Katlego Sekhu
Martial arts legend Jackie Chan recently revealed in an interview with Kelly Clarkson that listening to country music played a key role in helping him learn English while filming Rush Hour with Chris Tucker.
He explained that the slower pace of country songs made it easier for him to understand and absorb the language.
This revelation sparked a conversation among the Drive 959 team, who shared their own experiences with learning new languages.
Kgomotso Meso said she became fluent in Tshivenda after dating a Venda man, whose family regularly spoke in Tshivenda around her.
“I would hear them talking and pick it up. One thing about learning a language, you have to be deliberate about it,” she said.
For Skhumba, French is the language that fascinates him the most.
“I would love to learn French so much. It’s one of the languages spoken widely across our continent. Those are the countries I’d like to visit,” he shared.
“I also want to learn Tshivenda. I’m going to start taking lessons.”
Glen Lewis added a practical tip for aspiring language learners:
“First of all, if you want to learn a new language, you must start by learning how to greet.”
The team then posed a question to their listeners: “Have you had to learn a new language as an adult? What helped you do it?”
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast.
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