For years, Zanele Mkhize – a South African events worker – strived to ensure that her children could converse in their native Zulu language, despite being born in Oxford, England, and having gone to a Church of England primary school.
Every year, they visited Johannesburg for three weeks, which proved beneficial as they interacted with native speakers. Unfortunately, their ability to communicate through speech deteriorated, especially during their teenage years. Try to communicate through speech deteriorated, especially during their teenage years.
One of her children, now an adult, began learning Zulu after Duolingo introduced its Zulu language tools last year. This development has allowed him to rekindle his cultural bonds and learn the language at his own pace.
Mkhize says:
“I don’t think they could ever lose their ability to understand Zulu, because I spoke it to them in their early years. Yet their reading, writing and speaking was not as good, as they always spoke and studied in English growing up,”
“My son was really excited when Duolingo made Zulu available last year, as it’s easier to learn that way than to be arched over a textbook when you have a busy life.”
Duolingo has seen an impressive 30,000 Zulu learners on its app in just a few months, making it the second African language offered by the platform after Swahili – which was added five years ago and now has over 477,000 subscribers.
Xhosa for English learners is expected to launch in December, increasing Duolingo’s already 50 million users in an exciting development. This great news is especially beneficial for those seeking to learn African languages.
Strategies For Promoting And Fostering Linguistic Diversity
For those wanting to use the services of Duolingo without ads, there is a monthly fee of £6.49 ($8) available in the UK. Duolingo offers its services for all other users free of charge but with ads included.
Vodacom, one of the top telco providers in South Africa, allows up to 45 million customers to access Duolingo—free of charge. This means users do not have to worry about data charges when using the app.
In 2022, market research firm Statista reported that the language learning platform generated $369.5 million in revenue – an increase of 47% from the previous year. This revenue came from various sources, including advertising, subscription, and exam fees.
The online language learning industry is anticipated to experience a CAGR of 20.3% in the next decade, becoming a market worth $31.81bn by 2029, according to a report from Research and Markets.
Duolingo has increased its subscriber numbers and profits by introducing African languages, which has also been praised for promoting linguistic diversity.
Vukosi Marivate is an associate professor of computer science at the University of Pretoria, based in South Africa. He specializes in this field, teaching his students about the complexities of computer science.
Vukosi Marivate says:
“The historical impact of colonialism on African languages has led to a delay in the development of tools and resources for local languages,”
“There is a growing demand for tools that support local languages, as populations increasingly recognise the importance of preserving their linguistic heritage. Organisations like Duolingo see the potential in developing resources for widely spoken languages such as Swahili and Zulu, making it economically viable to invest in their development. Simultaneously, people are becoming more intentional about teaching their children local languages, despite the challenges in finding resources for them.”
Creating the Zulu course on Duolingo entailed tackling multiple distinct challenges. The learning specialists from Duolingo joined forces with contributors from Nal’ibali, a South African literacy organization, to develop effective approaches to instructing the specific features of Zulu.
This partnership was essential for tackling Zulu’s unique usage of language: its three-click consonants, its fifteen noun classes, and the composition of words from several smaller elements.
Advertisers are likely to change direction as more people become knowledgeable in African languages, as those living in rural areas who prefer using their native language and find English and French interfaces overly complicated on mobile devices may otherwise be neglected by many online businesses across Africa.
According to research firm Common Sense Advisory’s study Can’t Read, Won’t Buy, 40% of respondents said they wouldn’t buy something if it is not in their native language.
Investors and marketing professionals should note Africa’s tremendous market potential, with its population set to double by 2050. Understanding local languages is key for engaging with Africa’s large market, and the tech startup Ambani Africa aims to assist that process with its offerings, including augmented reality (AR), animation,
Lambani says:
“Language learning companies in Africa are diversifying their approaches, targeting early childhood development, adult learning, and corporate institutions, with an overarching goal to empower individuals to learn a variety of subjects in their native languages,”
Africa’s online learning platform industry will reach $380 million this year. It is expected to see an annual rise of 12.10% over the next 8 years, thus inspiring a rush of new players into the market.
Lambani went on to say:
“Despite digital under-representation of African languages, the market has room for numerous players, each playing a crucial role in laying a robust foundation for language learning and cultural appreciation. This dynamic landscape is set to revolutionise the way businesses engage with African audiences, creating a more inclusive and vibrant future.”
The unique approach of Ambani Africa blends physical books with AR technology, creating an immersive learning experience for children. Characters seem to leap off the pages when paired with a smartphone camera, engaging users and guiding them through various interactions.
Marinate says:
“With the emergence of grassroots AI organisations like AfricaNLP and Masakhane , this has also made it more accessible for the big tech giants to access researchers in those communities and build even better tools over time,”
Around a third of all languages in the world are spoken in Africa, and there are approximately 2,000 living languages here. By promoting the use of these languages and preserving them digitally, new opportunities arise for monetizing related products. Thanks to advancements in AI technology, which enables software to interact with different language datasets easily.
Ghana NLP, driven by the open source movement, has developed smartphone keyboards tailored for African languages. Parallel to this venture, Kenyan startup Abantu AI has designed ChatGPT3-based speech-to-text technology for language learning, customer service, and translation.
These tools can assist researchers in studying African languages, leading to a deeper understanding of the continent’s history and culture. As more advancements are made in AI technology, it is exciting to think about the potential for even greater language preservation and promotion in the future. AI tools in unlocking African languages are a positive step towards a more interconnected and culturally diverse world.
Source: African Business
