Colours of the Alphabet tells the story of three children and their families over two school terms, and asks the question: does the future have to be in English? The official language in Zambia is English, but there are seven national languages and 72 ethnic languages spoken in the country. How does anyone communicate in this living Tower of Babel? “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” — Nelson Mandela.

Originally released by Documentary Educational Resources, 2016. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on January 17, 2020.