The BBC World Service will launch 11 new language services as part of its biggest expansion “since the 1940s”, the corporation has announced.
The expansion is a result of the funding boost announced by the UK government last year.
The new languages will be Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Gujarati, Igbo, Korean, Marathi, Pidgin, Punjabi, Telugu, Tigrinya, and Yoruba.
The first new services are expected to launch in 2017.

African languages:
Afaan Oromo: Most widely spoken language in Ethiopia
Amharic: Ethiopia’s other main tongue
Tigrinya: The main working language of Eritrea, along with Arabic. Also spoken in Ethiopia
Igbo: An official Nigerian language. Also spoken in Equatorial Guinea
Yoruba: Spoken in south-western Nigeria and some other parts of West Africa, especially Benin and Togo
Pidgin: A creole version of English spoken across West Africa but particularly in the Niger Delta
Asian languages:
Gujarati: Native to the Indian state of Gujarat but found around the Indian subcontinent and the world
Marathi: From the Indian state of Maharashtra, including India’s commercial capital Mumbai
Telugu: Huge numbers of speakers, like many Indian languages, primarily in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Punjabi: One of the world’s most populous languages, it is widely-spoken in Pakistan and parts of India
Korean: Spoken in North and South though the dialects have diverged. Pop culture slang and foreign loan words are notably more common in the South
“This is a historic day for the BBC, as we announce the biggest expansion of the World Service since the 1940s,” said BBC director general Tony Hall.
“The BBC World Service is a jewel in the crown – for the BBC and for Britain.
“As we move towards our centenary, my vision is of a confident, outward-looking BBC which brings the best of our independent, impartial journalism and world-class entertainment to half a billion people around the world.
“Today is a key step towards that aim.”
‘Relevant as ever’
The plans include the expansion of digital services to offer more mobile and video content and a greater social media presence.
On Wednesday the BBC launches a full digital service in Thai, following the success of a Facebook-only “pop-up” service launched in 2014.
Other expansion plans include:
extended news bulletins in Russian, with regionalised versions for surrounding countries
enhanced television services across Africa, including more then 30 new TV programmes for partner broadcasters across sub-Saharan Africa
new regional programming from BBC Arabic
short-wave and medium-wave radio programmes aimed at audiences in the Korean peninsula, plus online and social media content
investment in World Service English, with new programmes, more original journalism, and a broader agenda
