Did you know that Afrikaans is actually derived from Dutch, so it belongs to the same language family as English? Of course, many elements of Afrikaans, such as case or gender, are very different, but other language aspects, like sentence structure, phonetics and even the alphabet, are relatively similar.
Also, the Afrikaans language is not only spoken in South Africa. You can find Afrikaans speakers in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Belgium, New Zealand and Australia. Become fluent in Afrikaans, and you’ll be able to communicate almost 10 million native speakers in different parts of the world!
Now, you may be wondering how on Earth to get started, particularly if you live in an area where Afrikaans teachers are unavailable. This is where apps to learn Afrikaans like Duolingo appear as an ideal choice. So, if you’d like to know how to get started and use Duolingo or other alternatives to learn Afrikaans, keep on reading and discover the best ways to become fluent in this amazing language!
Can You Learn Afrikaans on Duolingo?
We are sorry to break it to you, but there’s no Afrikaans course available on Duolingo at the moment. We are not sure when or if it will be available, so here we present you with some excellent alternatives of apps with bite-sized, engaging Afrikaans lessons.
Use Input From Native Afrikaans Speakers With Ling
If you’re a Duolingo fan, we’re sure you’ll enjoy Ling. You’ll find many exercises to learn grammar and vocabulary and also tests, so you can make sure you understand what you’ve just practiced.
One of the main advantages of Ling is that it uses recordings from real native speakers to help you improve your oral understanding of the language. This means that, instead of using some old, stiff material you’re not likely to encounter in real life, you’ll be learning all the vocabulary and slang people actually use when speaking Afrikaans.
Finally, there’s a chatbot to practice vocabulary and conversational phrases, which can be an amazing feature for introverts who don’t feel ready yet to strike up a conversation in Afrikaans.
Key Features:
- Build up your self-confidence with the chatbot.
- Practice grammar and vocabulary with engaging exercises.
- Improve your listening comprehension with recordings from native speakers.
Acquire Afrikaans Pronunciation With Simply Learn
Simply Learn is an incredible app to learn both vocabulary and pronunciation. Instead of focusing on new words, this app gives you opportunities to learn complete phrases and how they are pronounced. For this, you’ll find audio recordings together with its corresponding phonetic script— which is a great opportunity to finally learn what those symbols are about!
And if you like Duolingo’s style, you’ll be happy to know that visual learners will also have the chance to learn Afrikaans using flashcards and spaced repetition, together with participating in a forum with other motivated students.
Key Features:
- Find many useful phrases with their translation.
- Learn the exact pronunciation of words with their phonetic script.
- Practice vocabulary using interactive flashcards.
Build Your Afrikaans Vocabulary with Clozemaster
Last but not least, Clozemaster can help you achieve fluency and build up your vocabulary in the most engaging way. You’ll be faced with a challenge where you have to provide the missing word by using the context (this is called a cloze test). In this way, the process of learning new words and even phrases becomes memorable and fun.
And you won’t be learning this new vocabulary at random. Clozemaster structures the sentences in increasing order of difficulty, so you can progress fast and not get frustrated in the process.
The best part? You can get started entirely for free! If you can’t find Afrikaans on Duolingo, then Clozemaster is certainly the best option out there to learn vocabulary quickly and effectively.
Learn Afrikaans With These Duolingo Alternatives
Afrikaans may not be taught on Duolingo yet, and it may never be, but this doesn’t need to be the end of your language aspirations. Luckily, you have plenty of other brilliant options where you can develop your skills from your own home. Take your listening comprehension to the next level with Ling while learning all the vocabulary you need with Clozemaster. Finally, learn exactly how to pronounce phrases by using Simply Learn. Achieving fluency in Afrikaans by using these apps is only a matter of time!
Clozemaster has been designed to help you learn the language in context by filling in the gaps in authentic sentences. With features such as Grammar Challenges, Cloze-Listening, and Cloze-Reading, the app will let you emphasize all the competencies necessary to become fluent in Afrikaans.
Take your Afrikaans to the next level. Click here to start practicing with real Afrikaans sentences!
