As a teenager in Kentucky, I remember sitting in front of our Gateway computer (thanks Dad!) and trying to learn Russian. I started with learning the characters. This was very challenging. I told my sisters I wanted a Russian dictionary for Christmas and they told me by Christmas time I would no longer be interested in Russian.
They were right.
Despite my inability to learn Russian as a high school student, I would later maintain my interest in learning at least a few phrases in other languages, as I met people from different countries. I think the greatest form of respect is to speak to someone in their own language. While working a retail job after I came back from Colombia, I met Romanian men who reminded me of the assasins in the Jason Bourne movies. (Silly and stereotypical, I know). This became a joke among us and I began learning new phrases in Romanian so I could greet them every time I saw them. "Ce Mais Faci" (pronounced: Che-my-fatch).
While learning a few phrases in Romanian and other languages was fun, I wanted to fluently learn another language besides Spanish. I had already committed to French, but ultimately, I really wanted to challenge myself and learn an African language, as well.
At that time, I had a lot of Yoruba friends and decided to learn their language and more about the region of West Africa as a whole.
More than 30 million people speak the Yoruba language. Most of them live in Nigeria, but the Yoruba people are also in Benin, Togo, and even Sierra Leone.
Yoruba is a challenging language because it is a highly tonal language. Words that are spelled the same way could actually mean different things based on how you pronounce them. In order to master the Yoruba language, you have to master various pronunciations of vowels. Correct pronunciation of these vowels is a journey I am excited to begin. (I'm always up for a challenge).
I hope you enjoy following along with me as I learn and practice the Yoruba language. If you meet a Yoruba person tell them: Bawoni! (Baa-woah-knee). (How are you?)
Happy Learning!