Today is Kiswahili Language Day! According to UNESCO, #Kiswahili is among the 10 most widely spoken languages in the world, with more than 230 million speakers. It is also one of the lingua franca in many countries within East, Central, and Southern Africa, as well as in the Middle East. 🔴 Yet, only 1 in 5 children in #Africa are taught in a language they speak at home (#GEMReport). While speaking a language that is not spoken in the classroom frequently holds back a child's learning, even partial use of the home language is associated with a higher probability of learners being literate. ✅ Did you know that many of our publications are translated into Kiswahili? Read the summary of the #2023GEMReport in Kiswahili: https://bit.ly/3XPYzbU #KiswahiliLanguageDay
Please remember that even in countries where Kiswahili IS the LOI, it will not be every child's first language.
Happy Kiswahili Language Day!. I remember teaching Ngeli mbali mbali za Kiswahili while making its teaching fun.
Teacher Educator at General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
1wMost African languages do not have enough written material to support learning in mother language