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Arabic,
Hausa, Swahili and Yoruba are the most widely spoken languages in
Africa. |
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Together
they are spoken by 380 million people in 40 countries. |
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They
are the languages of choice of the African Diaspora. (Did you know
that the word “Kwanzaa” is from Swahili?) |
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They
have ancient history and culture, including literature, art, and music. |
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They
have historical and cultural links with Islam, one of the largest
religions of the world. |
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| Why
should YOU study an African language? |
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Learn
for yourself who Arabs and Africans really are -- deconstruct the
popular stereotypes. |
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Students
in these courses tend to be more adventurous, independent-minded,
socially conscious. |
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Employers
and graduate schools recognize these personal qualities of students
studying a less commonly taught language. |
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Be
different! |
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Why study an African language at UW-Madison? |
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UW-Madison
has the one and only Department of African Languages and Literature
in the United States. |
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UW-Madison
has the National African Language Resource Center which specializes
in the teaching of African languages. |
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UW-Madison
has a federally supported African Studies Program with more than sixty
faculty who offer Africa-related courses in many disciplines, e.g.
history, anthropology, political science, art history, comparative
literature, music, dance, etc. |
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UW-Madison
has study abroad programs in Egypt, Morocco, Cameroon, Kenya, and
South Africa, and summer programs are available too. |
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Department
students, together with others across the campus, organize an international
conference titled “Africa Without Borders.” |
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In
Spring 2004 we co-host the 40th African Literature Conference, with
many famous writers and academics attending. |
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| How
do we teach? |
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UW-Madison
has full-time tenured faculty specialists teaching African languages. |
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The
latest teaching methods are used, including online materials, CD-ROM’s,
and authentic videos. |
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Our
teaching is student-centered, and focuses on speaking, reading, writing,
and cultural competence. |
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Our
fun-filled annual African Culture Night showcases students’
achievements through exhibits, skits, and plays, and features African
music and food. |
