AFRICAN LANGUAGES
Are your students looking for a language to fulfill IU’s foreign language requirement? Are they interested in a small classes where they’ll get individualized attention? Do they have an interest in getting a Certificate in African Studies, or working with the US State Department (Foreign Service)? If the answer to any of the above questions is “yes,” then kindly encourage them to a look at the following African languages offered (through the Linguistics Department) in the 2008-2009 academic year.
W101 (Akan): Akan is part of the Kwa language family. It is the principle language of Ghana and is also spoken in the Ivory Coast and in some parts of Togo. About 9 million people speak Akan, most of who live in the Ashanti Region. The Akan people take great pride in their language, since it reflects not only their culture but also the history of their great nation. Akan is used in schools, on the radio, television, and in government offices. There are opportunities for studying abroad.
B101 Bambara/Bamana: Bambara, also known as Bamanankan, is part of the Manding language family. Bambara is one of the most widely spoken languages in West Africa and is used by more than 26 million people, primarily in Mali, but also in Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea-Conakry, Mauritania, Northern Cote-d'Ivoire, and Senegal. Bambara is the lingua franca of many parts of West Africa and is used in some Malian schools, radio, and government offices.
S101 Kiswahili: Kiswahili, or Swahili, is the language of over 50 million people in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, as well as in parts of Somalia, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Comoro Islands. Kiswahili is the lingua franca of many of these countries and is the national language of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Kiswahili is also used as one of the working languages of the African Union. There are opportunities for studying abroad.
F101 Wolof: Wolof is spoken by over 3 million people in Senegal and by millions of people in the Gambia, and Mauritania. It is the lingua franca in Senegal and belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo language family. Besides the Wolof people, the Wolof language is spoken by the Fulani, Serer, Toucouleur, Diola, and Mandingo people as a second language. There are opportunities for studying abroad.
Z101 IsiZulu: IsiZulu, or Zulu, is spoken by about 10 million people in many parts of Africa. It is a Nguni language, related to IsiXhosa, IsiNdebele, and IsiSwati. A major language of South Africa, it is also the lingua franca of Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
For more information contact Alwiya Omar aomar@indiana.edu or Samuel Obeng sobeng@indiana.edu
