Everything You Need To Learn Zulu

Everything You Need To Learn Zulu

Zulu (isiZulu) is a Bantu language mainly spoken in South Africa, where it is one of the 11 official languages. There are approximately 12 million native Zulu speakers, making it the most widely-spoken language in South Africa.

Zulu belongs to the Nguni subgroup of Bantu languages, which includes Xhosa and Swati among others. It is mutually intelligible with Ndebele, and related to other Bantu languages like Xhosa.

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The language is tonal and uses the Latin alphabet in writing.

Sadly, resources for learning Zulu are hard to come by, hence why our list is short. We do, however, believe that you can definitely use some of the materials here to get you started.

Zulu Language Learning Books

With limited options for good, reliable learning resources, your best bet is to grab yourself a Zulu course book. This is one of the most effective ways for beginners to get a good introduction to the language. You’ll learn Zulu grammar, structure, pronunciation and more, thereby arming you with enough knowledge to build a strong foundation in Zulu.

An English-Zulu dictionary and phrasebook will come in extremely handy, not just for looking up the meanings of words and how they’re used in different contexts, but for learning essential Zulu words and phrases for use when traveling to South Africa.

Zulu Children’s Books

Try reading some children’s books in Zulu for a stress-free way of boosting your vocabulary and getting yourself comfortable with native Zulu material. These books are written in easy-to-read language, short, simple sentences, and pictures to help with reading comprehension and memorization.

Also, Zulu kids’ books that are bilingual English-Zulu are great because you can use the parallel English text to aid you as you read the Zulu version of the story.

Zulu Digital Courses

If you learn better with audiovisual material, a Zulu language e-course might be a more effective tool for teaching you the language. These types of couses use either audio or video to teach you the basics of Zulu. You get to hear correct pronunciation, too.

Udemy is one of the only places to offer a digital Zulu course. Theirs comes with video lessons, dozens of downloadable worksheets, and lifetime access to the course and all future updates. If you’re a beginner, this could be a great starting point.

ZULU UDEMY COURSES

Udemy Zulu