• UGHE’s Kinyarwanda Podcast

     

    What is it?

    An audio platform accessible on UGHE’s e-learning website, from which UGHE international students, staff and faculty can learn basic Kinyarwanda from, at their own pace, at their own time.

    What are its goals?

    To teach basic-level Kinyarwanda, for learners to :

    1. focus on pronunciation of Kinyarwanda words
    2. identify translations of words in Kinyarwanda
    3. practice forming complete sentences in Kinyarwanda
    • To teach common Kinyarwanda questions, responses and conversations used in various settings e.g. at school, at the market, at the hospital.

    Who is the main audience?

    • The UGHE international community members who are interested in learning basic Kinyarwanda

    Who are the podcast voices?

    • UGHE Rwandan natives (staff/students/faculty) who are willing to lend their voices in the process of teaching beginners Kinyarwanda

    What will the podcast episodes cover?

    1. Greetings and getting to know each other

    2. Family and daily activities

    3. Bargaining: food items

    4. Public health advice

    5. In and around the hospital

    6. Accidents and emergencies

    7. Symptoms and nutrition

    8. Mental Health (nursing and monitoring a patient)

    9. Death

    What is the podcast recording process?

    Where is it recorded?

    • The e-learning studio (UGHE Butaro Campus, Classroom G, downstairs)

    Who is involved?

    • Script writer: Olive Umuhoza (Kinyarwanda Lecturer)
    • Recording Editor : Dr. Matt Ames (e-learning Instructional technologist) / Alain Patrick Hirwa (Assistant Instructional technologist)
    • Moderator: Mpinga Rwabuhihi (Admin Assistant – Humanities and Social Sciences)
    • 2 narrators : 1 male + 1 female volunteer, per podcast

    How is it recorded?

    • Step 1: Quick introduction of the episode’s topic
    • Step 2: following the script, 1-2 dialogue exchanges (between the two narrators)
    • Step 3: Pronunciation & translation of specific words from the dialogues
    • Step 4: Selecting and editing the best recording(s) of several attempts
    • Step 5: Uploading the final versions on the podcast platform

    Why does this podcast matter?

    This podcast matters because its purpose aligns with UGHE’s e-learning motives of:

    1. Motivating student learning: beginners will be motivated to learn/continue learning the language outside of conflicting study/teaching schedules

    2. Participation: outside of their study routines, student podcast narrators (fluent in Kinyarwanda) will be encouraged to participate in a language teaching activity for the benefit of their peers and lecturers

    3. Progression: thanks to the podcast, Kinyarwanda beginners will progress faster in learning the language on top of attending the in-person Kinyarwanda class when available

    The podcast’s purpose also aligns with UGHE’s e-learning values and practices of:

    • Equity – interested students, staff & faculty unable to attend kinyarwanda classes won’t fall behind ; the podcast will fill in the learning gaps. Also, since the podcast will be public, future UGHE international students will have access to learning basic Kinyarwanda prior to attending the university.

    • Adaptability – given that podcasts are commonly listened to among millenials, Gen Z and Gen X, this podcast will serve as an innovative platform for the UGHE community to learn Kinyarwanda outside of classroom walls, at their own pace

    • Social Practice – this podcast will contribute to strengthening UGHE’s sense of community by pairing up volunteers of different ages, with different functions and backgrounds, to be among the voices of the podcast.