(Transcript from World News Radio)
It's been said that culture and language are intertwined.
So it's a fear of many migrants to Australia, that their children will lose both in their new home.
Language schools have sprung up around the country to address the issue, but Western Australia had lagged behind.
Thanks to a state government funding boost, the state is catching up.
One of the first schools will be the Zimbabwean Language School in Perth's south east.
Ryan Emery reports.
(Click on audio tab to listen to this item)
"Ok, I'm going to greet you: sawubona.
"Yebo.
"Excellent (clapping)."
When you're learning a new language, you start with the basics.
Even if it's a language your ancestors have been speaking for generations.
"Right and when I say how are you, I say: unjani.
"Unjani.
"Unjani
"Unjani
"And that is how are you. And in response you say *ngiyaphila*
"Ngiyaphila.
"Which means: I am fine."
The Zimbabwean Language School in Perth's south east hasn't officially started, but these kids are being put through their paces.
They're mostly the children of Zimbabwean migrants to Australia whose parents want them to learn one of the many languages of their home country.
Many fear if the children lose their language, they lose their culture and identity.
Today's classes are in Ndebele and Shona, which are the country's major languages.
Sitting in the front row is nine-year-old Jaden Mlilo.
"When I went to Zimbabwe last year, I couldn't really speak much to my relatives."
It's a common story amongst the kids here.
Eleven-year-old Lisa Nyoni is pretty much fluent in Ndebele thanks to her parents, but she can see the bigger picture about learning more of the language.
"I think it's really good to know about it because I'm keeping my culture alive and I'm knowing more about my roots so I never forget where I'm from about what my identity is about."
It can also be handy for keeping secrets.
Eleven-year-old Thabisile Bhebhe has taught his friends at school some words of Ndebele.
"Sometimes we play soccer and I can communicate with them in my language so the other team doesn't hear our strategies."
Although it doesn't work all the time.
"I've got two cousins in year five, because we always versus year five versus year six. Kind of hard because they sometimes hear us.
Reporter: "And they yell out they're going down the wing?
"Yep
Reporter: "You need a new language.
"Yep."
One of the school's organisers is Thembie Moyo whose own daughter doesn't speak her mother's tongue.
"She goes to Zimbabwe and she's like an outsider. Even when she's playing with my nieces and nephews, she can't fit in. She becomes this person who really doesn't belong anywhere. Because when she comes here to Australia, she looks different. When she goes there and talks to her friends they always ask her where are you actually from? Where are your parents from? And when she says from Zimbabwe they'll ask her can you speak the language and she says no. It's such an embarrassment and a shame and it's really such a loss to the identity because when they get to teenage years they don't whether they are Zimbabwean or Australian or somewhere in between so it's really important that they will have somewhere where they can identify."
The classes are open to all and officially start this Sunday (August 2).
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