Molo, unjani? Hallo, how are you? Ngubani igama lakho? What is your name? Kushushu! It is warm! Umhlobo wam. My friend. Khawuphinde? Can you repeat it?

These are only a few of the isiXhosa words and phrases that visitors to Woordfees 2019 can learn as part of the #Amagama project.

This project will be presented by students of the Faculty of Education for a second time at the Woordfees this year. A group of 14 Education students with isiXhosa as major will be on duty from 4 t​o 8 March to teach festival goers 100 isi​​Xhosa words and 20 sentences.

You will find these students at the Erfurthuis, the Khaya, Wilgenhof (Boeke-oase), the Conservatorium and the Adam Small theatre. They will be available to assist people with the phonetical pronunciation of the words and sentences as well as practising the famous three clicks of the isiXhosa language.

“Amagama means 'vocabulary' in isiXhosa," explains Jana Nel, part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Education and organiser of the project.

“The aim of the project is to cross language as well as cultural barriers so that people can show each other mutual understanding and respect. When one person reaches out to another by greeting them in their mother tongue, asking how they are and saying goodbye, it already makes a big difference. I am privileged to speak IsiXhosa myself and have often enjoyed the positive advantages of communicating with Xhosa speakers in their mother tongue."

The students will wear Woordfees t-shirts and green caps and will be standing next to their teaching boards. Booklets will be available for those people who would like to learn the words.​