We Are Invisible

Introduction While the learning and use of English Language was compulsory for Nigerians because of their colonization by the British colonial government, the teaching and learning of French was not significant to Nigerians. The French government was not encouraged by the British because of their economic interest in Nigeria. French is actually rivaled by English as the international language of trade, diplomacy and science. In Africa for instance, Equatorial Guinea in 1997 declared French as their official language along with Spanish. The small islands of Cape Verde and Sao tome and Principe are also members of La Francophonie and as a result, French is getting more widely spoken there as well. Nigeria shares its borders with francophone speaking countries namely: Chad, Republic of Benin and Cameroun. No wonder in 1996, the late General Sanni Abacha, the former head of state of Nigeria in Ouagadougou declared the new status of French as the nations second offici get your scholarships for high school students al language. French as a modern language is spoken, written and used like other modern languages of the world. Therefore for Nigerians to interact effectively with francophone countries locally or internationally, they should be able not only speak the language fluently but also be able to attend international seminars and conferences without much problem. According to Adekunle (1976), the language policy of every country should make provisions for the following areas of communication: Internal communication, international scientific or technical communication. French is one of the international languages most widely used in commerce, scientific and technological research, administration, education, literature etc. With the knowledge of French, Nigerians and Francophone countries will be able to work together in areas of science and technology. This however cannot be achieved if French teachers are not employed or if those employed are not encouraged to teach the language.