Africa’s mother tongues are finding new life as youth connect with roots and relatives
Summary
Many young people in Africa and the African diaspora are reconnecting with their native African languages. This interest is growing because of online tools and social media, allowing people worldwide to learn languages their parents or grandparents spoke but feared might be lost.Key Facts
- Africa has between 1,500 and 3,000 different languages spoken across 54 countries.
- African mother tongues lost importance during colonial times in favor of languages like English, French, and Portuguese.
- Young Africans and those living abroad are now learning their ancestral languages through online platforms and social media.
- A Nigerian TV game show requires participants to speak only African languages, not English.
- An online platform called ZimbOriginal teaches the Shona language through storytelling and virtual language partners, charging $50 per month.
- The platform's founder left a banking job to focus on language teaching full-time.
- Learning native languages helps younger generations communicate better with older relatives and connect with their culture.
- Western languages still dominate education and business in many African countries, but interest in African languages is increasing.
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