VOA新闻杂志2025--Senegal Starts Introducing English in Preschools

In Senegal, educators are starting to teach English to younger children in an effort to better prepare them to succeed in future educational and professional activities.

The preschool students also learn French - the country's official language - as well as Arabic and the nation's national languages, the French news agency AFP reports.

Senegalese children who attend preschool - also known as nursery school, are generally under five. Since mid-January, the education ministry¹ has been testing a program that teaches English in more than 600 nursery and primary school classes. It is part of a plan to better connect Senegal with the rest of the world.

At one nursery school visited by AFP reporters near central Dakar, five-year-old students were heard singing, "Good morning, teacher!" The teacher, Absa Ndiaye, said, "They're interested in the lesson, and they start a conversation with 'How are you?'"

Senegal recently became an oil and gas producer and has seen large population growth. However, many young people have been leaving the country searching for opportunities elsewhere.

In Senegal, French is used in public schools and in government administration. Until recently, English was only taught in public high schools and universities, and sometimes in private nursery schools.

Aissatou Sarr Cisse is in charge of the education ministry's English program. She told AFP that even after some students had studied English for up to seven years, they "can barely communicate properly in English."

"We're starting from a younger age so that they can improve their language skills. The aim is to shape people who are open to the world," Cisse said. She added that improving their English will give them access to more opportunities to cooperate "with Senegal's partners."

In March, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected after running a nationalist campaign. After many years of strong ties with the former colonial power, he is trying to reset² Senegal's relationship with France, without breaking away completely.

A desire to learn

In the schools testing the program, English is taught every Tuesday and Thursday. On both days, two 25-minute lessons are taught in nursery schools and two 30-minute lessons in primary schools. The subjects taught center on family, colors, everyday greetings, the environment and the weather.

In Dakar's working-class Medina neighborhood, teacher Mamadou Kama listens to a conversation in English between two 13-year-olds in his primary school class of around 60 students.

"I can see that the students are motivated. Some of them are asking for English lessons to be (taught) every day," said Kama, who has a degree in English.

The ministry has invested in teachers who have high English levels. However, most of them have not yet received the teaching materials the ministry aims to provide.

"We haven't had the time to create handbooks," said the education ministry's Cisse. "Computers have been ordered, and in the meantime, we have provided students with printed documents with fun pictures."

Change or be left behind

The project has been praised by Ousmane Sene, director of the Dakar-based West African Research Centre (WARC). WARC handles educational exchanges between the United States and west African universities.

"English is the most common language at an international level. And it's the most used language in diplomacy³ and international cooperation, so it's an additional asset," Sene told AFP.

Additionally, most scientific material worldwide is written in English, said Mathiam Thiam. He helped create the English program. Thiam added that if people in Senegal do not adapt and improve their English, they will run into many barriers.

But Sene noted⁴ that something needs to happen first: The project needs "... to train and equip the teachers well."

Criticism of the program

Some critics of the program point to a lack of teachers. Samba Dioulde Thiam is a former member of parliament and retired⁵ teacher. In an opinion article, he wrote, "On these grounds alone, introducing English at nursery and primary school levels is a pipe dream. It's impossible."

He noted that intellectuals have been demanding the introduction of Senegal's national languages in education for many years. The program involving English could further delay that goal.

But one 13-year-old student, Aissatou Barry, seems far removed from such debates. She told AFP that she "can't wait to study English in sixth grade."

I'm Andrew Smith.

Malick Rokhy Ba reported this story for Agence France-Presse. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

conversation - n. oral exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas

primary school - adj. a school usually including the first three grades of elementary school but sometimes also including kindergarten

opportunity - n. a good chance for advancement⁶ or progress

access - n. permission or power to enter, approach, or make use of

motivated - adj. having an incentive⁷ or a strong desire to do well or succeed in some pursuit

asset - n. a quality or thing that can be used to advantage

adapt - v. to make or become suitable, especially to change so as to fit a new or specific use or situation

pipe dream - n. an illusory or fantastic plan, hope, or story

intellectual - adj. engaged in or given to learning and thinking

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

3 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

7 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。