2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages as designated by UNESCO. If you’ve not yet had a chance to learn a little of an indigenous language this year, I’m making it as easy as possible and bringing you a long list of minority, indigenous and endangered language learning apps.

Before we get to the list of apps, I’ve made you a video to explain the differences between minority/minoritised, indigenous, and endangered languages.

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Ok, ready? Let’s get into this. I’m going to order things by regions as best as possible. For each region, I’ll also be starting by listing some “bigger” apps you may already know that have courses/support for indigenous or endangered languages.

North America

Below you’ve got a list of apps and developers that are designed to help people learn indigenous languages from North America. I’m including Canada, USA, and Greenland in that, but not Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Languages from these places are included in the section below – Latin America.

Related: Language Stories – Episode 1: New York + The 7 Line

Memrise

Memrise has a selection of courses for indigenous Native North American languages, including…

Cherokee
Algonquian
Alutiiq
Choctaw
Citizen Potawatomi
Greenlandic
Inuktitut
Lakota
Other Native American Languages

Drops

Drops has a growing range of languages, including…

Hawaiian

Duolingo

Duolingo has you covered for two North American languages:

Navajo
Hawaiian

Master Any Language

Master Any Language is a website and app (Apple and Android) I discovered during my research for this article. And, wow, there’s a huge range of languages on it! Expect to see it listed under more regions below too.

Cree
Greenlandic
Inuktitut
Inupiaq
Navajo
Ojibwe
(and more I may have missed!)

File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council Education Department

This developer has apps for a number of languages: Cree, Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, Saulteaux.

Prince Albert Grand Council

Prince Albert Grand Council has a couple of apps available for Swampy Cree and Dakota.

Binasii Inc

There’s a good number of apps from this developer for a range of languages: Dakota, Opaskwayak Cree, Saysi Dene, Long Plain Ojibway and more.

The Language Conservancy

The Language Conservancy has a large selection of apps for indigenous North American languages: Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Cheyenne, Yanktonai, Keres, Nakoda, Crow, Omaha, Maskoke.

Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre

There’s a small selection of apps from this developer for Pomoan languages, a language family from northern California: Northern Pomo, Central Pomo, Southern Pomo, bahtssal.

Ogoki Learning Systems Inc

Quite a few apps and languages here: Ojibway, Saulteaux, Blackfeet, Cree, Meskwaki, Northern Tutchone and more.

Thornton Media Inc

There’s Apple and Android apps for these languages from this developer: Cree, Mohawk, Tsuut’ina, Chickasaw, Yugtun, Omaha and more.

First Peoples’ Heritage Language and Culture Council

I love how much I’ve learnt from writing this post. Before, I had no idea about any of the languages that this developer has apps for: Xeni Gwet’in, Secwépemc, Hlgaagilda Xaayda Kil, and more.

Yamózha Kúé Society

Still in awe at how many apps there are out there for indigenous and endangered languages? There’s still more to come!

Yamózha Kúé Society has apps for these languages: Inuinnaqtun, Gwich’in, Shutaot’ine, South Slavey, Tlicho, NWT Cree, Denededline.

Christopher Horsethief

Christopher Horsethief has various apps out there for the following languages: Cree, Navajo, Muckleshoot, Osage, Ktunaxa, Salish.

Aidan Pine

Aidan Pine is the developer behind Mother Tongues, a company that’s (in their own words) “Committed to creating thoughtful language revitalization tools for people”, which is pretty exciting.

So far, there’s three apps available for Apple and Android: Inuttitut, Ayajuthem, Gitksan.

Gabriel Dumont Institute

Now we’re reaching the developers specialising with one language. The first is the Gabriel Dumont Institute with an app for Michif.

Pinnguaq

Pinnguaq have an app just for Inuktitut.

Smith River Rancheria Waa-tr’vslh-‘a~ Department

One app here for Tolowa Dee-ni’.

Samson Cree Nation

An app from this developer for Maskwacis Cree.

Dakota Iapi

There’s an Apple and Android version of this app for Dakota Iapi.

Lakota Language Consortium for Lakota

There’s a really helpful selection of apps for Lakota (media player, vocab, dictionary, and keyboard) from the Lakota Language Consortium.

Old Sun Community College for Blackfoot

There’s an app for Blackfoot from Old Sun Community College.

