Le français en Sierra Leone : apprentissage et développement du capital humain

Abstract

After a brutal civil war, different Sierra Leone governments prioritized education, launching different education policies and programs to provide quality basic and secondary education, reduce poverty and enhance resources in public and government-assisted schools. This research aims to answer the following questions: What is the status of French teaching/learning in basic and secondary education in Sierra Leone? How can learning French contribute to the development and strengthening of human capital in Sierra Leone? Using the approaches developed within human capital development theory, this qualitative method study prioritizes semi-structured interviews. An overview of French language teachers' views, beliefs, and experiences with teaching and learning French is given by the study. It demonstrates that schools deal with instructional challenges, insufficient government initiatives, and unfavorable attitudes toward the French language. Teachers are conscious of the dearth of possibilities for professional growth as well as financial and logistical resources. However, the study shows that with inclusive and successful educational policies and practical steps, human capital development through French teaching/learning is achievable in Sierra Leone. Keywords: Language in education policy, French as a Foreign Language in Anglophone Africa, curriculum, task-based approach, communicative approach, human capital development