It’s not uncommon for Pumlani Sibula, professor at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, to break into song in the middle of a lecture.

After teaching Northwestern students on the global health program in South Africa, Sibula received rave reports, and Northwestern University invited him to Evanston for a quarter. He accepted, embarking on his first trip to the United States to teach his native language Xhosa to about 40 students studying abroad in South Africa in the spring.

North by Northwestern spoke to Sibula about why he sings, what life is like in South Africa and why he hates the snow.

What’s the most challenging thing about teaching Xhosa to students who only know English?

I’ve got a spirit, I don’t know how to tell the spirit I’ve got. We call it umoya. There are limitations of language. I cannot express myself fully the way that I feel. That’s why I prefer to express myself in song in class.

Was music a big part of your life growing up in South Africa?

I grew up in a family that sings. I love to sing. When I’m sad, when I’m happy, I sing. I sing praises as well. So to me, singing is me. I am Mr. Singer.

Will you sing for me?

It has to come. It is a spirit that has to come.

What first got you interested in teaching?

It is because I am the person who likes to talk. Yes, I am a person who likes to narrate stories. So it’s always so nice to transfer that knowledge I have to other people.

What surprised you the most about Chicago?

The snow is terrible. There’s that coldness in the evening it’s — I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s horrible. But I’m so grateful today because there is sunshine, and it means I can go anywhere. I’m so grateful.

Are American accents hard to understand?

Yea, it makes me laugh sometimes because every time I have to say “How do you say?” etc. because you speak fast and you — how can I say — you swallow the words, you are rolling when you speak. It’s like me when I am in town here people always ask me what did you say? What kind of language do you speak? So it’s so cool. I love it every time. It shows the differences that you have in language.

Do you think you could live in the U.S. permanently?

I cannot live in the U.S. permanently because of my family. I am a family man. Even for me, to be away from home is just too much, you see. I’m close to them, you see, they are a part of me. Because I’m the only one who is providing for their living, so it’s difficult if I’m here.

You taught high school students just as apartheid was officially ending in 1994. How did this affect the attitude in the classroom?

Actually the time when I was teaching, nobody was talking about apartheid because we’d already voted, you see. [Nelson] Mandela was already in. Everyone was just excited because it means now the apartheid was slowly, slowly, slowly, dying. Of course it will never totally die, but it is gradually, gradually, gradually.

How did Mandela’s government personally affect your life and the life of your family?

Mandela’s government, yes, affected me positively because there are a lot of benefits that you get, you see. The families, they get the government grants that you could not get before. I’m living in a suburb, whereas before I could not even dream to leave there. But now because of Mandela we are equal in South Africa. That’s what is nice. We can do whatever, freedom of speech, of whatever, of expression.