Everything You Need To Learn Oromo
Oromo is a Cushitic language spoken by over 37 million people in Ethiopia, where it is one of 5 official languages. The language is also recognized in Somalia and Kenya.
Oromo belongs to the Afro-Asiatic group of languages, which also includes Amharic, Tigrinya, Somali, and Arabic.
Resources for people wanting to learn Oromo are extremely limited, despite the large number of speakers, and the language’s importance in Ethiopia. There has, however, been a push in recent years, to develop more Oromo-language content, particularly children’s books.
We hope that our list will aid you in reaching your fluency goals.
Oromo Language Learning Books
Your best bet for learning the language is to get yourself a good Oromo course book that you can use in conjunction with a set of Oromo children’s books. Building a solid foundation of basic vocabulary and grammar will be critical for your success going forward, and an Oromo study book will help you achieve that.
You’ll find that you also can’t get very far without an English-Oromo dictionary & phraseboook. A dictionary will help fill in any gaps that your course book misses, and a phrasebook is immensely helpful for expanding your vocabulary and common/everyday Oromo phrases. Perfect for anyone planning a trip to Ethiopia in the near future.
Oromo Children’s Books
Reading children’s books written in Oromo is one of the best ways to expand your vocabulary and command of the language. Oromo kids’ books can help you learn basic words and phrases while getting you used to seeing how the language functions in its natural, native state.
Bilingual English-Oromo stories are especially useful, as you can follow along with the story using the English text as a guide, without having to constantly refer to a dictionary when you stumble upon words you don’t understand.
