ALV - 1 - Language of Learning - MC - Advanced

• Some people say that students who learn in international languages will have more opportunities.

• Some people want schools to teach students using international languages.

• Some people say that students who are taught in local languages are less likely to stay in school.

• Some people want schools to add local languages into their programs.

Suppose you were writing a summary of the Article. Which of these would be most important to put in the summary?

• In sub-Saharan Africa, many students are taught in a different language than they speak at home.

• Some groups have been testing bilingual teaching programs in Senegalese primary schools.

• In 2014, the Ethiopian government started a reading program in seven Ethiopian languages.

• French is the official language of Senegal because the country was once a colony of France.

Which two words are the closest synonyms?

• Unfamiliar and usual

• Mixed and similar

• Keen and eager

• Local and international

Which of these is an opinion?

• It would be best to begin teaching children French in preschool.

• Some children in sub-Saharan Africa are taught using international languages.

• In Tanzania, children are taught entirely in Swahili.

• Most children in Senegal speak a local language such as Wolof.

Suppose Anton wants to find out about the history of Senegal. He would find most of his information __________.

• By looking at old photographs of Senegalese schools

• By looking in an encyclopedia of sub-Saharan Africa's oldest languages

• By reading a study about Senegalese students who drop out of school

• By reading a book that explores the establishment of French colonies in Africa

The Article states:

Others have mixed feelings. Meissa Dieng is one. He is the headmaster at a school in Dakar. Dieng sees the value of international languages. But he's concerned. He worries about how well children adjust to doing schoolwork in a language not spoken at home.

Which would be the closest synonym for the word concerned, as it is used above?

• Satisfied

• Excited

• Troubled

• Patient

The reader can tell from the Article that __________.

• Chris Darby believes that parents of school-age children ought to support the use of local languages in school.

• Barbara Trudell worries that teaching Senegalese students in French won't offer them enough opportunities.

• Mbacke Diagne would like to see more schools use local languages to build literacy skills.

• Meissa Dieng is confident that it is best for students to learn in an international language.

Which quote from the Article best supports the idea that the ability to speak and read a commonly used language like French is important to future success?

• In 2014, the Ethiopian government started a reading program in seven Ethiopian languages.

• It is hoped that there will be good results. If so, perhaps the Senegalese government will fund the program in more places and with more local languages.

• More than half of Senegal's secondary school-age children no longer attend school.

• Trudell says that favoring local languages might not be a good idea. There might be more opportunities for speakers of international languages.