Wolof is a language that everyone can speak in Senegal.
This Wolof language had never been taught in schools. Instead of that, the language had been passed down orally. However, since October last year, textbooks in Wolof have been produced and distributed with the support of the US to first and second grade students, and the Wolof language is now being taught in class.
When I asked why, it seems that this was because teaching Wolof would be the basis for the children to learn French, which is the official language in Senegal.
I observed a Wolof lesson in a first grade class.
They read sentences tapping the blackboard with a stick.
A boy in the picture was carrying his bag on his back while he was reading the sentence.
They take turns and read the sentence in a row.
The letters where a student in the picture taps with a stick is the letters in Wolof.
Even at this first grade level Wolof language, I can hardly understand.
So I asked the teacher after the lesson to translate it into French.
I want to learn this Wolof language even though I might not use it again when I go back to Japan. Because there are many people in Senegal who only speak Wolof.
I just want to talk more with them.
セネガルのみんなが話せる言葉、ウォロフ語。
このウォロフ語は、今まで学校で教えられることなく、口伝えで受け継がれてきた言葉です。
しかし、去年10月から1,2年生にウォロフ語の教科書が、アメリカの支援で作られて配られ、授業で教えられるようになりました。
理由を聞くと、子供たちが公用語のフランス語を学ぶ時の基礎になるからだそうです。
１年生のクラスで、ウォロフ語の授業を見ていました。
棒をもって、黒板をコツッ、コツッ、と叩きながら、文章を読んでいきます。
かばんを背負いながら授業に参加していますね。
交代で、何人も続けて読んでいきます。
子供が棒を指している部分がウォロフ語です。
この1年生レベルのウォロフ語でも、私はほぼ分からないのです。
というわけで、後で先生に聞いてフランス語に訳してもらいました。
ウォロフは日本に帰ればもう使わないかもしれない言葉だけど学びたい。
なぜなら、セネガルにはウォロフ語しか話せない人がたくさんいるから。
そんな人たちとただもっと話してみたいのです。
