Senegal: Language and Diversity

Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher Activities

Student Engagement

Materials and Resources

Products

LESSON #5

Pose the questions below to each group;

Circulate and facilitate discussion

Ask students to:

  • Make inferences and draw conclusions about the situation and difficulties facing various ethno-linguistic groups in Senegal; 
  • What are advantages to speaking more than 1 or 2 languages in Senegal?
  • Consider how globalization affects the power and influence of 1 or 2 dominant languages in Senegal?
  • How do these experiences relate to the situation of dominant/ dominated language in the United States? 

 

 

 

  • Students work in 4 small groups discuss remaining questions in teacher column
  • 4 groups report one of their findings to whole class 

 

 

  • Begin class with a 5 minute video clip Mandabi, by Ousmane Sembène

OR

  • Another Sembène film which uses multiple languages:
  • (clips available on YouTube.)

 

  • Have each student write a list of difficulties in speaking to others who did not share the same language; and how they overcame these difficulties?