How to Learn South African English With Comprehensible Input

South African English is mostly the English you already know, with British spelling and some words of its own. A robot is a traffic light, and "I'll come just now" can mean in a little while. A word list can tell you that, but you only catch these words without thinking after you've heard them in sentences you understand. That is what comprehensible input means: South African English you mostly follow, where the words you know explain the new one.

About one new word in each sentence, while you still follow the meaning.

.

.

.

Say a lesson has the line "Turn left at the robot, and the shop is next to the bakery." You know every word but one, and the shop and the street tell you what the odd word is. Read a few sentences. If most have about one new word, keep reading. If you can't tell what's happening, pick something easier.

Bubblegum has six levels, and each starts with a sentence in a learner's own words. Pick the one closest to you. The videos and the dictionary in the rows don't use these levels, so treat each row as a first guess.

1. Level 1

   I'm just starting out or know only a few words

   The easiest way to start is Bubblegum, where Poppy, your AI tutor, writes short lessons at your level about your interests and goals. If you'd like a teacher, find a tutor who teaches from zero. Give it a few weeks of hard study before you start using apps.

2. Level 2

   I can read simple sentences

   If you use Bubblegum, read its Level 2 lessons with the translation hidden. Look up only the words that stop you. Ask Poppy what a local word means, like robot or bakkie.

3. Level 3

   I can read short stories and messages

   At this level you need more words, so read and listen a lot. Bubblegum reuses the words you saved in new Level 3 lessons. Search the Dictionary of South African English for a word you keep meeting, and play its audio.

   Dictionary of South African English →
4. Level 4

   I can follow longer texts and different points of view

   Watch a news video on SABC News. Follow the main idea first, then watch it again for the parts you missed. Read Bubblegum lessons at Level 4 about things you're into.

   SABC News →
5. Level 5

   I can follow complex topics, but miss some details

   Read SABC News stories in the Politics or Business sections, and guess new words from the sentence before you look them up. Poppy can write your Level 5 lessons about anything you're into.

   SABC News →
6. Level 6

   I can follow detailed arguments and understand what is left unsaid

   Read opinion pieces and listen to people from different parts of South Africa, and notice how they choose words. Read Bubblegum lessons at Level 6 about the things you care about too.

Try the next row once this one feels easy. If most sentences need the dictionary, go back one row.

Here's a sentence written for this guide: We had a braai on Saturday, and I wore my takkies because it was a long walk. If you know every other word, the scene teaches you the rest: a braai is a meal with a fire, and takkies are shoes for walking.

Bubblegum is a language app where your AI tutor, Poppy, writes South African English lessons for your level about topics you choose. Voices with Cape Town English accents read every lesson aloud, and you can look up words and ask her about grammar. Words you save come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™.