One of the most fascinating aspects of traveling to different countries is encountering the various native languages. Africa is one of the most diverse continents, and a large number of dialects and languages can be heard throughout the country. In the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, the Nguni people use a click-to-speak technique. In a new educational video, tourist guide Sakhile Dube demonstrates how these clicking sounds are incorporated into the native language. She displays the beauty of African tribal linguistics with a soft tone and flowing cadence.
Some of these clicks can also be heard in everyday conversations across the United States. A slight “tsk tsk” from an old man expressing disapproval is an example of how we incorporate clicking into our language.
There are four groups in South Africa that use the clicking technique while speaking. They are the Xhosa in the Eastern Cape, the Zulu in KwaZulu-Natal, the Ndebele in Mpumalanga, and the Swazi in Eswatini. Although these tribes have their own respective dialects, they share the common feature of easily communicating with each other through clicks.
Dube does an excellent job breaking down the pronunciation of words and phrases using the click-through techniques in this new video.
Related: Ten African languages added to Google Translate
