According to current estimates there are approximately 2000 language spoken in Africa, many in danger of extinction. Teaching and learning of African languages not only saves them from extinction, but also affords learners an opportunity to understand the cultural dynamics of this vast continent. At Ohio University, African Languages are taught through the collaboration of the African Studies Center and the Department of Linguistics. In Ohio University’s African Languages program we endeavor to have all the languages supervised by full-time faculty.
Fellowships to focus on African Languages
Below is the list of the African languages offered at Ohio University alongside the areas where they are spoken and their respective coordinators.
Language |
Spoken in |
Co-ordinators |
| Akan | Ghana | Arthur Hughes |
| Gikuyu | Central Kenya | Peter Githinji |
| Kiswahili | Eastern African Region | Peter Githinji |
| Standard Arabic | Northern African Region | Abdalla Babikir |
| Wolof | Western Africa/Senegal | Fanta Diamanka |
| Sudanese Arabic | Sudan/Nubia | Steve Howard |
| Somali | Horn of Africa | Abdinur Mohamud |
| Tigrinya | Eritrea, Ethiopia | Ghirmai Negash |
Listen to the Director of the Center for African Studies
African Language Tour (you need Google Earth program to view the tour)
Click here to download Google Earth
Uploading Africa is another Google Earth project in which graduate student in African Studies reviewed current research issues in a number of African countries and produced short videos that we used to create this presentation.