In a world filled with people possessing extraordinary talents and leveraging them to financial success, one such individual stands out: Prosper-Oluwafunmibi Babalola, also known as Prosperlingua. Buckle up, because we’re about to delve into the fascinating story of this remarkable young woman!
Prosperlingua is a hyperpolyglot, wielding the gift of understanding over 21 languages. A true renaissance woman, she excels not only in languages but also in her studies, being a Distinction student at the University of Ibadan where she is in her 5th year of Veterinary Medicine. Her passion extends to entrepreneurship and culture, and she even finds the time to work as a Subtitle Editor for Anthill Studios, the biggest animation studio in Africa! Founded by the popular award-winning filmmaker Niyi Akinmolayan, Anthill Studios is a testament to the kind of company Prosperlingua keeps. Her translation and subtitling credits span over 30 movies including “King of Thieves”, “Ada omo Daddy”, and “She must be obeyed” – and yes, she has worked with the likes of Funke Akindele, Mercy Aigbe, and Niyi Akinmolayan himself!
Language Acquisition Journey:
Question
Can you tell us about your fascination with languages? How did your journey as a polyglot begin, and were you exposed to many languages at a young age?
Answer:
The origin of my fascination with languages isn’t something I can exactly trace to the starting point.I just remember enjoying French classes so much in Primary school and also topping the class in the subject. I also used to save up money to purchase small pamphlets of “Introduction to Hausa language” from hawkers in my street.
I just had a natural flair for languages and I was quick to realize that I was gifted in mastering languages quite easily.
My journey as a Polyglot didn’t start out with me aspiring to break the Guinness world record for languages. In fact,I’d describe it as an accidental journey. I was exposed to about five languages in my formative years but the major turning point was when I graduated from High school.
I finished High school when I was 14,clocked 15 some months later and secured admission into the University of Ibadan immediately.
According to the policy of the University,I was underage and couldn’t be admitted into the university for that academic session,I had to defer my admission for a whole year and this was when I had all the time in the world to learn as many languages as I could.
At the time,it was recreational and solely for fun, something I was passionate about, something I really loved doing which made my learning journey quite effortless.
It also helped that I was quite introverted at the time and interacting with humans was definitely not my forte,so I’d just lock myself indoors with my Language books,YouTube channels and useful resources as an escape from the world. I kept doing this for several months, progressively moving from language to language, learning about different cultures before I took some tests,had lots of interactions with native speakers of each language and it dawned on me that I had already racked up mastery of quite a huge number of languages. The journey never stopped since then.
MASTERING MULTIPLE PASSIONS
Question:
You excel as a 5th-year veterinary medicine student while juggling various other endeavors. How do you manage your time effectively to pursue all your passions?
Answer:
It’s God???? I’m religious, so of course, I can’t afford to not factor in the supernatural influence that drives my being able to balance time and excel in the multiple things I engage in.Also,it’s fortunate (and also unfortunate) that I find it practically impossible not to put my entire soul into anything I’m actively involved in,so this helps me exert myself to the maximum to ensure that I find a time balance that I apply to all my passions.
I am keen on maintaining a proper schedule and showing up everyday for whatever I have chosen as my path.
In addition, if there’s a need to prioritize and have a scale of preference,I don’t hesitate to do so. I’ve lost count of the number of projects that I have turned down because they were contracted too close to my exam periods.As a matter of fact, It’s a rule of thumb for me that I restrict the number of film contracts I accept when it’s academically dangerous to do so no matter how tempting the offers may be.
The World of Subtitling
You’ve mentioned subtitling over 30 movies, including well-known Nollywood titles. What is the most rewarding aspect of being a subtitle editor, and how do you approach conveying the nuances of different languages for viewers?
Answer:
The most rewarding part of being a Subtitle editor for me is watching my projects on Netflix, Amazon or in the cinemas with the satisfaction that I have accurately conveyed all the expressions and dialogues in the movies to the viewers in the most simple way possible and with an accuracy that rivals that of Ronaldo’s penalty kicks.Also,being a Subtitle editor is like my window into the world of Filmmaking. This world is like an alternate universe that fascinates so much and makes me feel as delighted as a 5 year old kid in an icecream store. Subtitling has given me the advantage of being in a close circle with the movers and the shakers of this filmmaking universe and the creme de la creme of the movie Industry. Also,my friends think there is an added perk of meeting all my celebrity faves and watching movies before they even get released to the general public.
Veterinary Medicine vs. Film Industry:
Veterinary medicine and the film industry seem like contrasting fields. Did you always plan to pursue both, or did your interests evolve over time? Considering your success in subtitling, are you interested in exploring other film industry roles in the future?
Answer:
Yes, I’ve always planned to pursue both. As a kid, I wanted to be a Doctor and an actress. I don’t think I have really veered off those paths. Although, I have now come to understand that Filmmaking is what I really fell in love with as a kid, not necessarily acting.Also,There are endless opportunities to Integrate Veterinary Medicine with Filmmaking. Wildlife documentaries readily comes to mind. And as opposed to public knowledge, Veterinary doctors do much more than just treating dogs and cats. The world of Veterinary Medicine is laced with too much opportunities to diversify.
Yes, I’m totally interested in other film industry roles and for that, I’d have to wait and see what the future holds.
Insights on Nollywood:
Having worked with top Nollywood producers, what are your thoughts on the current state of the Nigerian film industry? Do you see opportunities for growth in areas like international collaboration or language representation?
Answer:
I won’t give much thoughts on the current state of the Nigerian film industry because it will come from a place of bias. I love Nollywood so much, she almost feels like my personal baby. Nollywood has grown so much and has really come a very long way.I’m a big advocate of supporting Nollywood. Watch a Nollywood movie today!
The opportunities for international collaboration is endless and I dare say such programmes have already been kick-started. “Jagun Jagun” for example recorded much International success and “Squid game” was the talk of the town when it was released.
These movies were not in English language. “Namaste Wahala” was a collaboration between Bollywood and Nollywood amongst numerous other examples that I can’t mention due to time and space constraint.
Tips for Aspiring Polyglots:
For aspiring polyglots like our viewers, what advice would you give to someone starting their language learning journey? Are there specific techniques or resources that you’ve found particularly helpful?
Answer.
My biggest advice to anyone is to enjoy their language learning journey. Learning a language should never get boring or something you should struggle with because it’s getting too difficult to keep up with.In addition, consistency is better than quantity. You’d be better off practicing for 15 minutes everyday than practicing for 10 hours once in 2 weeks.
A website like www.hipenpal.com. is a very effective tool you can use for language exchange programmes and to get a chance to practice and track your progress with native speakers of the language you intend to learn.
Finally, learning a language is like getting one more window to look at the world from, make it worth the while!
Prosper has always been excellent… cheers to greater heights my jagiya. ❤️