First-year Yoruba
AF 371 and AF 372
Yoruba is one of the three main languages of Nigeria. There are about 20 million speakers of the language in the south western part of Nigeria. It has about twenty dialects which show phonological and lexical differences. Some of these dialects are also spoken around the border of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin and part of Togo. The language has also survived in Cuba (where it is called Lukumi) and in Brazil (where it is called Nago).
Aside from these various dialects, there is Standard Yoruba, which is used for educational purposes, (e.g., in the newspapers, on the radio, and in schools). This Standard form is understood by speakers of the various dialects.
This course provides an introduction to the Standard Yoruba language and culture. The primary goal of the course is to provide the students with the spoken knowledge of the language. However, by the end of the course, students should have also acquired some knowledge of reading and writing in the language.
Second-year Yoruba
AF 373 and AF 374
This course is a continuation of First-year Yoruba. It basically picks up from where First-year Yoruba ends. Emphases will be on reinforcing the basic structures that were learned in the first year program through oral and aural activities, and increasing the level of active vocabulary through more reading and writing. More authentic texts will be provided for reading activities to expose students to authentic Yoruba writings and cultures. By the end of the course, students are expected to have reached the intermediate middle or intermediate high level in oral proficiency.
