Here at Transparent Language, we believe in the value of every language, regardless of the number of speakers, the economic value, or otherwise. That’s why we offer 100 languages in Transparent Language Online and continue to add new ones each year. For those interested in learning African languages, we currently offer courses and learning materials in 8 languages!

Afrikaans

Spoken widely in South Africa and Namibia, and to a lesser extent in other southern African countries like Botswana and Zimbabwe, Afrikaans is the native language of more than 7 million people. Believe it or not, the language closely resembles Dutch, as Protestant settlers brought the language to the region in the 17^th century. Afrikaans speakers can typically understand a fair amount of spoken Dutch!

A subscription to Transparent Language Online for Afrikaans includes 80+ topical vocabulary lists with native speaker audio, pronunciation practice, typing activities, and a grammar reference.

Amharic

The second most widely spoken Semitic language (behind Arabic), Amharic is the national language of Ethiopia. More than 20 million people speak the language, which is written in an abugida, a writing with letters comprised of a consonant followed by an inherent vowel sound, with other vowel sounds denoted by diacritics.

A subscription to Transparent Language Online for Amharic includes a 7-unit Essentials course, pronunciation practice, typing activities, and a grammar reference.

Hausa

Hausa is considered a lingua franca of western Africa, where it is spoken by more than 40 million people across Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and beyond. The language is used as a trade language throughout the region and, unlike many languages of the region, is quite common in print and broadcast journalism. The BBC, Radio France Internationale, Deutsche Welle, and Voice of America all broadcast in Hausa.

A subscription to Transparent Language Online for Hausa includes 80+ topical vocabulary lists with native speaker audio, pronunciation practice, typing activities, and a grammar reference.

Kituba

Kituba is considered the lingua franca of Central Africa, where it has official status in Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Kikongo-based creole has roughly 5 million speakers. This course was created in partnership with Langscape, a project at the Maryland Language Science Center that aims to make language data available to the public.

Somali

Somali, as you might have guessed, is spoken widely in Somalia, but also throughout other neighboring countries. The language has had its share of writing systems, from the Arabic alphabet to the unique Osmanya alphabet developed for the language in the 1920s. Following a coup in the late 1960s, it was decided that Somali would be written with the Latin alphabet, which is still used today amongst the 15+ million speakers.

A subscription to Transparent Language Online for Somali includes a 10-unit Essentials course, 80+ topical vocabulary lists with native speaker audio, pronunciation practice, typing activities, and a grammar reference.

Swahili

Perhaps the best known African language on our list (thanks, Lion King), Swahili is spoken by an estimated 100+ million Africans as either a first or second language. It is the lingua franca of the eastern African region, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, the DRC, and beyond. A large portion of Swahili vocabulary is borrowed or derived from Arabic, thanks to contact with Arabic speakers along the coastal region. While the language can be written in Arabic script, colonial European powers increasingly used the Latin alphabet to record the language, a practice that remains the norm today.

A subscription to Transparent Language Online for Swahili includes an alphabet course, a 10-unit Essentials course, 100+ topical vocabulary lists with native speaker audio, pronunciation practice, typing activities, and a grammar reference.

Yoruba

Approaching 30 million speakers, Yoruba is spoken in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Benin. In part due to the Atlantic slave trade, Yoruba is also considered to be one of the most widely spoken African languages outside of the continent, with vibrant Yoruba communities in Brazil, Cuba, North America, and the Caribbean, among others. In fact, a variation of Yoruba is recognized as the holy language of the Santeria religion of the Caribbean islands. The language is also tonal, like Mandarin or Vietnamese, meaning that different pronunciations of the same spelling can alter the meaning of a word.

A subscription to Transparent Language Online for Yoruba includes 15+ topical vocabulary lists with native speaker audio, pronunciation practice, typing activities, and a grammar reference.

Zulu

It may always fall last alphabetically, but with more than 10 million speakers, Zulu is certainly not least. The vast majority of Zulu speakers live in South Africa, where the language has official status. Like most languages in the region, Zulu was a spoken language until the arrival of missionaries who developed a Latin Script in the 19^th century. Since the downfall of Apartheid, the language has experienced a revival of sorts, with TV shows and Zulu radio becoming increasingly popular.

A subscription to Transparent Language Online for Zulu includes an 11-unit Essentials course, 100+ topical vocabulary lists with native speaker audio, pronunciation practice, typing activities, and a grammar reference.

Ready to start learning an African language online? Find a library near you who offers Transparent Language Online.

None close by? Print this info card and bring it to your local librarians to let them know you’re interested, or sign up for the free trial!