Hausa Online

Some ideas for learning Hausa (and other less commonly taught languages) using the Internet

New Hausa Podcasts

Posted by useibert on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Hausa section of Deutsche Welle has launched a new podcast “Taɓa Ka Lashe”, which deals with culture and religion issues :

Muna gabatar muku da shirye-shirye masu ƙayatarwa da suka shafi al’adu da zamantakewa tsakanin al’ummomi da mabiya addinai daban-daban da nufin kyautata tsarin zamantakewa da fahimtar juna ta hanyar tuntuɓar juna da shawarwari tsakani ba tare da nuna fifiko akan wani ba.

The podcast can be subscribed to using the following link: http://rss.dw-world.de/xml/podcast_hau_kultur

The Hausa Section of Radio France Internationale has also launched a Hausa News Podcast, which can be subscribed to using the follwing link: http://www.rfi.fr/radiofr/podcast/LabarunmuHausa.xml

If you have never subscribed to any podcasts and don’t know what to do with this information, have a look here.

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Reading the Bible in Hausa online

Posted by useibert on Monday, November 23, 2009

People keep asking me about a Hausa online bible, preferably with an English translation side by side. The good news: There is a Hausa Bible (excluding the Deutero-canonical books) available at a French web site. Deutero-canonical books are available somewhere else.

In order to make it easier to use I have prepared the following headings, which lead you directly to the different books of the Bible. Click on the Hausa title to get the Hausa version. Click on the English book title (in brackets) to get an English translation (NIV). You could open up the two versions in separate windows or copy and paste them into a document for easy comparison.

Littafi Mai Tsarki

Torah / Law

History

Poetry

Major Prophets

Minor Prophets

Gospels /Acts

Paul’s Letters

General Letters

Prophecy

Deutero-canonical books (English: Good News Translation)

Posted in Hausa | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Ku bi shafina na Twitter

Posted by useibert on Saturday, November 7, 2009

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. (Wikipedia) A while ago, I have started using Twitter to send short messages in Hausa and I have also subscribed to other people’s  Hausa “tweets”. Have a look at

I have also created a list of Hausa tweets. If you are a Hausa speaker, use Twitter and which to be included on that list, let me know.

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VOA: Hira da Carmen McCain

Posted by useibert on Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Carmen McCain is a PhD Candidate in the Department of African Languages and Literature at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is currently doing her dissertation research on Hausa films in Kano, Nigeria, where she also coordinates the Hausa Home Video Resource Centre in the Department of Mass Communications at Bayero University.

Today, in the Hausa section of Voice of America (Muryar Amurka), one can read about her and listen to an interview (in Hausa) with her, in which she tells how she learned Hausa and about modern Hausa life. Here is a link to the interview:

Carmen McCain, who is also called “Talatu”, runs a blog on WordPress. Here is a link to her blog: “A Tunanina

Posted in Hausa | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Tura ‘ya’yanka zuwa makaranta!

Posted by useibert on Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Today, 8 September, is  International Literacy Day. According to the UNESCO website,

On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally.

Despite many and varied efforts, literacy remains an elusive target: some 776 million adults lack minimum literacy skills which means that one in five adults is still not literate; 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

Here is an old cartoon in Hausa which I found  at the website of the UCLA Language Materials Project.  It encourages people to send their children to school.

Makaranta

Cartoon: UCLA Language Materials Project

Here is another post on the same topic:

Literacy is the best remedy

Posted in Hausa | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Bukin ranar Matasa

Posted by useibert on Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Today, 12 August, is International Youth Day. On the BBC Hausa website (Shirin Safe of today), I found the following: “A yau kasashen Duniya ke bukin ranar Matasa ta wannan shekara. Majilissar Dinkin Duniya ce ta ware ranar goma sha biyu na watan Agustan kowacce shekera domin wayar da kan jama’a akan matsaloli da kuma kalubalen da matasa ke fuskanta.”

My wish to all the youth in Africa: May you be able to celebrate this day and contribute to the society in which you live.

Here are a three Hausa proverbs related to youth:

  • Da rarrafe yaro ya kan tashi.
  • Yaro bai san wuta ba sai ta ƙone shi.
  • Yaran zamani tun ba su tafasa ba su kan ƙone.

Which other Hausa proverbs related to youth do you know?

Posted in Hausa | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Hausa Wikipedia is growing

Posted by hausaonline on Wednesday, July 22, 2009

About a year ago,  I warned in a blog post that Hausa Wikipedia could soon be closed, due to lack of activity. I don’t know whether it was because of this post or due to some other factors, but since then, Hausa wikipedia is growing fast.  Have a look, and maybe you feel like contributing something yourself or editing (please, don’t vandalize!) the articles that have been written. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Hausa | Tagged: | 4 Comments »

Hausa materials in the African Language Materials Archive (ALMA)

Posted by hausaonline on Wednesday, April 29, 2009

ALMA logoThe African Language Materials Archive (ALMA) is a multi-partner project focusing on the promotion and documentation of literature and literacy in the languages of Africa. It also serves to assist African language authors and publishers in publicizing and distributing their work.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Ranar shuka itace a Jamus

Posted by hausaonline on Saturday, April 25, 2009

tree_planting_day

Source: UCLA Language Materials Project

Today, here in Germany, we celebrate “Tag des Baumes” (Arbor day). Arbor Day originated in Nebraska, United States and is celebrated in a number of countries, at different times. It is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees.

I found the above Hausa drawing at the website of the UCLA Language Materials Project. More like that can be found there.

Check out my Hausa link list at Delicious.

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Hausa Online now on Friendfeed

Posted by useibert on Friday, April 17, 2009

Updates on FriendFeed Friendfeed is another web 2.0 style online service which enables you to keep up-to-date on web pages, photos, videos and music that others  are sharing. You can also enter or create public rooms where you can discover and discuss information among friends.

Today, using Friendfeed, I have created a public room called “Hausa Online” where I collect information related to Hausa language and culture which I consider worth sharing. Have a look and if you like it or have questions about it, let me know.

Posted in Hausa | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »