REPUBLIC OF MALI (continued)
4. Will I have language problems?
Language Issues
Local Guides
Basic French
Online Translators
Music
LANGUAGE ISSUES
Remember, Mali was once part of French West Africa, which means French became the great unifying language in this part of Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. It continues as such today.
English is not widely spoken nor read.
Mali is a diverse country where 32 languages, mostly African, are spoken. At the same time, most people speak one or two languages - French and Bambara. French is the official language whereas Bambara is spoken by 80% of the population.
If you don't speak some French, expect to encounter communication problems in Mali. This is a French-speaking country where most visitors can get by with French. Indeed, few locals speak English or other non-African languages. Most newspapers and signs are in French.
COMPETENCE OF LOCAL GUIDES
If you only speak English and you plan to work with a local guide, be sure to specify a guide with good English-speaking skills. You may want to do so far in advance of your visit to Mali, since arranging for such a guide at the last minute may be difficult. They are simply difficult to find since they are few in number and in high demand.
Unfortunately, few local tour guides are fluent in English since they never may have studied English (schools primarily teach French). Some speak basic English, which they picked up from television or English-speaking visitors, but you will most likely have difficulty communicating with them.
Since Mali is a very interesting country where you will have many questions, be very specific about language skills when you arrange for a tour guide.
If you don't, you may be get frustrated trying to better understand Djenne, Timbuktu, and Dogon country with a guide who doesn't understand your questions (he may fake it) and can't communicate information about these important places. Indeed, you are well advised to take a guidebook with you as insurance against communication problems with guides.
If you speak some French, you should be able to communicate with locals in most places you visit. However, if you don't speak French, expect to encounter communication problems.
BASIC FRENCH
If you feel the need to learn a little French or brush up on some of the basics, visit the following websites, which offer free French lessons online: About.com French Language
FrenchAssistant.com
Frenchlanguageguide.com
Learn French Comparisons
The French Tutorial
ZapFrench
Learn French for Free
Free Language
ONLINE TRANSLATORS
If you need a quick translation from your language into French, visit the following websites which offer free translations of words and sentences in French:
www.appliedlanguage.com
www.translation-guide.com
www.word2word.com
www.worldlingo.com
www.lingvosoft.com
www.yourdictionary.com
www.dictionarylink.com
http://free.translated.net
www.foreignword.com
MUSIC
Mali does boast one universal language - music. It comes in many forms, from indigenous Mande (Malinké and Bambara styles) and Wassoulou music to jazz and salsa. Cuban musical influences from the 1960s still remain strong.
Visit a few cultural centers and nightclubs in Bamako, walk along Bamako's busy streets with radios blaring, or attend the annual music festivals near Timbuktu (Festival in the Desert) and Segou (Festival on the Niger), and you'll quickly relate to this universal language.
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