves and their lives. I would suggest learning the Xhosa language as a possible change for people to explore. Please tell our readers more about your course – all the practicalities.
https://skillfully.co.za/
I am happy ndiyavuya to be offering this online course, “Speak Xhosa in eight weeks”, via the superb Skillfully training site: skillfully.co.za. The course will run once a week, 7:30-9:00 pm, from 8 May to 26 June. If you are interested in knowing more, just click on the site and search “Xhosa”. As the blurb on the website says:
This course will give you the Xhosa you need to have a conversation: handy vocabulary, everyday phrases, and key grammar. You’ll enjoy the sessions, feel challenged but not overwhelmed, and discover a warm and respectful new way to connect with fellow South Africans.
Also read:
Don’t upset ooMalume: A guide to stepping up your Xhosa by Hombakazi Mercy Nqandeka – a review