Posted by Robbie McLachlan, Developer Advertising and marketing
In our newest movie for #WeArePlay, which celebrates the folks behind apps and video games, we meet Michael and Shalom – a mom and son duo pushed by a ardour for sharing and instructing African languages. Uncover how their app, Nkenne, goes past language studying—serving as a robust software for preserving cultural heritage and reconnecting folks with their African language and tradition.
What impressed you to create Nkenne?
Michael: Nkenne which implies “of the mom,” actually got here from a private place. I wished to study Igbo, my native language from Nigeria, however there weren’t many sources on the market that made it straightforward or accessible. My mother, Shalom, raised me within the U.S., and whereas I grew up listening to bits of Igbo, there wasn’t sufficient time or construction for me to completely study it. Through the pandemic, when the whole lot paused, I noticed how a lot I wished to attach with my heritage, and that’s when the thought sparked. We realized that not simply Igbo, however many African languages had been turning into much less frequent, even amongst those that communicate them. So, we noticed this as a chance to protect these languages and assist others reconnect with their roots.
You’ve talked about the objective of preserving African languages. How does Nkenne contribute to their preservation?
Shalom: African languages are thought of low-resource as a result of they do not have as a lot digital content material, formal documentation, or available studying instruments. With Nkenne, we’re serving to to vary that. We’re not simply instructing the languages, we’re documenting them, constructing classes, and making a useful resource for future generations. Many individuals in Nigeria, for instance, don’t communicate their native languages anymore. By creating Nkenne, we’re primarily constructing a digital library of African languages.
How does Nkenne combine each language studying and cultural training? Why is it vital to show each?
Michael: Understanding the cultural which means behind a language makes studying richer. It’s not simply vocabulary—it’s about connecting folks with the tradition behind it. We embody blogs, podcasts, and classes that dive into the traditions and customs tied to the language, so folks perceive not simply the phrases, however the historical past and which means behind them.
Shalom: Sure, studying a language with out the cultural context leaves gaps. As an illustration, in Nigeria, utilizing your left hand handy somebody an merchandise is taken into account impolite— we educate these cultural nuances within the app to assist the consumer really grasp the tradition.
What’s subsequent for Nkenne?
Michael: We’re targeted on increasing our language choices to 30 by the top of 2025, together with extra African languages and Creole dialects from all over the world. We’re additionally engaged on enhancing our AI capabilities for language translation.
Shalom: We’re additionally deepening the neighborhood expertise, including extra social options the place customers can join, share, and observe collectively. It’s about constructing not only a language-learning platform, however an area the place folks from the diaspora and past can really join with their heritage.
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