"Language studies have become a must, a requirement of globalisation," Mariam Bent Ainien, a civil servant enrolled in French classes, told Magharebia.
[Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images] Literacy in multiple languages is gaining traction in Mauritania, as language schools note a spike in enrolment.
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Many Mauritanians are tossing out textbooks that promise to teach English or French in five days and instead are enrolling in the country's growing number of private language schools.
New language centres have opened in Nouakchott and the provinces to meet the strong demand from students of all ages and social classes. Mauritanians' curiosity about other cultures, as well as their need to adapt to globalisation, are even overcoming the gender barrier. Both men and women are studying the most popular tongues, French and English.
"Language studies have become a must, a requirement of globalisation," Mariam Bent Ainien, who is in her 30s, told Magharebia on December 3rd. "Language-learning isn't restricted to a certain age or specialisation. Everyone's concerned about it."
"I only spoke one language and so I felt unable to understand what was going on around me, whether in relation to work or travelling abroad," said the civil servant, who has been studying French for a year at a school near her home. "Now, my understanding is much better."
For some Mauritanians, even those with decades of workplace experience, professional concerns play a role in the decision to hit the books. Mohamad Mokhtar, a civil servant in his 50s, decided to study English "because of its importance these days in the global economy and international correspondence".
"If you don't speak English nowadays, you have no access to the latest theories on the global economy," he said, adding: "Knowledge is therefore power."
The increased demand for language courses has boosted the income of Mauritanians who work in the new schools and centres.
Bookkeeper Nani Ould Mohamad works at a school that doubled its profits in 2009 from the previous year. "Every day, we receive people from different walks of life who come to sign up for language classes, and their sole dream is to master one or two languages," said Mohamed. "Some of them are employees in the public and private sectors."
"We're expecting even greater demand next year," added the bookkeeper.
This content was commissioned for Magharebia.com. |
