Language Policy in Senegal: History and Current Trends

Language policy in former French colonies in Africa is a timely subject matter for decision makers, linguists, and users of indigenous African languages. Indeed, the request for a more inclusive education system in favor of national languages has been prominent among African countries leading some of them to radically switch to another language than French for political reasons. Rwanda has chosen English to become its official language, while recently, in Mali, a Francophone country located in West-Africa, a debate was initiated by the population through social media regarding the promotion of Bambananka or Bambara to the status of official language of the country, certainly due to the diplomatic crisis with the former colonizer, France. In Senegal, a status quo has been observed throughout the years, from the precolonial to the postcolonial era. However, multiple amendments to the Constitution aiming to reinforce the status of local languages, starting with codifying, and then elevating them to the rank of national languages have been made. Today, there is a plan to set up a bilingual system in the country, which has not yet been made reality. This chapter aims at presenting an overview of language policy in Senegal and explaining the reason for the status quo. It will contribute to the knowledge on the linguistic landscape of Senegal and the current trends regarding language policy in the country.