Will English or French...

Afrika Bombadda   Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:57 pm GMT
...become the dominate European language in Africa? Besides Native African languages and Arabic, English and French have the most presence. They both have respective areas, but do you think one or the other will increase in numbers, influence and presence?

I think English, because the global economy is dominated by it. Also, two recent examples show English gaining ground:

Madagascar adopted English as an offical langage in 2007.

Rwanda has recently adopted English which will replace French as an offical language and language of education.

Also, English is the official language of Nigeria, the most populated African country. English and French are both studied in Egypt, but English is more spoken in general.

I know French is common in the Magreb, but I wouldn't be surprised if English has become more popular there as well. I've met some people from Morocco and Tunisia abroad and they all spoken English very well.
Guest   Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:00 am GMT
Do people in Africa speak true English or creoles?
shiv   Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:46 am GMT
^ Both English and French have areas that speak a creole. I assume it depends on the region and/or education level of the people. Some people can switch between creole English/French and the standard. So I don't think it matters.
pfarendon   Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:02 am GMT
How is Arabic doing in Africa?
shiv   Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:49 am GMT
^ It's doing fine in North Africa where it's official.
Visitor   Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:54 am GMT
World: Africa

New efforts to woo French interest in Liberia


The Liberian leader Charles Taylor has said the French language will be treated as an equal with English in future, following his visit to France to strengthen ties with Liberia.

Mr Taylor told reporters in Paris it was inevitable that French would be spoken in Liberia with the establishment of new cultural and trade links, and he confirmed he would be attending the Francophone African summit in November.

Mr Taylor met French business leaders yesterday to discuss possible joint ventures to reconstruct Liberia after its seven-year civil war.

He said he wanted to sell off state-owned companies, but needed help to restore water and power supplies, and repair roads, hospitals and the telephone system.

No definite trade agreements have been announced so far.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/183138.stm
Visitor   Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:55 am GMT
Nigeria, France Sign Agreement On Development Of French Language

Clement Idoko, Abuja - 21.06.2008

IN furtherance of consolidation of French as a second official language in Nigeria, the Federal Government on Friday received a boost from the French government with the signing of a major agreement on promoting, teaching and learning of French in the Nigerian schools.

The agreement saw the French government dolling out N319.6 million (1,700,000 Euros) for the funding and execution of the project tagged “Priority Solidarity Funds No. 2006-89 Support for the Development of the Teaching and Learning of French language in the Nigerian Educational System”.

Minister of Education, Dr. Igwe Aja-Nwachuku, who signed on behalf of the Nigerian government, said the project was facilitated by the recent state visit of President Umaru Yar’Adua to France to seek closer ties with Nigeria. France Ambassador to Nigeria, Jean-Michel Dunmond, signed for his country.

Aja-Nwachuku, disclosed that similar gesture valued at N248, 160,000 million (1,320,000 Euros) was provided by the French Government in 2002 following the adoption by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha in 1996, of French as the second official language in Nigeria. This brings the sum total to N567, 760,000, committed by the French government in enhancing the teaching and learning of French language in Nigeria.

The project, according to the minister, has five component-institutional reform, tertiary education and secondary education.

Support to the Nigerian French Language Village and reform in the immersion programme in the NFLV would reinforce the first project that was successfully executed and provide framework for transfer of competence and effective information management systems for the French language.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/21062008/news/news12.html
Visitor   Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:57 am GMT
From Awareness Times Newspaper in Freetown

Local News
4 Lecturers graduate in Linguistics in Sierra Leone
By Alhassan Deen Kamara
Mar 22, 2006, 10:13

Four lecturers selected from the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCE&T), the Northern Polytechnic and the Port Loko Teachers College last week received certificates following a six week training workshop in Linguistic conducted by the Besancom Applied Linguistic Centre in France.

The four are Messrs Koyie H. Mansaray, Senior Lecturer at the MMCET-Goderich campus, Mr. Aiah G. Souoie, Senior Lecturer at the MMCET-Brookfield campus, Amadu M. Sesay, Lecturer at the Northern Polytechnic and Abu Bakarr Samura, Lecturer at the Port Loko Teacher College. The course which took place in France between January 3rd and February 2nd 2006 was to capacitate, reorganize and boost the teaching of the French language in Sierra Leone. It was aimed at adopting new techniques and methods of teaching French so that the language, in the not too distant future, becomes a working tool, and also as a means to enhance commercial and cultural exchanges between Sierra Leoneans and citizens of French-speaking countries. The training programme came about upon request by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Alpha Tejan Wurie to the French Government to promote the teaching of French in the country.

During the training, participants were taught modern methods of teaching French as a foreign language, as well as the distance learning method through the XP computer application package, analysis of a school test and the systematic analysis of the training of trainers programme. The presentation of report from the training workshop was formally presented to the Minister by the head of delegation, Mr. Koyie H. Mansaray. The Minister Wurie in his response welcomed the Lecturers and congratulated them for coming back home after the successful completion of the course. Dr. Wurie went on to highlight a number of instances where Sierra Leoneans were sent to represent their country in various disciplines and did not return back to share their acquired experiences and knowledge. He also congratulated Mr. Koyie Mansaray on his special medal award as Leader of a foreign students’ delegation at the workshop. Dr. Wurie noted that it has always been his aim to adapt new techniques and methods of teaching French so that the language becomes a working tool for Sierra Leoneans at both the commercial and cultural levels especially within the West Africa sub region.



