Get to Know the Lingala language of central Africa

 

The Lingala language is a significant lingua franca in central Africa, and is part of the Bantu language family.

The Lingala language is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, predominating in the northwest and the capital, Kinshasa. It is also spoken in the northern half of Congo, and is even spoken in parts of the Central African Republic, Angola, and South Sudan.

It’s estimated that between 15 and 20 million people speak Lingala as a first language, whilst a further 25 million speak it as a second language.

 

Why learn the Lingala language?

A mountainous jungle shrouded in mist in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Speakers :

45 million

Where :

Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, South Sudan

Dialects :

Kinshasa Lingala, Brazzaville Lingala, Northwestern Lingala

A map of Africa showing where the Lingala language is spoken
 

Cover Image

By Irene2005 from Cary, North Carolina, USA - Kinshasa from 15th floor, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3648131

Map

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106237

Resources for learning the Lingala language

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