(Re)learning Ndebele as an Adult – Advice and Practice Partners Needed

Hey everyone this post is inspired by the post about the names of colours. Some of the names were in Ndebele and I couldn’t really recognise some of them.

Context:

I’m in my mid-20s, and I’ve been wanting to (re)learn Ndebele for years now, however I’m not in Zim. My mother is Ndebele, but I grew up in Harare, where she mostly spoke Shona, so I never really got to develop my Ndebele skills. I actually used to speak and understand it as a kid, but by the time I was around 6 or 7, I lost most of it.

Now, I feel embarrassed that I can’t speak Ndebele fluently, especially since my Malumes (maternal uncles) speak Shona effortlessly.

I’ve successfully learned at least one other foreign language as an adult, so I know the process of picking up a new language—but somehow, with Ndebele, it feels different. I know that if I had six months to a year in Blues, I could probably reach a solid conversational level, but since I’m not in Zimbabwe, that’s not an option for now.

So, for anyone who has learned or relearned Ndebele as an adult—how did you do it? Any tips, resources, or strategies that worked for you? And if anyone is willing to help me practice, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Btw: I am already considering online tutors, I would of course like to support local businesses but yeah it can get a little expensive