![]() ![]() In fact, African intellectuals such as Sony Labou Tansi and Ngugi Wa Thiongo, have long advocated for the use of African languages as official languages, as tools for education and public communication and not only in private. Initially consecrated as elitist with rigorously prescriptive grammar and a vocabulary closed to external contributions, the French language has gradually opened up to remain alive and not ostracized. In fact, after several years of passive submission, some African intellectuals have "rebelled" against this form of linguistic imperialism and decided to tame the French language by "vernacularizing" it. Transforming the Sovereign into a Suzerain? This reminder, thus, simply aims to describe a historical reality to enable us to better appreciate and understand contemporary dynamics in the French language. What matters is the usefulness of each language, here and now, and the attachment that its speakers have or do not have to it. The Romans colonized Gaul, the Arabs colonized the Berbers, and all of them brought their language and their religion. All languages are colonial, whether the "colonization" in question was violent or by other means. This brief historical reminder was not meant to dampen your spirits or develop any sense of guilt, pity or remorse because no language falls from heaven. And the forecasts of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), even reveal that Africa will regroup in 2050 about 85% of the world's French speakers. Īlthough adapting to the new grammar and transitioning to French was long and painful, it was mostly successful in many African countries since French is now the official language. ![]() Imposed in the educational and administrative system, colonized peoples were "forced" to disregard all vocabulary from their native language in order to learn new words, tones, accents and rhythm from a foreign language. The use of African languages, especially in Francophone Africa, was even censored in schools and rebels or negligent ones were severely punished. Many were forced to adopt the language of the colonizer, presented as the language of civilization, and to abandon their national languages, pejoratively described as "vernacular" languages, that of the common people residing in the Platonic cave, as opposed to that of the colonial master. This is particularly the case for Francophone countries in Africa where the forced use of the French language in colonies was one of the tools of cultural alienation of the people. Even if it is impossible to dissociate language and culture, it is possible, even though difficult, to dissociate a people from its mother tongue. You can mix and converse with local people and help with development.In the Beginning, the French Language Was SovereignĪ language is an inescapable tool for communication and, words are one of the tools of expression. There are also combination programs available where you can learn French and also volunteer in Africa. If you are considering a career in development or with an organisation like the United Nations, Medecins Sans Frontieres, & The Red Cross in Francophone Africa and Haiti then you will be required to know French. You will get to experience life in a different culture, meet new people and gain cultural immersion. More and more local people in Africa are learning French as this helps with career development - knowing French is an invaluable asset for some jobs. More than 5 million people in France speak France so you will get lots of opportunities to practise with locals. Whether you want to polish up the knowledge of a high school class, learn from scratch, or turn your advanced skills into fluent, learning in an immersion environment is the most effective way to learn French. There are so many reasons you might want to challenge yourself and book a French language course in Africa. Morocco - there are several places you can learn French including the city of Rabat. Popular destinations include Togo, Senegal, Cameroon and Benin and a lot of people choose to book combo packages including volunteering or sightseeing so you get total cultural immersion. Popular places to learn French in Africa include Studying French in Africa will be a totally unique experience where you will get to enjoy the culture of the different country - maybe somewhere you have never thought about visiting before. French is the official language of more than 15 countries in Africa including: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Sénégal and Togo.įrench is also considered an unofficial second language in many countries such as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. ![]()
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