How time flies! One minute we’re sharing this update in May and the next minute, it’s October! Thankfully, we’re not stagnant as we continue our exciting journey of making African language-learning resources for children.  It’s been  5 months since our last update so we’ll do a recap from then to the present and the future for ease of digesting our progress.

May 2019

We had the first public showcase of the Yoruba102 package to adult learners at a Yoruba language class in London. Mr. Kola Ogunbayode, a long-standing teacher of Yoruba to children and Adults across the UK welcomed us to his class where we interacted with the students. We showed them what we had so far specifically focusing on the topic and medium of delivery. We got feedback from them that have proved useful in its further development.

Genii Games App

For obvious reasons and in what’s long overdue, we decided to build a single platform to house all of our growing collection of African language-learning resources. Simply put, developing individual apps for each language module such as Yoruba101, Shona101, Igbo101, Yoruba102… presents a maintenance nightmare. Then there’s the inconvenience to the user who can barely keep up with having so many apps on his or her phone or tablet. And because, our vision remains to create as many resources as we can spanning the length and breath of native cultures across Africa, this was the best approach to adopt. We’ve been working simultaneously on the Genii Games App and new content (Yoruba102 and Igbo102) to go along with its launch in the coming weeks. This is typically a lengthy process but one that’ll ultimately reduce the time-frame and relative ease of churning out new content for you to enjoy. We’re close to its launch but you can connect the dots of the development process via the hashtag #geniigamesapp on Instagram.

Genii Games App Website screenshot during testing

The Genii Games App is a single platform that allows you to access our growing collection of interactive African language learning resources for kids and adult learners. What that means is, a user can access our content from a single app on mobile and web. A user simply needs a registered account with us. While this isn’t something new to online users, we thought it’d be best to explain the need for this approach especially given valid concerns over data privacy. By registering via the app or web, we are able to grant you access to the same content anywhere and on any device. Thus, if you pay for the Yoruba102 on an iPhone, you can still access the same content for free on an Android device or an iPad simply by entering the same username and password. It also serves individuals as well as institutions. It’s currently being tested and you can register here for the testing or to get updates on the process.

Available languages on the Genii Games App

Right now, Yoruba102 and Igbo102 which teach conversational Yoruba and Igbo are available on the Genii Games App. The naming is a standard we’ve adopted in relation to the level of the language-learning process. Thus, the 101 series such as Yoruba101 and Igbo101 get users acquainted to the basics of the language by teaching topics such as Alphabet, Counting, Names of items, family members etc.. The 102 series is the next level that teaches conversational topics using real life situations. That way, a user can easily build up on his or her native African language learning experience.

Yoruba102 Menu on the Genii Games

Igbo102 Menu on the Genii Games

Genii Games App – Selection

In case you’re wondering what becomes of the Yoruba101, Igbo101, Shona101 and other apps currently available, our goal is to aggregate them onto the Genii Games App. This is an ongoing process and we’ll ensure existing users do not lose access to them. We’ll keep you updated.

The Genii Games Mascot

With new developments regarding the Genii Games App, our ambition is also growing. We’re excited to be working on a series of content across the continent, thanks to our partners whom we’ll be unveiling in the near future. Work is currently in progress on KiSwahili (widely spoken in Eastern Africa), Twi and Ewe (widely spoken in Ghana, Togo), IsiZulu (South Africa) and Wolof (Senegal). These languages will be available on the Genii Games app sooner than later. With the expanded scope came a need to have a single face to represent the brand. The Genii Games logo has been spun into a full-fledged character whose sole aim is to make it easily adaptable to the different cultures. We hope you like it.

New Face of Genii Games

We’ve put the character before people at various events such as Teaching Africa Day, Black History Month handing out coloring pages and even making videos of the character voiced by users (Watch here). That’s been our subtle introduction but we know that it’ll become popular and the face of fun African language learning as we build into the future.

Where are we now

We’re currently testing the new app while work is in progress on the web version which is geared towards providing a different yet exciting experience for the user.

Testing the Genii Games App

What next… Register early for the Genii Games App and we’ll keep you updated. Stay excited!