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About this book
recognized today. Though their domains have been absorbed into
the government of the modern nation of Nigeria, traditional kings
often have considerable local and national political power.
Colloquial Yoruba
The purpose of this book is to give learners the opportunity to learn
Yoruba with or without a teacher. Each of the fifteen units contains
a systematic presentation of different basic functions performed by
native speakers of Yoruba in a simple but realistic manner.
Each unit begins with a list of basic functions that you will be able
to perform by the end of the unit. This is followed by an illustration
that illustrates the theme of the unit. After the illustration there is a
dialogue in Yoruba, with a short introduction in English to prepare
the learner for the context of the dialogue. This dialogue is
immediately followed by a translation. Once you have checked the
translation, it is very important for you to go back to the dialogue in
Yoruba to try to understand the dialogue without the translation.
You can either use the dialogue as a reading activity or you could
listen to the dialogue on the recording for a listening activity. Each
time you read or listen to the dialogue, try to use the context to help
you understand what you are reading or listening to. As well as its
translation, each dialogue is also followed by a vocabulary list, which
relates directly to the dialogue. This helps you to know what a word
means in isolation, as opposed to the meaning you can understand
from its context in the dialogue and translation.
The vocabulary is followed by “Language points” where you will
find a simple explanation of the grammar points used in the dialogue.
Do not expect every grammar point to be explained right away—
some will be explained in later units. However, you will find the
grammar explanation needed for you to understand each dialogue
immediately following the dialogue. Examples are given to clarify
each grammar point covered in the unit.
When appropriate, the language points are followed by “Culture
notes.” This is usually a short section in English explaining different
aspects of Yoruba life, for example: a young girl kneeling down to
greet older people; or a young boy lying flat on the ground to greet
older people. The culture notes usually explain the different aspects
of Yoruba life and culture needed to understand what is going on in
the dialogue.