YORUBA LANGUAGE (YORU)

This course is an introduction to Yoruba and is intended for students with no prior knowledge of the language and culture of Yorubaland. The course emphasizes spoken and written Yoruba, as used in present day West Africa. At the end of this course, students are expected to reach Novice High according to the American Council Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines.

It introduces more advanced grammar and emphasizes more fluency in speaking, reading, and writing in standard Yoruba. The course develops students understanding of the Yoruba culture and the West African people who use Yoruba as the language of wider communication. To learn the Yoruba language and culture, students cover a wide range of socioeconomic and political topics including greetings, nutrition, health, housing, business and political leadership.

Intermediate Yoruba III is a continuation of Elementary Yoruba. It is the first of two intermediate level courses of the language. Students taking this course are assumed to have taken Yoruba Elementary I & II where basic elements of Yoruba language and culture are introduced. Emphasis is placed on reinforcing the basic structures learned in Elementary Yoruba I and II through oral and aural activities and increasing the level of active vocabulary.

This course builds on what students have learned in the Beginner's class. Heritage language users can be placed into the course depending on their language proficiency level. Students will learn to speak, read, and write at an intermediate level. Texts will be drawn from short stories, drama texts, and various forms of praise and moral poems in Yoruba discourse. Other sources of language and culture learning are Yoruba films, BBC New Yoruba, and Yoruba newspaper excerpts. Students will be introduced to current affairs and cultural events. Students will work on a paper project and creative work (such as a play/drama).