Africa
After 40 years, a new resource for children who speak the nation's
most common African language
David Smith in Johannesburg
Thursday September 9 2010
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/08/south-africa-zulu-english-dictionary
Ngisanda ukuqala ukufunda isiZulu. Or to put in another way, I've just
started learning Zulu.
English speakers visiting South Africa could soon find this easier
after the publication of an English-Zulu dictionary - believed to be
the first of its kind for more than 40 years.
Oxford University Press Southern Africa also hopes that the book will
help the 2.8m school pupils who study Zulu, South Africa's most common
African language.
Megan Hall, the publisher's manager for dictionaries, said: "To our
knowledge the last substantial bilingual Zulu dictionary was published
more than four decades ago. A great deal has changed since then ? in
the world around us, the language we use to talk about it, as well as
in the way we now make dictionaries."
Hall said the book had been an "enormous project" that took more than
three and a half years and involved an international team of
academics, teachers, language experts and specialist lexicographers.
"It's taken so long because it's an exceptionally difficult job."
It included research with sample entries at schools in the Zulu
heartland, KwaZulu-Natal province. "We found out that teachers wanted
key curriculum words included in the dictionary, together with
definitions ? something never done before in a bilingual dictionary of
this sort," Hall said. "So we selected terms from textbooks across the
curriculum, like acid, greenhouse effect and multiply, and gave
learners and teachers the support they'd asked for."
Zulus are South Africa's biggest ethnic group, making up nearly one in
four of the population, but English is generally used in business and
politics. Jacob Zuma, the country's first Zulu president, [http://
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/20/zuma-south-africa-politics"
title="] often appears more comfortable speaking Zulu than when
reading speeches in English. "Umshini wami" [http://www.mg.co.za/
article/2007-12-23-umshini-wami-echoes-through-sa" title="Umshini
wami"">Umshini wami], which he sang during last year's election
campaign, translates as "Bring me my machine gun".
Zulus rose to prominence [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rykqd"
title="Zulus rose to prominence] in the 19th century under the warrior
king Shaka, but the empire was dismantled by European colonists. The
British defence of Rorke's Drift [http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/
2009/apr/21/david-smith-rorkes-drift-africa" title="British defence of
Rorke's Drift] in 1879 was dramatised in the 1964 film Zulu [http://
www.imdb.com/title/tt0058777" title="1964 film Zulu] starring Stanley
Baker and Michael Caine.
South Africa has 11 official languages and this diversity poses
questions for education. Many children use Zulu at home, especially in
rural areas, but are often taught in English at school, putting them
at a potential disadvantage. Vukile McKenzie, a radio personality and
founder of the Khanyisa Development Trust, which works to enhance
education in rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal, said: "The learner in
South Africa not only faces the challenge of learning to read, think
and write, but quite possibly to communicate, understand and influence
in a language other than the one his or her parents, or significant
adults, use.
"An educational tool such as this dictionary ? and other bilingual or
multilingual dictionaries for that matter ? equips children learning
both isiZulu and English to access one another in a meaningful way."
Zulu-English examples
Ezibhedlela zikahulumeni imishanguzo itholakala mahhala: In government
hospitals ARV drugs are free.
USipho ubhale ende incwadi exolisa kuThandi: Siphoe wrote a long
letter of apology to Thandi.
Owayengumongameli u-Nelson Mandela wathonya ukhwinii u-Elizabeth
ngesikhathi emamukela esigodlweni sase-Buckingham: Former president
Nelson Mandela charmed Queen Elizabeth as she welcomed him to
Buckingham Palace.
U-Missy Elliott uthathwa njengendlovukazi yomculo we-rap
engeqhathaniswe namuntu: Missy Elliott is the unrivalled queen of rap
music.
Abantu bacabanga ukuthi ukumodela kuyinto emnandi, kanti eqinisweni
kuwumsebenzi onzima: People think that being a model is fun, but in
reality it is hard work.
Izinhlelo zomabonakude eziveza izinto ezikhona zijwayele ukuba
ngabantu abangadumile: Reality TV programmes are often about ordinary
people.
Yimuphi umdlalo owuthandayo?: What is your favourite sport?
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2010
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