African languages find new life among a younger generation

# What's happening A visible resurgence of African languages is emerging among younger generations and diasporas. Interest shows up in entertainment, social spaces and online education. That interest is creating fresh routes for languages to be learned, practised and transmitted beyond family settings.

# Concrete examples A television game show in Lagos enforces an unusual rule: speak English and you lose. The show is called "Masoyinbo," meaning "Do not speak English." Its host says the programme wouldn't be what it is now a decade ago because "we're in the age of cultural resurgence. People want to go back to their roots."

Teenagers in the Zimbabwean diaspora are another example. Online language classes are helping young people learn Shona so they can reconnect with relatives and feel included in family and cultural life. One student described feeling left out when family members spoke Shona and she could not.

# Why this matters now Three forces are making revival more visible and practical:

• Online learning lets dispersed learners access classes and teachers not available locally.
• Entertainment formats such as TV and digital media raise language prestige and make practice social and fun.
• New technology creates channels for content, communication and teaching in languages historically kept out of formal domains.

These forces lower barriers to language learning and use for younger, urban and diaspora populations.

# The persistent risks Language advocates and academics caution that interest alone does not guarantee long-term survival. The article cites a linguistics lecturer who says many African languages "were actually sidelined. They only may be relegated to the home domain, cultural domain." He adds they "were never exposed or modernized to be used in commerce, to be used in science and technology."

That means revival efforts must move beyond nostalgia. Without broader application—education, business, science, government—languages can remain limited in reach and utility.

# What revival looks like in practice Successful revival efforts have several practical elements:

• Creating consistent, accessible learning resources online for learners at different levels.
• Using entertainment to normalise everyday public use and raise prestige among youth.

The article presents the Lagos game show and diaspora Shona classes as early-stage examples that combine learning with social incentives and media visibility.

# Where momentum may go next

# Bottom line Younger Africans and diasporas are actively reclaiming languages using modern platforms. That creates opportunities to modernise language use, but longstanding structural sidelining in education and commerce means dedicated, practical steps are needed to convert interest into durable everyday use.