Daily Nation ­ Tuesday
Date: 23.06.2015
Page 28
Article size: 100 cm2
ColumnCM: 22.22
AVE: 48000.0
Senegal hit
by vernacular
trouble in
schools
BY TAMBA MATTHEW
NATION Correspondent
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya
Daily Nation ­ Tuesday
Date: 23.06.2015
Page 28
Article size: 100 cm2
ColumnCM: 22.22
AVE: 48000.0
In Senegal, after the approval of the
use of vernacular in parliament due
to the inability of many lawmakers
to express themselves in the official
language, French, another problem
is looming on the horizon.
That is, the difficulties emanating
from the inability of these lawmak­
ers to read or write their respective
vernacular languages and even the
national language, Wolof.
If this present generation of law­
makers is going to be exempted from
speaking French in Parliament and
from producing reports in their local
vernaculars, it will be imperative on
future generations to do so, House
Speaker Moustapha Niasse hinted
recently.
Very few people in Senegal have
any mastery of the written text of
the languages they speak.
This is happening surprisingly also
in the home of one of Africa's most
erudite leaders and founder of mod­
ern Senegal, late poet­President and
French Academy laureate, Leopold
Sedar Senghor.
The Pulaar often called 'Toucou­
leurs' are among the majority tribe
scattered around the country and
well known for their low literacy
rate in French.
They deliberately greet people
in their local tongue and make
very little effort to master other
languages including the national
language, Wolof.
This is why most of Pulaar law­
makers speak through interpreters
in parliament and other with less
mastery of French and Wolof fol­
lowed in their steps.
Those who are literate in Wolof
can't get the spelling of basic words
like 'house', which some spell 'Keur'
and others, 'Kerr'. Worse still, even
the national dish which comprises of
broken rice and spiced fish is spelt
varyingly. Some spell rice as 'Chep'
or 'Tchep' and 'Dienne' or 'djenne'
for fish.
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya