Easy ways for children to master 10 hard Shona sounds
Some Shona sounds can be tricky, and that is completely normal When learning Shona, some sounds can be tricky. The mother of one of my … Read more
Language
5 aspects of Shona grammar that will confuse you, and how to make sense of them
There’s a silly goat song we used to sing as kids: ‘Zvembudzi, zvembudzi, zvandikanganisa.Murume ndebvu, mukadzi ndebvu!Me-e! Zvandikanganisa!’ Loosely translated: ‘Goats, goats, you’ve completely confused … Read more
What you need to know to learn Shona quickly
Recently, a young man reached out, excited to begin his Shona learning journey. He also wanted something specific: a timeline. How long would it take … Read more
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
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
7 surprising mistakes slowing your child’s Shona skills, and how to stop them
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
Lessons from teaching Shona that will make Shona learning easier
When I started helping children learn Shona around 2019, I have to be honest—I was anxious, but I thought it couldn’t be that difficult. After … 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