Dear Reader,
Thank you for your interest in the African Languages Association. This organization was officially founded in August 2017, but its development began when I arrived on campus as a freshman in August 2016. As a Nigerian-born American, I was disappointed to learn that despite offering courses in 12 different languages on campus, the University of Maryland does not offer any African language classes. Leaving Nigeria at the age of 6, I grew up primarily speaking English and yearned to study my mother's native Igbo language and my father's native Yoruba language in a formal classroom setting. Without any established courses on campus, I decided to create this organization in order to give other students the same opportunities I had been yearning for, and build a community of curious, driven, passionate learners.
Now in its second semester of classes, the African Languages Association has grown to attract students from different cultural and academic backgrounds across the University of Maryland. We are proud to serve as the only resource for learning an African language on campus and hope to continue impacting students through our weekly classes and social events. Through visiting our website, we hope you leave with an understanding that African languages are rich, diverse, intellectually-stimulating, and worthy of time and attention.
Sincerely,
Rahila Oluwatosin Adaure Olanrewaju
Thank you for your interest in the African Languages Association. This organization was officially founded in August 2017, but its development began when I arrived on campus as a freshman in August 2016. As a Nigerian-born American, I was disappointed to learn that despite offering courses in 12 different languages on campus, the University of Maryland does not offer any African language classes. Leaving Nigeria at the age of 6, I grew up primarily speaking English and yearned to study my mother's native Igbo language and my father's native Yoruba language in a formal classroom setting. Without any established courses on campus, I decided to create this organization in order to give other students the same opportunities I had been yearning for, and build a community of curious, driven, passionate learners.
Now in its second semester of classes, the African Languages Association has grown to attract students from different cultural and academic backgrounds across the University of Maryland. We are proud to serve as the only resource for learning an African language on campus and hope to continue impacting students through our weekly classes and social events. Through visiting our website, we hope you leave with an understanding that African languages are rich, diverse, intellectually-stimulating, and worthy of time and attention.
Sincerely,
Rahila Oluwatosin Adaure Olanrewaju