The African Language Solutions Blog

The internet presence of vernacular languages, for example those spoken on the African continent, is quite small. According to some, this is the reason why many local languages are on the verge of extinction. Others claim, however, that ICT can be used to preserve local languages and improve language learning. As you might know, many…

In the first of our upcoming series of interviews with linguists and professionals working in or with Africa, we are delighted to bring you our interview with Nigerian writer and linguist, Kola Tubson. Kola, perhaps could you start off by explaining what you do as a profession? I am a writer and linguist. I currently…

Most students are not too keen on learning subjects such as maths or sciences. However, a South African company has found a way to make these subjects a lot more interesting! Admire Moyo recently shard a piece of interesting information in his article on IT Web! He revealed that the South African company Rethink Education…

To get an idea of which languages are important online, one only has to look to the likes of Facebook and Google. The languages they translate and localize their platforms into usually point to that language’s potential. So, interestingly Google has today announced that they are launching their Gmail email service platform into two of…

It is often said that children’s literacy is greatly helped when parents or teachers read them stories. However, African teachers and parents often don’t have access to picture books in their own languages, which means the literacy of African children is not that great. However, with the launch of a new project on African picture…

Recently, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters Party in South Africa stated that all white South Africans should learn an African language to create more unity in the country. Website AllAfrica asked five South African youths about their opinion on the matter. In the middle of June, Julius Malema made his first appearance in…

Children in Tanzania are usually taught in their native Kiswahili language in primary education; their secondary education, however, is usually in the English language. As many children lack a thorough understanding of this foreign language, Tanzanian stakeholders are calling for a review of this policy. When they make the transition from primary to secondary education,…

When people in Africa get the chance to learn a foreign language, most students on the continent opt for a language such as English, French or even Chinese to increase their prospects on the job market. The Russian language, however, is often ignored as the Russian ties with Africa are not that strong. The development…

With few exceptions, languages are always evolving: new technologies or influences from other languages lead to new words and phrases. In Zimbabwe, it is the street life in the big cities that is currently transforming the Shona language. The Shona language is spoken by 80 per cent of all Zimbabweans. However, according to Hilary Siyachitema,…

In many African countries, youths are abandoning their native villages and moving to the city. In this process, many African traditions are slowly being forgotten, which means entire cultures are in danger of becoming extinct. Thankfully, a new online project has been created to put this development to a halt. Smack in the forests of…