Yoruba is the first language of over 30 million West Africans, and is spoken by populations in Southwestern Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Sierra Leone. Based on the number of people for whom Yoruba is the first language, the political, cultural, and social importance of the language within Africa, and United States national interests tied to economic and diplomatic relations with Yoruba-speaking areas, Yoruba was recognized among the Less Commonly Taught Languages in the US as a first priority language by a national panel of African language teachers.
Dialects of Yoruba are also used in Brazil (Nago) and in Cuba (Lucumi) as liturgical languages in African based religious practices such as in Candomble, Umbanda and Santeria.
Yoruba learners cite many reasons for learning Yoruba, including personal interest in West African cultures, heritage reasons, research interests, and fulfillment of foreign language requirements. African-Americans often learn Yoruba out of interest in their own heritage, since many of the slaves brought to North America during the 18th and 19th centuries came from Yoruba-speaking areas.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn Yoruba, the resources on this site will be of tremendous help towards achieving your Yoruba learning goal/s.
Welcome to Yorubabooksonline website!
Ję K'Á So Yorůbá is an
introductory textbook for the study of Yoruba, a principal African language
centered in Nigeria. This textbook presents a functional-notational approach to
the study of the language, structuring lessons around real-life functions or
situations. It integrates reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities.
It combines the teaching of grammatical structures with a multidimensional
curriculum in which cultural information is fully integrated with linguistic
information.
From the beginning of the course, students communicate in
meaningful Yoruba and become familiar with traditional and contemporary Yoruba
life. Designed for first-year students, the book is also an appropriate
learning tool for linguists, anthropologists with specializations in Yorubaland,
and all Africanists.
Ję K'Á Ka Yorůbá is an intermediate course designed for students who have completed two semesters of college Yoruba or equivalent. It is designed to give the intermediate course a clear focus on the Yoruba-speaking world. It presents a theme-based, communicative-oriented approach that involves students on both intellectual and emotional levels. The objectives of the readings, vocabulary study, activities, and grammar presentations is to increase students' understanding and appreciation of Yoruba culture and to open up for them new avenues of thought, new expectations, and new views of life.
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