Vapour
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My Af Somali needs work, both written and spoken. Those of you who know the language well (@๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ @Mckenzie), what would you do first in my shoes?
WWYD?
- Thread starter Vapour
- Start date
I would definitely pay homage to the old country, and spend a few months with nomads, and avoid city folk, lest discouraged, or taught incorrectly. Barring that, there are af Somali user groups, mostly small in size, like SomPen, in every major city in the diaspora, at least in London and Minneapolis. In London, I now realise we were very lucky in that we had the likes of abu Xadra (Hadraawi), Gaariye, Afrax, Xudaydi, Dacar, Xirsi Magan, Dhimbil and many others to teach us, and part wisdom, some regularly with others less frequently, even its grammar and verse formation on the fly.
@backgroundISneeded might have better suggestions.
Postscript:
Having a family member, who is proficient, if enthusiast greatly helps. I was lucky in that I had more than a few incl. poets and authors. I am now trying to teach my nieces and nephews, but with their being 3rd generation, it is a bit of a challenge. One of them went home, and returned speaking it fluently in 3 months, but then again, he is very outgoing with a penchant for languages.
@backgroundISneeded might have better suggestions.
Postscript:
Having a family member, who is proficient, if enthusiast greatly helps. I was lucky in that I had more than a few incl. poets and authors. I am now trying to teach my nieces and nephews, but with their being 3rd generation, it is a bit of a challenge. One of them went home, and returned speaking it fluently in 3 months, but then again, he is very outgoing with a penchant for languages.
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Vapour
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Much appreciated, adeer. Thanks for responding.
Haye ayeeyo.
Vapour
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My bad. I didn't make it clear. People can't read gender over text. I'm a young man in my early twenties.
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bc you called him adeer
Vapour
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Ah. Should've used sxb.
No worries mate, I was being facetious. You may call me anything at your tiny heart's content.
Listen to Quran tafsir or Islamic lectures in Somali. Or find documentaries in Somali on YouTube.
Immerse yourself in anything Somali by aligning it with your daily interests/activities. If you like politics, read Somali news sites like Hiiraan etc and also listen to pundits or journalists on Youtube like Ayaanle Hussein, Abdikadir Boss, Abwaan Kabayare etc. If you're more into Music/Poetry/Religion then subscribe to a few singers, poets or sheikhs on Youtube and read lyrics. You don't have to visit Somalia, all of the above can be done locally and sustained within a Year to a very good level. If you have no preference for these activities and would learn by any medium, then start with News updates and politics. It's daily news with hot updates. Atleast Global news that is. Somali News is fine but it's a sure fire way to slip into FKD, but hey atleast you'll develop a passion and good understanding of the language. Once you've done your reading and listening online, go and find someone to have a discussion with to put your learning into practice. Your listening improves by speaking and your reading improves by writing so do both. Go on Spaces or have a chat at home with a family member about any topic of interest in Somali with as much interaction as possible. Preferably a parent. They'll be happy to correct you or explain the meaning of some words that passes in speech. You'll find the Somali language has a massive affinity to Arabic, so many loan words even at the root of a word (i.e carro for earth comes from 'Ard) and grammatical build up (ma cabaayo biyahaan - maa ashrab hadihi al maa'). You'll clock the singular and plural form has many patterns. Afka - afafka. Tufaax, tufaaxa, caano, caanaha etc. Last letter of a single noun uses a particular suffix in plural form. The idea is if you hear afSomali around you constantly, daily at minimum, especially structured Somali speech like the News which has some repetitivity (i.e starts with ASC daawadayaasha si fiican noo dhagaysanaayo kusoo dhawaada barnaamijkayaga etc and ends with Intaas waa gabagabo aad ayaad u mahadsantihiin waa inoo mar kale iyo anigoo Mckenzie oo idin leh ASC WRWB) your brain does a catch up and gets use to the tempo of the language. Once you are use to the tempo, which really most develop from young but just never harness their speaking, the speaking will come with practice and improved confidence. You'll find many speak in a cursive way, using many phrases in an intro and an exit. They'll start with a "see tahay, xaalada? cida ka waran, aboosto miyaa? And end with "bal waayahay, qeyr aan kuu rajeeye, waan isla joognaa ASC". One you pick up these easy pleasantries the mid tier part of the Conversation is basic Q&A but your chance to push for a discussion or keep it short if you are crossing paths with a stranger.
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Astaan
Astaan is one of the most well-known and widely distributed content creators in Somalia. With our various media assets and portfolios, Astaan is branded for producing world-class entertainment content that includes music shows, series movies, documentaries, and other entertainment content...
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Dig in! Turn on English subtitles at first but slowly wean yourself off of it. This is the most introverted way to learn Somali. Also watch deg deg news.
Option A: Go somewhere in Somalia and stay there for at least 6 months and go out everyday to socialize with people.
If that's not possible, bing Qaaraami with lyrics of course.
If that's not possible, bing Qaaraami with lyrics of course.
