Shona101 is a simple bilingual story to help children learn basic Shona, an African language mainly spoken in Zimbabwe.
In this story, Ade reaches out to his friend Bembenene to help him find some cultural treasures. The clues to finding the treasures lie in a map which can only be understood in Shona, which Bembenene understands.
Shona101 is narrated using a combination of English and Shona. It includes the following:
- Interactive words: touch highlighted Shona words to hear their pronunciations and English translation.
- Learn to count in Shona
- Learn the names of family members in Shona
- Touch items on the screen to hear their names in Shona
Background
Linford Zirangwa a.k.a. Bembenene, a computer science undergraduate at Dartmouth College is a native Shona speaker from Zimbabwe. Together, we worked on the Shona101 storybook to highlight the beauty of Shona language and culture.