Project Themes

Language Policy and Literacy
by Dr. Yvette D. Hyter

Literacy , language use, and access to education significantly impact the lives of the women in Senegal . For example, 80% of the women in rural communities are illiterate. In 1992, the Senegalese government created a ministry of Adult Education and Literacy Teaching, which developed an action plan to increase literacy among the Senegalese populace. Two objectives of this action plan included (1) the teaching of literacy in national languages, and (2) the decrease in the disparities of geography (rural vs. city) and gender in literacy acquisition.

The language policy in Senegal is that French is the official language - the language of "formal" schooling, the media, commerce, and the government, although only 10% of the Senegalese population speaks French, and it is spoken primarily in the larger cities (e.g., Dakar).

One of the most striking differences between Senegal and the United States, which does not have a national language policy, is that in Senegal, 25 different languages co-exist, 6 of which are named as national languages spoken by 86% of the citizens.