Tribute to Dr. Antonia Yétúndé Schleicher
Founding Director, National African Language Resource Center (NALRC)
The National African Language Resource Center proudly celebrates the vision, leadership, and lasting legacy of its founding director, Professor Antonia Yétúndé Schleicher.
NALRC Founding
When the NALRC was established in 1999 with support from the U.S. Department of Education, it created for the first time a national home dedicated to advancing African languages through resources, research, and professional development. This milestone was made possible by Dr. Schleicher’s unwavering determination and her collaboration with colleagues who recognized that African language educators in the United States lacked the coordinated support and training available to other world languages.
Pedagogical Innovation
Dr. Schleicher is internationally recognized for elevating African language instruction through high-quality teaching materials. She championed an approach that placed culture at the center of learning, ensuring that students engaged not only with vocabulary and grammar but also with worldviews, values, communication norms, and lived experiences. Her influential Yorùbá textbook informed the NALRC Let’s Speak Series and accompanying multimedia resources. Under her leadership, the African Language Learner’s Reference Grammar series was also developed. These flagship publications became widely adopted nationwide and set new standards for cultural integration, comprehensiveness, and modern second-language acquisition methods for many less commonly taught languages.
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Community and Professional Excellence
Beyond her curricular innovations, Dr. Schleicher transformed the national landscape of African language education by cultivating a vibrant and collaborative community of teachers and scholars. Through Summer Institutes, multi-topic workshops, academic conferences, and joint projects, she nurtured a generation of educators committed both to their individual languages and to the collective advancement of the field.
Her leadership extended to national professional organizations, including her service as Executive Director of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL) and the African Language Teachers Association (ALTA) for several years. Through these roles, she strengthened the visibility and institutional standing of African languages in higher education across the United States. Many instructors, researchers, and program leaders who grew under her mentorship now hold key positions around the world and continue the mission she helped shape.
A Legacy
Today, the National African Language Resource Center stands as a testament to Dr. Schleicher’s dedication and vision. A pioneering scholar and leader, she transformed the teaching, learning, and professional development of African languages in the United States and beyond. Her innovative scholarship, tireless dedication, and steadfast belief in the importance of African languages have left a profound and lasting impact.
Her legacy is one of building, empowering, and expanding. It has broadened access, strengthened professional networks, and elevated the recognition of African languages. Her legacy remains the guiding force of the Center. We honor her today and always.