Le Senegal
In many places besides France people speak French! I wanted to share a bit about one of the French-speaking countries in Africa (learn more about all of them here), because of a fun custom there (scroll down to find out!).
– Language, Culture, Customs, & Etiquette
In Senegal, greetings are a very important part of their culture. A greeting in Senegal is unlike one in America, where you may have a short salutation (Hello/How are you?) without much response given or expected. In Senegal, greetings can take up to 15 minutes (and sometimes even longer!). That is because they not only say hello and how-are-you, but, they also ask about your family and how they are as well, and they really want to hear your response.
–An American’s (Lauren’s) Experience Living in Senegal
–Another American’s (Marianne’s) Experience Teaching English in Senegal
–Video on greetings in Senegal
“Marianne a la salle des professeurs”
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There are many countries in Africa where the official language is French, along with other dialects. There are hundreds (even thousands!) of different dialects all over the HUGE continent. It’s fun to learn about other languages and cultures, n’est-ce pas?