Afrikaans (Teach Yourself)

By Helena van Schalkwyk

Book Overview

Cocktails in Capetown? Teach yourself Afrikkans! With Teach Yourself it's possible for virtually anyone to learn and experience the languages of the world, from Afrikaans to Zulu; Ancient Greek to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0340488670
• ISBN13: 9780340488676
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Teach Yourself Books
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.7" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Teach Yourself Afrikaans, by Helena van Schalkwyk

This older edition of the "Teach Yourself Afrikaans" textbook is out of date in most contexts. I wouldn't recommend using this book for learning the language if you're brand new to it (instead, opt for either "Colloquial Afrikaans" or "Teach Yourself Afrikaans" : both are available with accompanying audio, and the two are easier to use than this course). However, if you already have a good working knowledge of the language, this book can be an excellent guide to building your vocabulary and learning the grammar more thoroughly. If you know how to use this course to its full advantage, it'll benefit you tremendously to learn the vocabulary it teaches, especially in the latter half of the book when idiomatic and more formal language is introduced. A disadvantage is that you won't find recorded material to this course, but pronouncing the words and understanding the intonation of normal everyday speech shouldn't be a problem if you have a separate course to refer to. Some of the words used aren't in the back of the book, but don't let this deter you -- purchasing an Afrikaans-English dictionary (or just using one online) should do the job. If you have a native speaker to consult, one of the best ways to really learn the vocabulary isn't to just ask what words mean but to ask how they're used -- if you're stumped and having a native speaker to help you, ask for example sentences so that you fully grasp the meaning of what you're learning. This course is by no means a comprehensive guide to the formal side of the language, but it's the closest you might find as far as self-study goes. The reading passages are often lengthy and pack in plenty of new vocabulary, most of which is clearly defined and still in everyday use. In one of the last lessons, there's even a short grammar guide that's written in Afrikaans entirely -- if you know your grammar, you'll figure out the vocabulary and terms fairly easily. (Overall, you should have a good idea of how grammar works before using this course. If you don't know what an adverb or a dependent clause is, it'll without a doubt slow your progress.) In short, this book is resourceful and a strong asset to any learner if you know how to use it.

on "Teach Yourself Afrikaans"

Afrikaans, the author writes, is a phonetic language. This book has a pronounciation guide at the beginning, but there are inconsistencies. So, I think it would have been useful to dispel all doubt with an english phonetic symbol equivalent (ala 'Berlitz', others.)

Learn German in college first

It helps to have strong German instruction prior to purchasing this book. Once a year of German is under the belt, this book will enable you to master Afrikaans in 3 to 4 months, if you read it diligently every night. The pronunciation is difficult to master, as the book attempts to give examples of the many strange vowel combinations found in Afrikaans. The vocabulary, however, is simple and the verb tenses even simpler. I made friends in the Johannesburg area and continue to write in Afrikaans after studying this book. The lessons are relevant and the short stories enable the reader to learn new words quickly. Do NOT study Dutch and think you will be able to get by in Afrikaans, as Dutch has bizarre gender differences and strange verb tenses. This language is easy to learn and fun to practice.