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There are three sections: Internet, Printed, and Other
(eg audio and courses).
I have limited this to resources I have tried myself or which someone
else has commented on.
Please keep up the suggestions coming. Reviews of books especially
are welcome.
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Ethnologue
Checked 4/12/04
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A great online language database with
details about where languages and their dialects are spoken, and by
who. |
| Human
Languages Page
Checked 4/12/04
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This site doesn't have anything for Shona
but has a lot of useful sites for other languages. |
| Martin Shumba's Shona Language
Checked 4/12/04
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A small but growing Shona page which includes a searchable dictionary. |
| 'Online'
Shona Dictionary
Checked 4/12/04
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This is part of a large site
with dictionaries of all languages. It has an MS-Word or plain text
version of Hannan's 'Standard Shona Dictionary' (see below) available
for download - cumbersome but useful. Unfortunately the download is
only of the first half of the dictionary, up to 'M'. |
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Shona
verb conjugator
Checked 4/12/04
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A free service - type in a Shona verb
stem (such as 'enda') and it will go through all the main tenses,
as well as suggesting english translations. A good way to check your
grammar.
Note: the site prompts you to 'fill in the infinitive' (such as 'kuenda')
- this is incorrect, it means fill in the stem (such as 'enda'). |
| WorldLanguage.com
Checked 4/12/04
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This is the shona section of a commercial
site retailing language products and services. It has a sample piece
of shona text and describes the courses and software it sells. If
anyone tries these out, please let me know what you think of them. |
| Yale
Africa Guide Interactive
Checked 4/12/04
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This is part of a wide-ranging travel
guide site. So far it only has a few links. |
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Duramazwi RechiShona
Checked 4/12/04
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An online Shona-Shona dictionary. That is, the explanations for shona words,
given in Shona. |
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Nyarai.com - Shona Vocabulary Online
Checked 4/12/04
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Innovative vocabulary tutor - each day it randomly provides a set of nouns, verbs, adjectives etc for you to learn. Then there is the opportunity to take an online test on what you have just learnt. |
I have stuck to in print books here, but there are several good out-of-print
ones: snap them up if you come across them. Many are only easily
available within Zimbabwe but it may be worth requesting a local bookshop
to try and order them from the Zim publishers - although given the continuing
chaotic state of the Zimbabwean economy and the political turmoil (despite
the hope for the future suggested by the opposition's strong showing in
the elections) they may have other things on their minds at the moment.
If you live in the UK the Africa
Book Centre in London has most of the titles below. If you don't
live in the UK, they should be able to post your order to you. Their website
doesn't have much on it but you can request a booklist by email:
Learning Shona
Dambudzo Ruzhowa
Available online
|
A good, simple introduction. Not as comprehensive as the Mawadza book
but explains concepts in a more step-by-step fashion.
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Shona
Dictionary and Phrasebook
Aquilina Mawadza, May 2000
Available online
ISBN: 0781808138 |
This is the first book I have come across that should be readily
available outside of Zimbabwe. It contains a dense but quite comprehensive
grammar as well as modern vocabulary.
Full title: Shona-English/English-Shona Dictionary and Phrasebook
: A Language of Zimbabwe Chishona Dialect
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Shona Mini - Companion
Desmond Dale
Zim only |
This is a small but quite comprehensive
introductory text. It covers a lot of grammar but is not very
user-friendly: it would be useful as a reference if you were in Zim
and could practise what you read in it. |
Shona Companion
Desmond Dale
I have seen this in UK bookstores |
A larger 'sequel' to the above book. It
is pretty comprehensive. I would not recommend it as an introductory
text: it might scare you off! But if you already know another
Bantu language (eg Swahili, Zulu) it might not be so bad. |
Fambai Zvakanaka muZimbabwe
(Have a nice day in Zimbabwe)
I have seen this in UK bookstores |
An excellent 'quick-start' to the language
which brings in useful phrases from the start, without ignoring grammar.
This little booklet is very cheap and a must-buy if you are in Zimbabwe
for any length of time. Pity its not available elsewhere. |
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Standard Shona Dictionary
M. Hannan
May be out of print
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The most comprehensive Shona-English dictionary
I know of. An 'online' version is available (see 'Internet'
section above). But its rather out-of-date and far too big to lug
around if you are travelling. For that, see below. |
Shona-English Dictionary
D. Dale, 1981
Zim only |
Cheap and light, though not totally up-to-date,
this dictionary has useful illustrations and example uses of words.
Proper title: Dura Mazwi |
English-Shona Dictionary
D. Dale, 1975
Zim only |
Companion to the above, separate volume,
in similar format. |
This is a 'catch-all' section. So far it is almost
empty, but I want to put in it:
-audio resources such as CDs, tapes and internet/wireless radio stations.
-Instruction courses which are open to the general public (ie. excluding
those taught as part of formal degrees).
Shona Basic
Course
Matthew Matarayika, 1998
ISBN: 158214043X
Book and Tapes |
A product I have seen on amazon.com.
It looks pretty intensive, and it is not cheap at $184.00, so I would
recommend trying to find a copy you can have a look at in a bookstore
before buying. |
| Boston
Language Institute Shona Course |
Intensive Shona language courses which
appear to be aimed at practical usage. |
| Humansongs.com |
Website selling World Music, including
many Zimbabwean artists singing in Shona. Website includes online
audio clips. |
| Michigan
State University African Languages Page |
Offers Shona courses. I haven't linked
to them directly in case they become outdated, but this is the starter
page. |
| SOAS Evening Class in Shona |
London, UK: School of Oriental and African Languages (a university), is offering a one year evening class in Shona language. |
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Ndau primer
(166Kb)
Zip file of Word documents
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An introductory course in
Portuguese to the Ndau language, related to Shona. For the moment
I suggest using one of the free online translation services such as
babelfish.altavista.com
to translate the tutorial into your language. However my Portuguese
is fair and if I receive enough emails indicating interest I may consider
translating the first few lessons into english and adding them to
this site.
© Copyright note: I have no
idea who prepared this primer - but please don't abuse their copyright.
If anyone does know who prepared it please inform me so I can credit
them.
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