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Hello and welcome to Dakar!

As an American woman that had 3 children in Senegalese schools I would advise you to leave them where they are.  Children pick up languages faster than we do but it's not instantaneous.  Don't coddle them or make it seem as though you think it's 'too hard' for them.  Are you just uncomfortable having them around all the Senegalese children?  If so, don't be.  The French isn't really the problem is it?  Keep this in mind too, most of the Senegalese children don't speak French, they speak Wolof, Peul, Tukalor or whatever else.  ALL of them are learning French equally, at the same time.

With regard to your children:   If you set the bar high, they'll meet it.  If you set the bar low, they'll meet it.

Let them go and hang around other kids they wouldn't normally hang around and learn French because then they'll learn wolof as well and speak English at home.  The whole point of educating children in other countries is so they learn other languages.  What's the point of going to an English speaking school?  You could have just kept them in America while you came to Africa, right?

Thank you for the reply. You are right. This is the second year that they have lived there and we decided on a French school. They speak Wolof very well because that is what is spoken at my husbands families home. The French is coming slowly. I don't regret my decision at all. It's amazing how fast they have picked up another language. They came back to the states for the summer and after a couple weeks were crying to go back to Dakar. We have gotten them a tutor to help them out with French and their homework and that seems to be helping.

Can you please send me your contact info? The current tutor we have doesn't speak English or Wolof very well so it's been a bit of a challenge. My email address is *

GREAT!  Stay the course and just pay for the tutor so they excel, eventually in French.  Senegalese parents pay for tutors as a matter of course.  Food, clothing, transportation, tutors! lol!  Seriously.  French tutors are at a premium because even THEIR CHILDREN need help with the language.  As you have probably figured out, people here judge each other (educationally & economically) on how well they speak French.  If they judge each other so harshly that's a pretty good indication that they aren't messing about when it comes to education so we/you shouldn't either.  When they start math, get a math tutor as well.  YES, get a math tutor.  They start pre-algebra in like 3rd or 4th grade or whatever.  I couldn't help my kids as it was way above my head! lol!  All I could do is make a circle with that protractor!  They start what we call trig by 7th grade... it's insane.  Anyway, like I said, they are 'on it' with regards to education so allocate a 'tutor' budget and have them work after school or a couple of hours on the weekends while they are young.

When they are older they'll be used to it. 

Bonne Chance!

PS:

Don't ever list your email address on these communications.  You are about to get SLAMMED! lol!