Thursday, October 23, 2008

Rwanda Drops French, Moves Closer to English

The nation of Rwanda is dropping the French language from its curriculum and from official use in favor of English. This is a result of some points of contention between Rwandans and France. The French had once trained or armed some of those who ultimately committed acts of genocide in that country. Many Rwandans harbor some ill feelings toward the French and this has resulted in the desire to shed 'all things French' including the French language, which had long been part of Rwandan culture.

More and more countries in Africa have been adopting English as an international language. In some cases (like Nigeria) English is even used as a unifying language where there are dozens of indigenous languages. Ultimately this gives Africans the ability to compete on the international stage. As language learners, there are many Africans in an advantaged position, as they learn their native language (or 2) and 2 or 3 local, regional or international languages.

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