Afrikaans tutoring for school and exams
One-on-one help with the reading, writing and speaking your child needs at school. We choose a tutor to suit them, with an Education Consultant who plans the programme and follows their progress.
Time to understand and practise
When Afrikaans is seldom spoken at home, schoolwork can be difficult for the whole family to help with. Your child might know the vocabulary for a test but struggle to use it in a sentence, or understand a story without knowing how to answer the questions.
We look at their recent work and assess where the difficulty begins. Lessons give them someone to read with, ask questions and practise speaking to, alongside focused help with written work. For students already doing well, we can work on more precise expression and stronger literature responses.
Afrikaans support through the school years
Primary school
Build vocabulary through reading, listening and conversation, then use it in short written tasks. We work on pronunciation, spelling and sentence construction at your child’s stage, with space to ask what a word or instruction means.
Grade 7 to 9
More complex sentences, longer reading passages and growing expectations for independent work. Lessons connect language rules with the texts and writing tasks your child is meeting at school.
Grade 10 to matric
Comprehension, summaries, language structures, prescribed literature and exam writing. We prepare for the papers your child will take and work on explaining answers clearly within the time available.
First Additional Language or Home Language
We tutor Afrikaans First Additional Language and Home Language for CAPS and IEB students. The course matters: the reading, writing and literature requirements differ, so we use the appropriate schoolwork, set texts and papers.
For First Additional Language, lessons often need to connect vocabulary and grammar with everyday use. A student may know a rule for word order or the past tense but need practice applying it in their own sentences. Reading and conversation give that practice a context.
Home Language work calls for close attention to meaning and expression. We help students discuss what a text suggests, explain the effect of a writer’s choices and develop their own written responses. We also make time for any language foundations that need strengthening.
Comprehension, writing and orals
In comprehension, we work through both the passage and the question so your child can give a relevant answer. In language exercises, we practise sentence structure, tenses and spelling, then use them in writing. For literature, we read closely and discuss the prescribed stories, plays or poems before working on answers.
Essays and transactional writing need planning as well as correct language. We help your child organise their ideas and write for the purpose of the task, whether it is a story, letter or dialogue. Oral preparation gives them time to practise pronunciation and expressing their own ideas aloud.
As exams approach, lessons bring these skills together through relevant past papers and timed practice. We look at the mistakes your child makes and return to the work that needs attention.
Our approach
Assess
First, we assess the student to identify gaps in the fundamentals (what content don’t they know?) and common error types (how are they losing marks?).
Match
Then, we select a mentor from our team of Afrikaans tutors. It is crucial for a student to ‘like’ their tutor and look forward to the lessons.
Teach
The trained tutor comes to the house for high-impact one-on-one lessons where they actually teach the ideas and concepts.
Practise
We set structured homework for the student to do in between lessons. When it comes to learning, practice is key.
Engage
We use projects, experiments, and practical demonstrations to excite the student and pique their interest.
Test
The student writes regular mock tests so that they can practise their skills under exam conditions, and we can monitor their progress and increase their confidence.
Refine technique
A student needs to familiarise themselves with the technical requirements of the memorandum in order to excel. We teach test-taking techniques.
Supervise
We supervise, guide and support the programme to ensure a great result.
Personal support, at home or online
We offer Afrikaans tuition at home in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria, and live one-on-one lessons online. Share your location, your child’s grade and their course so we can discuss a suitable arrangement.
An Education Consultant is the senior team member who plans and oversees your child’s programme. They choose and supervise the tutor, review progress and keep your family informed.
Our Afrikaans tutors achieved distinctions in the subject at school, have studied a relevant field at university, and passed our Afrikaans intake exam and tutor training with distinction.
Our Afrikaans tutors know the work and how to teach it; our students frequently improve their marks by 20%.
Questions parents ask about Afrikaans tuition
We do not speak Afrikaans at home. Can you help?
Yes. Tell us what your child finds difficult and which course they take. We can work on vocabulary and understanding instructions alongside their current schoolwork, with reading and speaking practice during lessons. Your Education Consultant helps plan the work between sessions.
Do you tutor Afrikaans First Additional Language and Home Language?
Yes. We support both, with lessons suited to the student’s grade, course and school requirements. Include the language level and whether the school follows CAPS or the IEB when you enquire.
Can you help with set books, poetry and orals?
Yes. Share the prescribed titles and the oral task with us. Lessons can cover understanding the text, explaining an interpretation and supporting an answer. For orals, we help your child prepare and practise their own work, including pronunciation and delivery.
My child knows the rules but still loses marks. What would you work on?
We use recent marked work to see where the rules stop making sense in practice. That might be word order after a conjunction, changing a sentence’s tense or understanding what a question asks. The tutor explains it, practises it with your child and checks whether they can use it independently.
We have moved schools or returned to South Africa. Where do we start?
Tell us what Afrikaans your child has studied, their new grade and what the school expects. We can assess the gaps and discuss a programme alongside the new schoolwork. Our relocation and syllabus transition support may also be relevant.
If you have a question about a language exemption, ask the school to confirm the requirements and process for your child. A tuition programme does not determine exemption eligibility.
Are online Afrikaans lessons an option?
Yes. Online lessons are live and one-on-one. Your child can read, discuss a text and work through written exercises with the tutor, while their Education Consultant continues to oversee the programme.
What does tuition cost, and what happens first?
See our fee structure for assessment and tuition fees. We begin by understanding your child’s needs, then recommend a programme and tutor. Read how we operate, or enquire now with their grade, course and location.
What our families say
While we were skeptical about investing so much money in a parallel academic programme over and above the fees we pay, Genius has proven to be the best investment we have ever made for our child.
Genius provided a total package that can be summed up in one word, exceptional. … the quality of Genius’s tutors are unrivalled and monetary value cannot be placed on the instrumental part the tuitio…
The Genius team are thorough and spend time fully assessing your requirements before putting a study plan into place. This pre-planning definitely assists in making the Genius programme bespoke and e…
Ready to bring out the best in your child?
Speak to our team about a personalised one-on-one tuition programme - in Johannesburg, Cape Town, or online.