Teaching and Naming Tech Concepts in Yoruba
Last week I celebrated the first 2000 subscribers on my YouTube where I teach tech concepts in Yoruba language. It's quite interesting because I didn't set out to teach an entire series—I was just goofing because I can, and then it took off. I typically teach concepts that are important to how the world is evolving.
I've covered a range of topics from computing to cyber security to data science and AI. Though I rant about scripting, summarizing and subtitling to my friends, one of my favorite parts is naming concepts. I finally get the 'word maker's dilemma' if there's anything like that, because it's a delicate balance between literal, contextual and colloquial translation. I'm grateful for the privilege of being a native speaker and a hands-on technology expert.
Some of my favorite words coined are:
- Ọgbọ́n Àpinlẹ̀rọ for Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Ìkẹ́ẹ̀kọ́ ẹ̀rọ for Machine Learning
- Ìríran ẹ̀rọ for Computer Vision
- Ọpọ́n àwárí for Search engines
- Sáyẹ́nsì àkíyèsí for Data Science
If there were no words, I've named them. If there were existing words, I propose mine as synonyms.
Who's Watching?
Sometimes people assume that the primary audience are those who do not speak English at all. Available data says differently. I mainly distribute the content on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube (so other platforms may have different insights).
For example, YouTube analytics shows the main age group watching in the last 28 days are 25-34 years. LinkedIn has the most consistent engagement—each video has had at least 500 reactions within 72 hours, and the highest reactions so far is this video on Introduction to AI in Yoruba with 6,494 reactions in 3 months.
Twitter distribution is not as predictable—sometimes the videos trend, sometimes they don't—but the highest interaction is the Introduction to Data Science in Yoruba video with more than 88,000 views. This video shows the specific numbers at the two months mark.
Favorite Feedback
My favorite feedback are about people who now understand these technology concepts from a relatable point of view, parents who now understand the job their kids do in tech, people who want to do the same in their languages, and all the cool stuff about being a calm teacher (very proud of that).
Why Share This?
Why am I sharing this? I guess it's for those who are curious. I make a case that even people who do not speak English at all are curious about these technology tools in their lives, and people who do speak English are thoroughly entertained when concepts are demystified in a familiar language.