How to Learn Your Nigerian Language: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you looking to learn your Nigerian language because you feel left out when friends and family speak it? Or maybe you want to connect better with your culture and pass it on to your children. Perhaps you like the idea of being a polyglot; whatever the case, stick around to find out everything you need to start your language journey.  

According to Statista, Nigeria has over 500 languages, the three major languages being Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. Most Nigerian speakers learn a Nigerian language from their parents or from an environment where it is predominantly spoken. If you don’t fall under any of these categories, you can still learn any language. All you need is to be consistent with practice. 

Learn Your Nigerian Language: Getting Started

If you are reading this, you probably already have a language in mind that you’d like to learn. But if you don’t, the first step is deciding on a language. People learn different languages for different reasons, so you should choose the language that best suits your goals for learning. Having this at the front of your mind will serve as an extra motivation to keep going when things get challenging. 

Get The Right Learning Resources

The next step after deciding on your language of choice is to gather suitable materials and resources to aid your language-learning process. These resources include finding books, audio materials, courses, and mobile apps for learning your chosen Nigerian language. Books can either be digital or hard copies, depending on your preference. Consider language learning apps or online platforms that offer interactive exercises and quizzes to reinforce your knowledge.

If you want to learn Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, or any other Nigerian language from the comfort of your home, we have compiled a wealth of video, audio, and text resources and practice materials to help you start your journey. You can explore our beginner Nigerian language courses for a fun start to your language adventure.

Learn by Watching Nigerian Movies and Shows

When you watch Nigerian movies, especially with subtitles, you get more acquainted with the language and gain real-time learning experiences. For example, watching a movie helps you understand what context is best to use a certain word, phrase, or sentence. You will also get familiar with the right pronunciations and intonations that accompany your new language. If you need recommendations, you can check out our movie reviews to get you started.

Listen to Nigerian Music

Research has shown that listening to music leaves a more lasting impression than other forms of learning. This is because most people retain better when learning has melody, similar to how we learn the alphabet and rhymes in nursery school. So, find musicians that speak your language of interest and vibe to their songs. All these will give you a feel of how the language sounds in real-life scenarios. You should also attempt to imitate what you hear, even if you don’t understand it. You are learning something new, and that takes time, so be patient with your progress.

Practice as You Learn

Consistent practice and repetition are crucial to remembering what you have learned. If you have access to native speakers, you should try out your newly learned words with them, and if you make mistakes, they will correct you accordingly. This is one of the fastest ways to speed up your learning, particularly in an informal setting. You can also include recording yourself speaking the language and comparing it to native speakers to improve your pronunciation and intonation. Doing this is very helpful as you need to speak the language to learn the language.

One of the benefits of learning your Nigerian language with LearnWazobia is that you get to have practice sessions during live classes with your instructor and other learners. This way, you can learn not just words but how to use them in different sentences and contexts properly.

Learn Your Nigerian Language with LearnWazobia

Learning a new language can be daunting and overwhelming, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Our learning courses in Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo have everything you need to be a fluent speaker. From live classes to self-study materials such as PDFs, flashcards, worksheets, games, and quizzes, LearnWazobia sets you on the right path to learning to speak your Nigerian language fluently. We also have group sessions in our live classes that will expose you to practice sessions with real people and boost your learning.

Do you need a guide on how to introduce your child to your Nigerian language easily? You should check out this article on 5 fun ways to teach your kids about Nigerian culture and values.