Wolof

Wolof is spoken by over 80% of the population of Senegal and is also spoken in The Gambia and Mauritania. It is the language of the Wolof people and is one of the principal languages of Africa. Wolof has no tone and does not conjugate its verbs. It is written in Latin script. Although French is the official language, Wolof is spoken much more widely and is the language of business, popular culture and everyday life. Studying Wolof also opens up opportunities to engage with the arts in West Africa. Dak'Art (photo below) is one of the largest art shows of contemporary African art and is hosted in Senegal. Senegal is also the home of some of the giants of African literary and cinematographic art, including greats such as Sembene Ousmane.

At UIUC we offer Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Wolof classes. FLAS Fellowships are available for studying Wolof and Wolof can be the language focus of a minor in Sub-Saharan African languages. University of Illinois students can also complete an undergradute minor in Sub-Saharan African Languages. For information on Wolof courses contact Dr. Mary Gathogo.

Wolof course offerings in Summer 2024 include

• • WLOF 201: Elementary Wolof I

  • WLOF 202: Elementary Wolof II

  • WLOF 403: Intermediate Wolof I

  • WLOF 404: Intermediate Wolof II