© Copyright 2005, Freetown, Sierra Leone.

http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/printer_20051967.shtml
Informer Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:13 am GMT
Gov't directs officials to learn French

Last Updated: Wednesday, 10 September 2008, 8:38 GMT

he government has directed all government officials to compulsorily take French lessons.

Vice-President Aliu Mahama said the directive was part of the government's plans to make French a common language for as many Ghanaians as possible to enhance economic, commercial and social activities between Ghana and its neighbours.

Consequently, he asked those who were privileged to be studying the French language in schools to take the subject seriously because of the numerous advantages associated with knowing, understanding and speaking it.

Alhaji Mahama said this when the French Minister for Overseas Development and Francophone Affairs, Madam Geraldine Brigitte, paid a courtesy call on him at his office at the Castle on Monday.

The French minister was in the country to extend an invitation to the Presidency to attend the 12th summit of the International Organisation of the Francophone in Quebec, Canada, later in the year.

He recounted a number of experiences with many government officials who attend high-level meetings in Francophone countries and were unable to communicate because of their inability to speak French.

"Our French counterparts even do well to speak the English with us but those of us from the English speaking countries seldom speak any French at all and that is not the best," Alhaji Mahama said.

The Vice-President had early on exchanged some greetings in French with his guest but was unable to continue when the conversations went deep.

According to him, the President had directed all government officials to take compulsory French lessons, adding that "this is what has helped me and we are trying to ensure that the teaching of the French language becomes a major subject at all levels of the academic calendar".

He encouraged business people who traded with their counterparts in the neighbouring countries to endeavour to learn the language to enable them to transact business without stress.

Alhaji Mahama said there was a lot to benefit should Ghanaians begin to engage their neighbours in serious trading and economic activities.

He assured the French minister of the government's commitment to make the teaching and learning of French much more widespread for many more people to benefit.

Madam Brigitte for her part commended Ghana for the efforts she was putting in place to get more people to learn the French language.

In spite of this, she said, Ghana needed to attach greater interest to making the teaching and learning of French more widespread for many more people to benefit.

Madam Brigitte said France was committed to making more resources available to Ghana to enable it to create the necessary environment for people to learn the Language.

She expressed the hope that the government would be able to attend the summit to further strengthen the relationship between Ghana and the Francophone countries.


Source: Daily Graphic

http://news.myjoyonline.com/education/200809/20389.asp
Visitor   Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:59 am GMT
Gov't directs officials to learn French

Last Updated: Wednesday, 10 September 2008, 8:38 GMT

he government has directed all government officials to compulsorily take French lessons.

Vice-President Aliu Mahama said the directive was part of the government's plans to make French a common language for as many Ghanaians as possible to enhance economic, commercial and social activities between Ghana and its neighbours.

Consequently, he asked those who were privileged to be studying the French language in schools to take the subject seriously because of the numerous advantages associated with knowing, understanding and speaking it.

Alhaji Mahama said this when the French Minister for Overseas Development and Francophone Affairs, Madam Geraldine Brigitte, paid a courtesy call on him at his office at the Castle on Monday.

The French minister was in the country to extend an invitation to the Presidency to attend the 12th summit of the International Organisation of the Francophone in Quebec, Canada, later in the year.

He recounted a number of experiences with many government officials who attend high-level meetings in Francophone countries and were unable to communicate because of their inability to speak French.

"Our French counterparts even do well to speak the English with us but those of us from the English speaking countries seldom speak any French at all and that is not the best," Alhaji Mahama said.

The Vice-President had early on exchanged some greetings in French with his guest but was unable to continue when the conversations went deep.

According to him, the President had directed all government officials to take compulsory French lessons, adding that "this is what has helped me and we are trying to ensure that the teaching of the French language becomes a major subject at all levels of the academic calendar".

He encouraged business people who traded with their counterparts in the neighbouring countries to endeavour to learn the language to enable them to transact business without stress.

Alhaji Mahama said there was a lot to benefit should Ghanaians begin to engage their neighbours in serious trading and economic activities.

He assured the French minister of the government's commitment to make the teaching and learning of French much more widespread for many more people to benefit.

Madam Brigitte for her part commended Ghana for the efforts she was putting in place to get more people to learn the French language.

In spite of this, she said, Ghana needed to attach greater interest to making the teaching and learning of French more widespread for many more people to benefit.

Madam Brigitte said France was committed to making more resources available to Ghana to enable it to create the necessary environment for people to learn the Language.

She expressed the hope that the government would be able to attend the summit to further strengthen the relationship between Ghana and the Francophone countries.


Source: Daily Graphic

http://news.myjoyonline.com/education/200809/20389.asp
Sando   Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:46 am GMT
It's Spanish that is on the up and up in Africa.
T-Shirt   Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:17 am GMT
It's French that is on the up and up in Hispanic America.
Sando   Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:41 am GMT
It's Spanish that is on the up and up in Africa.
T-Shirt   Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:47 am GMT
It's French that is on the up and up in Hispanic America.
Guest   Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:49 am GMT
It's English that's is up and up in Quebec, and unlike what you say about French in Hispanic America this is really true. Haha.
Guest   Fri Jan 09, 2009 2:47 pm GMT
It's English that's is up and up in Mexico, and unlike what you say about Spanish in Africa this is really true. Haha.