Learning Shona with Gogo Etina Washaya Nee Chiutax

The art of reading Shona.

What you’ll learn
To be able to listen to the Shona language
To be able to speak the Shona language
To be able to read the Shona language
To be able to write in Shona language

Requirements
Learners should be able to read and understand English

Description
All instructions will be in Shona and English in order to help learners understand,. All introductory and concluding videos have some relevance to what will be taught. Learner will be introduced to the structure of the Shona alphabet which is very similar to the English alphabet. This will be followed by introduction of  a few sounds of letters at a time, formation of syllables, syllable recognition exercise, word building exercise and sentence building. Words and sentences formed will be explained in English and in picture or video in order to help learners understand. Relevant actions, songs, games and stories will be used in order to enhance learning with understanding.  Words and sentences introduced will be formed from only those syllables that had been leant. Each section will deal with a particular type of syllable arrangement using what psychologists call, The Law of Simplicity. This strategy will help learners find reading of Shona very easy. In order to enjoy learning Shona, learners are encouraged to practice speaking the words and sentences that they would have mastered.  Shona speaking parents and guardians are encouraged to speak in Shona to their kids. Standard Shona is a combination of three dialects spoken in Zimbabwe. These are Chikaranga which is spoken around Masvingo province, Chimanyika which is spoken around Manicaland province and Chizezuru which is spoken around the three Mashonaland provinces. Due to these different dialects, the Shona language has groups of different words which mean the same thing and same words meaning different things. Such words will be explained from time to time throughout the lectures.

Who this course is for
Anyone who wishes to learn the Shona language, be it spouses of mixed marriages, business persons who want to communicate with workers in Shona or teachers who want to gather interesting ways of teaching Shona reading and so on.