Do South Africans speak Afrikaans or English?

The most common language spoken as a first language by South Africans is Zulu (23 percent), followed by Xhosa (16 percent), and Afrikaans (14 percent). English is the fourth most common first language in the country (9.6\%), but is understood in most urban areas and is the dominant language in government and the media.

Is South Africa the only country that speaks Afrikaans?

Afrikaans and English are the only Indo-European languages among the many official languages of South Africa. Although Afrikaans is very similar to Dutch, it is clearly a separate language, differing from Standard Dutch in its sound system and its loss of case and gender distinctions.

Are South Africans considered English native speakers?

Most South Africans are not native English speakers Countries in the ESL world like Thailand and China have caught on that most South Africans don’t actually speak English as a native language. With around 9.6\% being native speakers, employers now view South Africa as a non-native English speaking country.

Do black South Africans understand Afrikaans?

Most black South Africans do not speak Afrikaans, although many learn it at school. For older generations, the language still symbolises the brutality of apartheid regime and a time they would rather forget.

What language is most similar to Afrikaans?

In this article, Afrikaans was compared to three West Germanic standard languages (Dutch, Frisian and German). Unsurprisingly, Afrikaans was found to be most closely related to Dutch. When Afrikaans was compared to 361 Dutch and Frisian dialects, the South-Hollandic varieties were found to be closest to Afrikaans.

Is Afrikaans a black language?

Afrikaans is a southern African language. Today six in 10 of the almost seven million Afrikaans speakers in South Africa are estimated to be black. Like several other South African languages, Afrikaans is a cross-border language spanning sizeable communities of speakers in Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

What language is closest to Afrikaans?

Dutch
In this article, Afrikaans was compared to three West Germanic standard languages (Dutch, Frisian and German). Unsurprisingly, Afrikaans was found to be most closely related to Dutch. When Afrikaans was compared to 361 Dutch and Frisian dialects, the South-Hollandic varieties were found to be closest to Afrikaans.

Which countries understand Afrikaans?

Afrikaans (UK: /ˌæfrɪˈkɑːns/, US: /ˌɑːf-/, English meaning: African) is a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia, and, to a lesser extent, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe….

What language is Afrikaans closest to?

Do South Africans speak with a British accent?

In short, no, South Africans have an accent unique to them similar to how Australians and Americans do not have a British/English accent. However, depending on where you are in the country, South African English may have more of a British twang than compared to other parts.

Can a foreigner be a native speaker?

Unless a person came to an English speaking country as a child, or has a remarkable ear, it is very rare for a foreigner to speak English “like a native”. It is much more common for them to develop fluency and even mastery.

Is English widely spoken in South Africa?

English is widely (but not universally) spoken all over the country. Most non-English South-Africans can speak English as a second language, but native English speakers often speak a second language very poorly. In very rural areas people may not be able speak English though.

Can white South Africans speak Afrikaans?

White English speaking South Africans can usually speak some Afrikaans but not enough to hold their own in Afrikaans conversation. Indian South Africans usually speak English very well, can speak a little Afrikaans and sometimes they can speak an Indian language.

Can an English speaking South African get by in Afrikaans without being fluent?

Generally English speaking South AFricans can get by in Afrikaans, And vice versa. I am fluent in Afrikaans but I am primarily an English speaking South African. But yes; most can get by in Afrikaans without being fluent. When I went to school, Afrikaans was a compulsory subject but not widely spoken where I lived.

What are the benefits of using English in South Africa?

English is the common ground language which Afrikaans/Zulu/Sotho/Venda/Xhosa (and the rest) can use to interact. This gives a huge benefit to native English speakers as they do not require to adopt as readily.