The Impact of Mother Tongue Illiteracy on Second Language Acquisition

This text illustrates the crucial role of the mother tongue literacy in second language acquisition by presenting findings from a comparative study conducted in primary schools in Senegal. In addition, the volume provides an in-depth look at the linguistic history of Senegal before, during, and after French colonialism.

Moustapha Fall is Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of French at the University of Victoria, Canada. He holds a PhD in Second Language Acquisition from the University of British Columbia, Canada.

Lists of figures List of tables Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Demographic and Socio-linguistic Profiles of Senegal Chapter 3: France's Language Policy and Planning in Senegal during Colonialism Chapter 4: Children's Literacy Experiences in Africa Chapter 5: Researching with Arabic and Non-Arabic Populations Chapter 6: Mother Tongue Literacy and Second Language Learning Chapter 7: Phonological Awareness, Decoding Skills, and Reading Comprehension Chapter 8: Conculsion and Pedagogical Implications Bibliography