An interesting look at what future historians might think about us
O Level students took their History exams over the past few weeks. One of my readers reached out, feeling frustrated after her first paper. One … Read more
Language
Things you’ll never hear about Shona – and they’ll surprise you!
Have you ever wondered what your senses would make of a language if they could?If a language could be felt, seen, tasted, or smelled — … Read more
10 interesting pairs of tsumo that will confuse you — and how to make sense of them
Every dilemma carries a paradox at its heart. If one option were clearly good and the other clearly bad, it wouldn’t feel like much of … Read more
8 things every Shona learner should know that will make learning smoother
Every parent wants their child to succeed when learning a new language. But here’s the thing: language learning comes with some brutal truths that most … Read more
How to stop these 7 mistakes slowing your child’s Shona skills
Learning Shona — or any language — is more than memorising vocabulary and rules. It’s about building the confidence and mental habits that allow you … Read more
What teaching Shona to children taught me
A simple Shona tutoring venture that wasn’t so simple When I started helping children with Shona around 2019, I have to be honest—I was anxious, … Read more
More easy lessons on madimikira — from Imbwa Nyoro (Part 2)
In a previous post, I explored the madimikira (idioms) found in the Shona novel Imbwa Nyoro by Renny M. Mumvuma. The use of idioms in … Read more
Understanding madimikira the easy way — from Imbwa Nyoro (Part 1)
In a previous post, I shared the similes (fananidzo) and metaphors (enzaniso) that I encountered while reading the Shona novel Imbwa Nyoro, a 1982 novel … Read more
Easy ways to use ‘fananidzo’ and ‘enzaniso’ – from Imbwa Nyoro
There’s something I love about reading Shona novels from decades past — stories written before I was even born. These works offer a richer experience … Read more
Why Shona learning matters, and how to make it easy
Ever since I took on my first learner back in 2019, Shona learning has become a subject dear to me. I believe proficiency in more … Read more