5 Reasons Why You Should Teach Your Child an African Language by Lukanyo Mbanga
To speak one or more African languages in a country as diverse as South Africa is one of the greatest gift you can give your child. Not only does it immerse them in the cultures around them but it also teaches them to grow love, respect and perspective for the people around them.
Enter the David Krut Bookstore and find yourself in a labyrinth of languages! From isiXhosa and Sespedi to isiZulu and SiSotho— introduce your child to an African language in many fun ways. Along with these five reasons are a selection of short and sweet children’s stories and educational books to help teach your child an African language.
1. Africa is home to 2114 languages
Woah! You mean to tell me Africa is home to over 2000 languages and I barely know how to speak one? This doesn’t have to be you! Start with Multilingual ABC to introduce you to languages and animals of the South African Region.
2. To Preserve African culture and history
It’s great that we have widely-spoken languages like English to engage with the rest of the world. But what are we missing when we only hear translations? We miss stories passed down by centuries told by elders around the fire, we miss expressions that have no equivalent. The Elders at the Door is an old fable that belongs to all of Africa. A perfect bedtime story for the little ones!
3. Engage with your neighbors
I mentioned that our nation is a sundry of cultures and ethnicities. That’s what makes us special! It’s also important to understand that the majority of South Africa speak African languages. Teaching your child an African language enables them to integrate and learn from the people around them. Join four friends as they discover why humans have different skin, and how people’s thinking about skin colour has changed throughout history in the Skin We Are In (Xhosa, Sotho and isiZulu)
4. It does wanders for the brain!
Open pathways in you child’s mind that will never fade. Teaching your child a language helps them make connections with the world. Plus— it’s fun! Here’s a gorgeous tale of colour and folklore, teaching us that flaws can exist in perfection. Katiga Finds the Perfect Name is available in many languages (contact for enquiries).
5. It sets them apart
As I mentioned before, speaking a language home to the region is important. But speaking more than one language is something quite special. It opens doors, gives new insight, builds empathy and much more. And seriously! Who doesn’t want a child whose multilingual?
It doesn’t stop there! Visit our bookstore and sprawl your legs in our cozy children’s corner. We have books to grow young minds to be lovers of the world, carers of others and above all—create brilliant and creative thinkers!