My name is Kaleb, a student from Senegal and I am the founder of the Africa-based, independent literary agency, IWO. I write to explore the themes and stories of African literature and culture. I am currently working on a project called ‘The Three Levels of Self-Awareness’, which explores the idea of consciousness, meaning, and identity, and the role of the individual in the larger social context.
I’ve had the privilege of living in Senegal for five years and I must say, it is one of the most beautiful and rich countries I have ever experienced. The language here is one of the most amazing I have ever heard. The people are wonderful and very hospitable, and no two days are the same.
When I first landed in Senegal, I was surprised to find that a lot of the time there is English being spoken in the streets. That’s because the country was created by two French colonists who had originally settled in India some two hundred years ago. The French colonized Senegal in 1790 and have never officially left. The French continue to run the country’s schools, hospitals, and other services, but they have no official authority over the people.
The French are still very much with us and a lot of the time have their own language and culture. We have French being spoken in Senegal by the people, but there is also Wolof which is the language of the people of the country. I can tell you that Wolof is spoken more than French in Senegal, because I can understand it like 95% of the time, but the French are the majority.
Wolof is the language of the country and it is very similar to French. However, there are still differences between the languages which include the different ways in which words are used, the different grammatical structures, the different ways in which the names of things are pronounced, and the different vocabulary, many of which you can find out about in your language classes. It really is very interesting though because it makes you realize that you, as a person, can be bilingual with different languages.
A lot of the things that have been said about this trailer are pretty general. In terms of the language of the trailer, it is a bit of a departure from French, but more so for the language of the story.
For example, if you have never had the pleasure of watching a French film, you may find yourself wondering how the French would describe this trailer. If that thought makes you laugh, that’s great. A lot of what is said on the trailer is simply inane.
French, French. There is a lot of swearing, but it’s mostly just in French. The language is pretty much the same as English, but the accent is different. That means that when the trailer comes on, I’m hearing French.
You see, the French language is actually a lot like English with some French-speaking people in it. For example, the word “rêve” is a verb. So in English, it means to dream. In French, it means to have a dream. A lot of the time you can use “a la rêve” for both.
It’s a great way to introduce visitors to a new language. It can also help to teach the language to a foreign student. In the case of translator english to african, the teacher is really just a translator herself. You see, the teacher speaks French, but she’s a translator. So she’s going through the steps of speaking to a person from another language.