CIEE Language and Culture Program in Dakar, Senegal

  Senegal

Dakar

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring 
Dates: Fall 17 weeks: late-August-mid-December; Spring 17 weeks: mid-January-mid-May; Academic Year 38 weeks: mid-August-mid-May

Description: The goals of the Language and Culture program are fourfold: to offer students the opportunity to live and study in a French-speaking West African country; to introduce students to Senegalese society and to such issues as education, womens roles, the impact of Islam, and development and globalization from a West African perspective; to enable students to develop and/or acquire language skills in French and Wolof; and to provide opportunities for cultural immersion through living with a Senegalese family and participating in a community service project.

Academic Program
The CIEE Study Center in Dakar offers students the opportunity to live and study in a French-speaking West African country and to immerse themselves in two of Senegal's official languages: French and Wolof. Through a broad range of coursework in English and/or French, students are also able to engage in topics concerning Africa, in general, and Senegal specifically. By doing so, participants gain a greater understanding of the issues and challenges facing Senegal today and learn firsthand about this multilingual society.

Academic Culture
Students will notice striking differences between their home educational system and the Senegalese model, which is based on the French system. While students in the U.S. are accustomed to a very structured system, the Senegalese method generally requires students to take greater initiative and responsibility in a less structured environment. Some American students could misperceive a course as having a light workload or few assignments, but students are expected to engage in a great deal of individual study and extensive reading outside of the classroom.

The Resident Director oversees all CIEE courses, which are taught in both English and French. Senegalese professors, most of whom also hold faculty appointments at Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), teach these courses. CIEE Study Center courses run for 12 weeks (two 2-hour sessions per week) for a total of 45 hours and include a broad range of subjects.

Classes are generally lecture-based, but CIEE teachers are encouraged to foster more interactive classroom dynamics. In addition to lectures and discussions, many classes involve student presentations, which may take up a greater part of the course schedule than students are accustomed to in the U.S.

Courses are designed to offer opportunities for students to draw a parallel between the theoretical information they receive in the classroom and the social and cultural experiences they have outside of class. Field trips and guest speakers are organized to supplement students education and provide a practical orientation to their learning.

CIEE students have access to local institutions and research organizations for research and special activities. These include access to the West African Research Center (WARC), the IFAN library at UCAD, and the Baobab Center.

Highlights:

• Ideal for students interested in African studies, development studies, anthropology, and sociology
  
• Homestays with Senegalese families provide strong cultural immersion
  
• Opportunities for community service and internships, and participation in African art, dance, and music
  
• Excursions to such places as Gorée Island, Toubab Dialaw, Saint Louis, and the Sine-Saloum region; rural stays with Peace Corps or NGO staff

Depending upon student interests and course topics, additional trips and cultural activities in and around Dakar may be organized or subsidized by the program. Students are free to join various activities on the Suffolk University-Dakar Campus. Soccer matches and basketball games are regularly held between CIEE and local students, and CIEE students can participate in other international events held on campus.

Immersion
Language Peers
The Conversation Exchange Program pairs CIEE students with Francophone students from the Suffolk University-Dakar Campus. Students typically meet twice a week for the duration of the semester, conversing in French or Wolof during one session and in English during the other. The program not only assists students in developing their conversational abilities, but also helps them make friends with Senegalese students.

Rural Stays
Weeklong visits to rural areas in Senegal are an essential component of the CIEE program in Dakar. Mid-semester, students travel in groups or individually, depending on their preference, and stay with either Peace Corps volunteers or local NGO staff working in the field. These visits provide CIEE students the opportunity to better understand the contrasts and connections between rural and urban realities.

During their visits, students are encouraged to observe thoughtfully, pose questions, learn the local language (whether Wolof or another national language), identify key revenues and community resources, listen to the history of the village, and discover the role of and reactions to the volunteer or the NGO in the community. As part of the required Senegalese Society and Culture course, students are asked to submit a critical paper based on their rural visit experience.

Time and time again, CIEE students have cited the rural visit as the most profound and memorable experience during their semester abroad.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing

Experience Required: yes