Learn to speak Shona  

Shona Language

Shona CD-ROM
RRP: £24.95
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Where does Shona come from?
Shona is the principal language of Zimbabwe. Shona is a member of the group of Bantu languages.

How many people speak Shona?
Shona is spoken by about 8 million people, or close to three-fourths of the native population.

In how many countries?
Shona is spoken in Zimbabwe, and there are also about one million speakers in Mozambique and 200,000 in Botswana.

Shona Culture

Shona Music and Dance
Shona music includes dance, song, ngoma (drums), mbira (thumb piano), marimba (xylophone), hosho (shakers), chipendani (mouth bow) and other instruments. Although banned during the colonial era, this rich and complex music has survived over thousands of years, shaping a direct link to the heritage and knowledge of the Shona people. Still played at traditional biras (spiritual ceremonies), it holds together the fabric of Shona existence.

Shona Food and Drink
Traditional dishes include sadza (a stiff maize meal) eaten with meat and/or gravy and a relish. Rapoko is the traditional beer produced in Zimbabwe and lacto is a traditional fermented milk drink.

Shona Attractions
Zimbabwe is bordered by Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana. The central zone of hills gives rise to many rivers, which drain into the man-made Lake Kariba to the northwest, the marshes of Botswana to the west or into the Zambezi River to the northeast. The Victoria Falls are a principal attraction. Formerly Salisbury, the capital, Harare, is Zimbabwe's commercial and industrial centre and also the usual starting point for any visit. It is a clean and sophisticated city, characterised by flowering trees, colourful parks and contemporary architecture. Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, is a major commercial, industrial and tourist centre. The city is home to the National Museum and headquarters of the National Railways of Zimbabwe. From the forested mountains of the Eastern highlands to the sun-washed grasslands of Hwange National Park, from the hot Mopani Forest to the shores of Lake Kariba, more than 11 per cent of Zimbabwe's land - 44,688 sq km (17,254 sq miles) - has been set aside as parks and wildlife estates. Nightlife is rather limited outside the cities with the emphasis on eating and discos.

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