Finding Yoruba Language Mentors

Madison has a large community of Yoruba native speakers who are  friendly, accessible and always willing to help. The Yoruba people, wherever they are, live and perform their daily activities in Yoruba language paying attention to their culture. Here are some of the potential places/sources for Yoruba mentors:

1. UW-Madison Campus

Most Yoruba speaking individuals at UW-Madison are graduate students spread across various programs, and a few staff and faculty. To get a better sense of where to start, the Department of African Cultural Studies which hires Yoruba language instructors for the Yoruba program is a good place to begin. Here, there are graduate students who are also Yoruba language instructors who may be willing to mentor a learner interested in Yoruba language. There are also other departments such as English and History which have a couple of Yoruba grad students. These departments have information about where to locate those former students/instructors of Yoruba language who graduated are working in different places, some in UW system and others elsewhere in the Madison community. The outreach program of African Studies Program at UW also has sources for Yoruba speakers who participate in its outreach initiatives across the Wisconsin state and who may potentially be willing to work with language learners.

2. Church/Religious gatherings

Religious gatherings, especially the church is a good place to find Yoruba speakers who can mentor someone in their language. Most Yoruba people are highly religious. There is a church called Apostolic Faith in Madison which has a lot of Yoruba families who may be willing to be mentors. This is the first place I met Yoruba community though my mentor is not part of this.

3. Facebook Pages

There is also a vibrant online presence of Yoruba speakers. Facebook is one such platforms. While there are multiple Facebook pages for Yoruba speakers, the one called EGBE OMO YORUBA IN MADISON WI USA (EYIWA) is most vibrant (EGBE OMO YORUBA IN MADISON WI USA (EYIWA)

Update, October 2024

University of Wisconsin – Madison

The University is indeed still an excellent place to connect with Yorùbá speakers. You may want to look at the African Cultural Studies Department’s People page, where you will find contact information for faculty and staff, including the Director of the African Languages Program and Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants. While these staff members likely have a full teaching load, they may be able to direct you to other native speakers able to assist.

You may also be able to connect with Yoruba speakers through the Institute for Regional and International Studies’s (IRIS’s) African Studies Program, which also administers U.S. Department of Education Title VI funds on campus and hosts relevant events such as the Africa at Noon speaker series.