“Bring Him Home”: Chinese Learner Asks Teacher to Teach Him Setswana, SA Impressed

“Bring Him Home”: Chinese Learner Asks Teacher to Teach Him Setswana, SA Impressed

  • A South African teacher working in China filmed a heartwarming exchange in which his young learner enthusiastically requested a lesson in the Setswana language
  • The delightful clip was shared on TikTok and gained massive views and comments from an online community that was charmed by the moving request
  • Social media users were impressed by the boy’s cultural curiosity, jokingly saying he was ready to come to Mzansi to get his South African identity document (ID)
The teacher started with the simple greeting "Dumela," which the boy mastered well
A Chinese learner asked his Tswana teacher to teach him his language, moving many online viewers. Image: @skillzz_5
Source: TikTok

A touching moment of cultural exchange between a South African teacher and his young Chinese learner went viral.

The clip, shared on TikTok by @skillzz_5, also known as Teacher Donald, highlighted the sweet curiosity of children towards new languages, attracting massive views and comments from viewers who loved the boy’s inquisitiveness.

The video was filmed on a moving bus, where the young learner is sitting across from the teacher. The boy initiates the lesson, expressing his sincere desire to learn the teacher’s language. Teacher Donald did not hesitate, immediately teaching the boy the Setswana greeting, “Dumela.” The attentive learner repeated the word perfectly. The boy then asked for the meaning, and the teacher explained that it meant hello.

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The Chinese pupil learns Setswana

The lesson continued while the bus cruised, with the teacher teaching him the response, “Ke sharp,” which means “I’m okay.” When the teacher, TikTok user @skillzz_5, asked the young learner why he was interested in learning, the boy replied that he wanted to tell his dad. Teacher Donald reminded the little boy to greet him with “Dumela, Mr Donald” every morning, or the more informal, “Eita,” before they exchanged a fist bump.

Some were impressed by the little boy's ability to grasp a new language so easily
The teacher advised the boy to greet him in Setswana every morning. Image: @skillzz_5
Source: TikTok

Mzansi loves the inquisitive boy

The clip garnered 497K views, 71K likes, and nearly 1K comments from entertained social media users, who loved the young boy. Many viewers were impressed by the little boy's keen interest in learning other languages, calling him smart. Some joked, saying the teacher should bring him with on his next visit home as he would be fluent in Setswana. Others were simply charmed by the heartwarming interaction, calling the teacher “blessed” for experiencing such a genuine cultural connection while working abroad.

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User @Siyambonga Dlodlongw said:

"He's smart ❤."

User @Uyena-yedwauBolt shared:

"The fact that he was the one who asked to be taught makes it more special ❤️."

User @mahlodi joked:

"That's it. His ID is ready, 😂 bring him home🇿🇦."

User @userxyz01235 asked:

"Are all Asian kids fast learners, or is it just this kid?"

User @Girl of Now said:

"He is so serious about learning your language, hle😅."

User @Mo_Tswana commented:

"Man, I miss teaching Chinese kids, especially the ones that are genuinely curious about you 😂. I had one kid named “Captain”, he used to say “eita ola” every morning when he saw me, and he thought it meant good morning in Setswana."

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 Briefly News articles about kids

  • Chinese kindergarten kids were filmed learning practical skills such as sewing, knitting, making pottery, and ironing, and local online users wished the same for African schools, too.
  • A South African woman working as a teacher in China shared a viral video of an interaction with her young learner, who she was teaching to say thank you, leaving viewers entertained.
  • An educator from Mzansi teaching in China turned his class into a Kaizer Chiefs celebration with a lesson on football rivalry after his team beat Orlando Pirates.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Bongiwe Mati avatar

Bongiwe Mati (Human Interest Editor) Bongiwe Mati is a Human Interest reporter who joined Briefly News in August 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree from the University of the Western Cape. Her journalism journey began in 2005 at the university newspaper. She later transitioned to marketing and sales at Leadership Magazine under Cape Media (2007-2009). In 2023, she joined BONA magazine as an Editorial Assistant, contributing to digital and print platforms across current news, entertainment, and human interest categories. Bongiwe can be reached at bongiwe.mati@briefly.co.za

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