Neechee for Ojibwe

This app is a great verb help if you’re learning Ojibwe.

Wikwemikong Heritage Organization for Anishinaabemowin

There’s an Apple and Android version of this app to help you learn Anishinaabemowin.

Latin America

There’s some support here from bigger apps but also some great options you may not have heard of too!

Related: Language Stories: Guaraní in the Heart of South America – Episode 12

Memrise

Memrise has courses for Yucatec Maya, Guarani, Nahuatl, Quechua, and Ayamara (in Spanish).

Nahuatl (some more options designed for Spanish (Mexico) and Spanish (Spain) speakers.)
Yucatec Maya (plus a couple for Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico) speakers.)
K’iche’
Quechua (more listed under Spanish (Mexico) Spanish (Spain) speakers.)
Aymara: there’s a small number of courses listed under Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico) but none in English.
Guarani (and some more courses for Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico) speakers.)

Duolingo

If you switch your language on Duolingo to Spanish, you’ll be able to access the Guarani course. Note however, that this course is actually Jopara, the mix of Guarani and Spanish spoken by many people in Paraguay.

Master Any Language

Master Any Language has simple courses for Guarani, Quechua, and Aymara on Apple and Android on their main app.

Centro Cultural de España en México

There’s Apple and Android versions for these apps from the Centro Cultural de España en México for Náhuatl, Mixteco, and Purépecha.

John Garcia

John Garcia has created two apps for Mexican languages Mixteco and Nahuatl.

IIAP

There’s a couple now that are only on the Google Play Store (as far as I could find). This huge selection of apps from IIAP includes apps for Ashaninka, Taushiro, Bora, Quechua and more.

SimiDic

Another one that’s only on the Google Play Store. This is a dictionary app that translates between three South American languages: Aymara, Guarani, Quechua.

Runashimi

This app available for both Apple and Android is to help you with Quechua.

Guaranglish

I have to include this one! We actually spoke with the developers of the app Guaranglish for our podcast and video series Language Stories.

Niuki for Wixárika

Wixárika is a language spoken in parts of Mexico by nearly 45,000 people. This app focuses on that one language.

Australasia

In this section, we’ll cover apps for indigenous and endangered languages from Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific Islands.

uTalk

Maori is available on uTalk, as well as Samoan and Fijian.

Drops

Maori and Samoan are also both available on Drops.

Master Any Language

Maori, Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Tahitian, Nauruan, Marshallese, and possibly more I’ve missed are all included on Master Any Language, which has apps for both Apple and Android. (Some languages don’t have their own app, and are available on the main ‘Master Any Language’ app.)

Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages

The Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages has developed a great range of apps for a selection of indigenous Australian languages including Tyalingi, Wadawurrung, Wemba Wemba, Taungurung and more.

Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation Limited

Again, another chance to keep learning about languages I knew nothing about whilst I was wriitng this article!

Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation Limited has both Apple and Android apps for Wonnarua, Yitha Yitha, Yorta Yorta, Mutti Mutti, Wiradjuri, Barngarla, and Nari Nari.

Benedict Foley

There’s a good selection of apps here for a variety of indigenous Australian languages including Pertame, Kune, Kayardilt, Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay, and many more. There’s even an app to help identify birds using a range of languages that are no longer spoken but have aboriginal bird names and knowledge to be shared.

NTLanguages

There’s Apple and Android versions of this collection of apps from NTLanguages for Anindilyakwa, Eastside Kriol, Ritharrngu, Tiwi, Wubuy

Pollen

Pollen have developed a few apps for the Yorta Yorta, Gamilaraay, and Yuwaalaraay languages.

Mawng

Available on both Apple and Android, this app is the work of linguists and community members on South Goulburn Island around 300km east of Darwin.

Yugambeh

Thanks to Cate for sharing this addition to the list with me in the comments! It’s available on Apple.

Yawuru Ngan-ga

This app has a dictionary and vocab lists for Yawuru Ngan-ga, a language spoken in Broome, Western Australia.

Tipu Te Reo Māori

Available on both Apple and Android, Tipu Te Reo Māori is an app to help you learn Maori.

Peter Akuhata

Another one for Māori!

Te Pūmanawa

More for Maori, this time available on Apple and Android.

AUT University

One more option here for Maori learners available on both Apple and Android.

