Environmental Print and the Development of L2 French Reading in Multilingual Senegal

Abstract

This article is derived from and expands upon research originally presented in the doctoral thesis “From Home to School: Bridging the Literacy Gap in L1 Wolof Child Learners of L2 French in Senegal” submitted by Moustapha Fall to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver (2014). It examines the critical role of home literacy and environmental print in early reading development and its implications for second language (L2) French acquisition in Senegalese schools. Prior research highlights that children’s early exposure to print-rich environments significantly shapes their reading readiness and long-term literacy success. However, the degree of such exposure varies widely across cultural contexts, with substantial effects on children’s familiarity with print and early alphabet knowledge. Drawing on a recent experimental study published in 2020, this paper investigates the linguistic and cognitive factors contributing to Senegalese students’ difficulties in reading French as an L2. The study, conducted with both schoolchildren and their parents, evaluates how early home reading practices and exposure to environmental print influence L2 reading development. Findings reveal that limited environmental print and inconsistent parental engagement in early literacy activities pose significant challenges to young learners’ reading comprehension in French. The article concludes by outlining the specific reading difficulties encountered by elementary students and emphasizing the need to consider environmental print as a foundational component of effective L2 reading instruction.