Meet Oluwafunmibi Babalola, UI Hyperpolyglot Student Who Speaks 24 Languages.
Prosper Oluwafunmibi Babalola is a 400-level student of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ibadan. She is a hyperpolyglot, culture enthusiast, writer, and entrepreneur. She is popularly called ‘Prosperlingua’ for her exceptional polyglottal skill.
In a chat with Tijani Abdulkabeer, Babalola spoke about her journey into multilingualism, the many doors of opportunities it opened for her, and her plans for the future.
Tijani Abdulkabeer (T.A.): How did you become multilingual?
Oluwafunmibi Babalola (O.B.): I think it’s just interest that keeps me going. There is no explanation for it. It’s my life. I love languages. I am passionate about it. It just happens. I hear a language, and I pick it up.
(T.A.): How long did it take you to learn these languages? Mention the languages you speak fluently.
(O.B.): I have been learning languages since I was a kid. I remember I did French and a bit of Latin in Primary school, and I used to buy language books. Since I have been old enough to read and write, I have been learning languages.
I speak German, Spanish, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Twi, Zulu, Russian, Chinese, Indonesian, Dutch, French, Latin, Hangul, Italian, English, Hausa, Yoruba, Egun, Egede, and Igbo, among others. 24 languages.
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