Languages ​​of Guinea-Bissau

The language situation in Guinea-Bissau is similar to that of many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: More and more people are giving up their own West African language in favor of the former colonial language - which became the official language of the independent republic.

There are a total of 18 national languages in Guinea-Bissau . Each ethnic group in the country has its own language, which is also the mother tongue of its members. Most of the regional languages ​​are West Atlantic languages . Several Mandes languages are also local languages. Overall, about 87.6% of the population speak West Atlantic languages ​​and 12.4% Mande languages.

However, the only official language in the country is Portuguese . Since the official language is Portuguese and school lessons are exclusively in Portuguese, more and more residents are proficient in it as their mother tongue. Around 14 percent of the population now speak standard Portuguese. According to the last census of 2009, Portuguese is spoken by 27.1% of the total country's population (46.3% in urban areas and 14.7% in rural areas). The literacy rate is around 45 percent. Schools are taught in Portuguese across the country, although the vast majority of children do not speak this language at home. French is also taught in schools as the country is surrounded by Francophone countries and is a full member of both Francophonie and the CPLP ( Lusophonie ).

There is a Creole language based on Portuguese , the Guinabissau Creole , which is officially recognized as a regional language; the language has recently been gaining popularity among the population and is increasingly being used as a mother tongue. The guineabissauische Creole is also the lingua franca and is influenced by the languages of the different ethnic groups. The popular Portuguese-based Creole language is now spoken by around 60 percent of the population. Up until now it has been very difficult to make Creole the language of instruction, as the written form was only recently developed and there are hardly any teaching materials available in this language.

Languages ​​and Dissemination

Voter education poster in Guinea-Bissau Creole for the 2008 general election, Biombo region

In 1988 the languages ​​of Guinea-Bissau had the following speakers:

Creole languages

• Guinea-Bissau Creole

West Atlantic languages

• Balante , 254,000
• Fulani , 169,000
• Mandjak , 118,000
• Pepel , 59,000
• Mankanja , 25,000
• Biafada , 18,000
• Padjadinka , 12,000
• Bidyogo , 16,000
• Diola , 15,000
• Mansonka , 9,000
• Bayot , 5,000
• Nalu , 5,000
• Kasanga , 400
• Kobiana , 300

Mandes languages

• Maninka , 96,000
• Soninke , 2,000
• Susu , 2,000
• Djakanka

literature

• Incanha Intumbo: Estudo comparativo da morfossintaxe do crioulo guineense, do balanta e do português ( Étude comparative de la morphosyntaxe du créole guinéen, du balante et du portugais ), Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Coimbra, 2007. ( Languages ​​Guinea-Bissaus ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Etoal Mendes: experiencias de ensino Bilingue em Bubaque, Guiné-Bissau. Línguas e saberes locais na educação escolar. (Page 62 of the PDF file 11.3 MB; Portuguese)
2. ↑ Incanha Intumbo: Estudo comparativo since morfossintaxe do crioulo guineense, do Balanta e português do. 2007, p. 5