Why Students Study Yorùbá: Motivation and Perceived Value at a U.S. University

Abstract

Enrollments in languages other than English in U.S. higher education have declined steadily since 2009, with less commonly taught languages facing heightened vulnerability. African languages, including Yorùbá, operate within this constrained institutional landscape, where program sustainability is often shaped by uneven institutional support. This study examines learner motivations and perceptions of academic and professional value among students enrolled in Yorùbá language courses at a single U.S. university. Using a mixed-method survey design, the study combines descriptive analysis of closed-ended responses with thematic analysis of open-ended data to foreground learners’ own accounts of why they study Yorùbá and how they understand its relevance. Findings indicate that learners are highly motivated, drawing on heritage and identity-based commitments, intellectual curiosity, and aspirational professional goals. While respondents consistently affirm the academic value of Yorùbá study, they express greater ambivalence regarding its professional recognition, citing uncertainty about how such value translates to institutional and employment contexts. Interpreted through established models of second language motivation, the findings suggest that Yorùbá learners’ motivation is future-oriented but not for career promise. The study contributes empirical insight to motivation research and African language education by centering learner perspectives within an African language context.