TATAU

The final one of this little run of Maori options! TATAU is a little different though as it’s focused solely on counting.

SPIKIT

Designed to teach a selection of African languages, there’s also an option here for the Australian language of Yolunu. It’s available on Apple and Android.

Charles Darwin University

The LAAL Reader from Charles Darwin University is a really cool one. With stories in over 25 languages from the Northern Territories in Australia, it’s a good way to begin to learn more about aboriginal cultures and languages.

It’s available on both Apple and Android.

Government of Western Australia

Sharing the Dreaming is an app developed by the Government of Western Australia that shares Dreamtime stories, and words and translations in the Nyoongar language.

Indigenous Remote Communications Association

The Indigenous Remote Communications Associations have developed a few apps, mainly radio stations for indigenous languages in Australia. However, there’s also indigiTUBE, which, in their own words, is “the national online media platform by and for First Nations people, preserving language and culture for our future generations.”

Asia

According to Ethnologue, Asia actually has the most indigenous languages spoken and used there, closely followed by Africa.

In this section, I’m including the Middle East here as it’s not a region I know as much about. (If you do and can help me expand it into its own section, please do let me know!)

Also, seeing as it would be a whole host of other blog articles in itself to list all the apps out there for Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Korean…etc, I’m focusing here on endangered languages in Asia. Even then, I’m having to be a little more specific and focus on endangered languages I already know of.

You know, to try and actually be able to publish this article at some point in my lifetime!

Related: Language Stories: Kristang – A Tale of Two Cities

Memrise

Memrise has a great range of courses listed for us here. These include…

Kristang (a creole language so not really classed as indigenous, but endangered, which is what we’re focused on for this section)
Ainu
Jeju
Western Armenian

uTalk

uTalk has a great number of indigenous Asian languages available, many are spoken by big numbers of people so not endangered, but I do want to give a mention here to uTalk for the sheer number of languages they’ve covered.

Master Any Language

Komi, a language spoken in Russia is available on Master Any Language. It’s on the main app on Apple or Android.

Africa

Again, so many indigenous languages in Africa that it’s tricky to know where to begin! And seeing as many people have never learnt an African language (myself included), I’m doing things a little differently here.

So instead, I’m focusing mainly on the key apps I’ve found that have courses in a wide range of indigenous African languages. Many have millions of speakers and yet you may never have heard of some of them! (I definitely learnt something new from putting this section together too!)

uTalk

Just like in regards to Asia, uTalk has a really exciting number of indigenous African languages available. Not all are endangered, but many are of course indigenous.

Memrise

Just from the Memrise groupings on the sidebar, there’s a lot to learn here…

Akan-Twi, Amharic, Hausa, Kaonde, Kinyarwanda, Luganda, Malagasy, Mandinka, Nyanja/Chichewa, Somali, Soninke, Swahili, Wolof, Zulu, and more.

SPIKIT

I mentioned SPIKIT above in the Australasia section because they have a simple course for a language spoken in Australia.

However, the moin focus of this app is Shona, Xhosa, Zulu, and Ndebele. And the good news is it’s on Apple and Android.

Master Any Language

So. many. options.

Master Any Language has really been one of the gems I’ve discovered writing this article. The interface is retro but that doesn’t matter when you’re short on resources. Their app is on both Apple and Android.

Europe

Again, obviously there’s English, French, Spanish, and many other widely spoken and studied languages spoken technically indigenously in Europe. However, to keep things simple, we’re going to focus on smaller indigenous European languages that may or may not be endangered.

uTalk

uTalk has a huge range of European languages including Welsh, Sicilian, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Sardinian, Southern Saami, Neopolitan, Manx, Irish, Galician, Catalan, and Basque.

Memrise

Similarly to uTalk, Memrise has a large range of options here, including…

Basque
Breton
Catalan
Cornish
Corsican
Faroese
Galician
Ladino
Manx
Neapolitan
Occitan
Romani
Sami languages
Scots
Scottish Gaelic
Sicilian
Yiddish

Duolingo

Duolingo exists for Welsh and Catalan. Yay!

Master Any Language

There’s a whole range of European languages on Master Any Language including Cornish, Breton, Corsican, and more.

Remember that you can get this app on both Apple and Android.

SaySomethingIn…

A great series available in a range of indigenous British languages as well as a few others: Welsh and Manx available on apps, and more on their website.