Reviews

PRESS REVIEWS

Mail and Guardian November 26 1999 issue
Donna Dudley

In short: Improvements in interface and depth of content over Xhosa product, though course structure seems overly complex

A sequel is a sequel is a sequel, right? Following on from their highly acclaimed CD-ROM Xhosa language tutor African Voices have released Speak Zulu With Us sporting a new interface, navigation system and revised course structure.

What the user will once again be pleased to discover is a well thought out, well presented interactive language program demonstrating the fundamental precepts of the Zulu language.

Kicking off the course is an extensive lesson on pronunciation. By the authors own admission, this section is "long and detailed", owing to the somewhat complex and subtle nature of Zulu pronunciation. A detailed breakdown of each of the vowel and consonant sounds, as well as the 'clicks' and 'click variants', are provided by means of an in-depth textual explanation.

Supporting this is an easy-to-use function which allows the user to listen to each of the sounds being uttered by a native Zulu speaker. In addition, brief mention is made of the significance of tone variations in the Zulu language, an important factor in establishing meaning between seemingly similar words.

The body of the course is made up of five language lessons, each of which is comprised of five sub-sections: Conversation, Culture, Grammar, Exercises and Vocabulary. There is even a comprehensive overview of both the Zulu language and culture which balances linguistic theory with ethnic background and practical application. A particularly enjoyable feature of this program are the video clips, where real people introduce themselves and allow us to hear the language as it should be spoken.

Throughout each of the lessons, options are given to listen to every sentence and phrase being spoken correctly, and then to record and play back one's own pronunciation in order to compare it the original. This clever feature encourages practice in a positive and interactive way. In addition, English translations are constantly provided enhancing the interactive experience. You can turn this feature off, showing only the Zulu or English text.

The last section of the course shows of the full range of vocabulary used throughout the program, with English translations and grammatical analyses of every word. In addition, a grammatical reference table is provided which is an invaluable resource to any language student.

Finally, a program map is provided, which is a quick, summarised guide to the layout of the program. This presents a brief and convenient summary of the course content as a whole, and again acts as a useful resource to the user.

The imagery of the program is more sophisticated than its predecessor, with bright and pastel shades and beaded icons creating a rustic look and feel. The general layout is relatively clean and simple, and navigability is wonderfully user-friendly.

My only criticism of the material would be in its tendency to become too complex too quickly. Lesson One for example makes reference to several "noun classes" and I wondered whether a language novice would immediately make sense of terms like this. I also found that some of the screens were overly crowded with material which might easily intimidate some users. I do, however, appreciate the vast body of knowledge which the authors were faced with presenting in concise CD-ROM format, and all things considered, the result is a good one.

The product retails at R 349.00 and consists of the CD-ROM as well as a detailed, illustrated course book which provides vital support as the lessons continue. It is available at the Incredible Connection retail chain and Pick&Pay Hypermarkets or can be ordered from the African Voices web site.

I enjoyed the course just as much as "Speak Xhosa with us". If the layout and content structure were a little more simplified, I believe it would appeal to a wider user base. Other than that, the product that I have experienced has more than exceeded expectations.