University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department of Linguistics, Fall 2014
Elementary Wolof I: AFST 241 & WLOF 201
Instructor: Mor Gueye
E-mail: gueye2@illinois.edu
Coordinator: Dr. Kristina Riedel
E-mail: kriedel@illinois.edu
Office: FLB 3045
Office hours: Room 4108, Foreign Language Building Wednesday 10-11:30 am (by appointment)
Class schedule: 1: 00 – 1: 50 pm, MW in FLB 1140, TR in FLB 1110, F in FLB 1046 (Laboratory)
Required text: (Electronic copies will be provided)
Diop, El Hadji Bamba. (2012). Aay naa ci Wolof. Peace Corps Senegal.
NB: The book is originally designed for intensive instruction. We will use about 7 (reviewed) chapters from it. Additional materials
for the other weeks will be provided by the instructor.
The original electronic copy can be accessed at:
https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Wolof/NEW_WOLOF_BOOK.pdf
Dictionaries:
1- Pamela Munro and Dieynaba Gaye, Ay Baati Wolof-A Wolof Dictionary,(revised edition). UCLA Occasional Papers in
Linguistics, Number 19. Los Angeles: UCLA Department of Linguistics, 1997. (electronic version available)
2- Sana Camara (2006). Wolof Lexicon and Grammar. Madison, Wisconsin: NALRC Press. [ISBN: 978-1-59703-012-0 (soft
cover)] /
Web materials:
1. Cultural talk: Senegal
http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/culturetalk/senegal/index.html
2. Langmedia: http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/collection/lm_senegal/sn_index.html
3. The 200 Word project (Boston University):
http://www.bu.edu/200word/
4. Michigan State University Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning:
http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/ria/
5. The Quizlet page for vocabulary learning and practice
http://quizlet.com/Mor_Gueye/folders/wolof-201-fall-2014
6. The Wolof class website on Publish Illinois
http://publish.illinois.edu/wolof201fall14/
NB: In the course of the semester additional materials will be designed in case of needs or for a better teaching/learning process.
Course description:
This is a four-skill Wolof course leading towards elementary proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, writing,
and cultural understanding. Students will be trained using the communicative teaching approach. From a general perspective, at the
end of this course, students will be able to communicate their basic needs in Wolof.
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Classroom procedures:
The teaching/learning process in this class will emphasize speaking, listening and communication rather than only book-based reading
and writing.
Consequently, it is indispensable that students attend class every day that we meet. Because students will be partly graded on their
daily participation, they are expected to attend every class, and be on time. Tardiness of more than 10 minutes is unacceptable and is
considered as an absence. After 3 unexcused absences, students lose 1% of their grade for every class they miss or late more than 10
minutes. The instructor is under no obligation to accept overdue homework assignments or test. In case the instructor accepts to take
students' late assignment based upon a non-medical or non-emergency justification, the student will lose 5 points for every day that the
assignment is late.
The classroom is the students' primary source of information and practice. Communication in the classroom will be primarily in
Wolof. However, to respond to some basic comprehensive needs, the use of English will be favored in certain contexts for a more
effective delivery of the material.
NB: Use of cell phones during class time is not allowed and can seriously affect overall grade.
Extra-curricular activities:
Movie nights (at least two and depending on the schedule of the LCTL Program)
Coffee hour at the YMCA: Both Wolof instructors will work to have a Senegal Coffee hour at the YMCA during the first semester if
the schedule permits. Students will be notified later. During the coffee hour, there is generally a presentation about the country on
focus and attendees will have a taste of the culinary culture of that country.
Students will get bonuses for attending language related extra-curricular activities such as tour of the African
Art Gallery at KAM, and screening of a Senegalese movie.
Each student will get 5% bonus: .5 or 1 % for each activity of the total of 5 attended.
Grading:
Attendance & Participation:
Tests:
Weekly assignments
Midterm Exam:
Oral Final Exam:
Online activities
Written final Exam
10%
20%
20%
15% [Oral 5, written 10]
10%
10%
15%
Grading scale
A+
97100
A
9396
A9092
B+
8789
B
8386
B8082
C+
7779
C
7476
C7073
D+
6769
D
6366
D6062
F+
Belo
w 60
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Ayubés 1 (Week 1): Na nga def?
August 25-29
Learning objectives:
It is expected that, by the end of this lesson, the students will be able to greet different people
appropriately in morning and afternoon times of the day, correctly use at least three phrases for
leave taking, introduce themselves briefly (name, origin)
Vocabulary
* Basic greetings
* Seasonal greetings
* Leave taking
In-class practice
* Greeting scenarios
* Role plays
* Short self-introductions
On the culture
* Importance and length
* Respect
* Body language
Grammar: --Ayubés 2: Na ngéén def?
Sept. 1-5 (NB: No class on 9/1)
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to read short Wolof texts with relative difficulty,
recognize and differentiate the different sounds of Wolof, put in written form a given spoken text,
reinforce their ability to greet appropriately in simple formal and informal contexts, and use
simple classroom expressions.
Vocabulary
* Formal vs. informal
* Seasonal greetings
* Leave taking (extended)
* Useful class expressions
In-class practice
* Greeting scenarios
* Practicing reading
* Writing for checking spelling
* Lab session: Listening and short
audio recording
On the culture
* Importance and length
* Eye contact
* Greetings as security items
* Some gendered contexts
Grammar: Conjugation of introductory verbs (focusing on NA and LA conjugations)
Graded bi-weekly assignment 1 (Due on Monday Sept. 8)
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Ayubés 3: Wonale (Introductions)
Sept. 8-12
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to introduce themselves (name, place of origin, and
place of residence), introduce at least one other person in the class, handle a decent short
conversation in Wolof and ask people about themselves.
Vocabulary
* Place of origin
* Place of residence
* Occupation
In-class practice
* Dialogues
* Extended personal introduction
* Introducing another person
* Simple picture description
*Lab activity
On the culture
* Passivity in greetings
* Family names
* Joking kinships
Grammar: Asking questions with (Nan, Fan, Kan), object emphasis pronoun, additional
conjugation.
Test 1: (Friday Sept. 12)
Ayubés 4: Sama waakër.
Sept. 15-19
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to talk about their nuclear family members (name,
origin, residence, age), count from 0 to 100, understand the difference in kinship terms
distribution between Wolof and the Western system for example.
Vocabulary
* Kinship terminology
* Family-related verbs
* Cardinal numbers (from 0
to 100)
In-class practice
* Guided writing with oral report
* Oral practice with written report
on somebody’s family
* Family tree drawing and oral
description
* Written description
* Lab activity: Describe and record
an extended presentation of your
family
On the culture
* Polygamy
* Family names
* Joking kinships
* Extended family
Grammar: Enunciative pronouns, simple negation, possessive pronouns (sama, sa, -am),
conjugation of the verb “am”, asking questions with Ñaata, Static verbs.
Graded bi-weekly assignment 2 (Due on Tuesday, Sept. 23)
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Ayubés 5: Kii kan la? Ñii ñan lañu?
Sept. 22-26
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to understand and answer to a YES/NO request, ask
(and make the difference between asking) about a person, a non-human being, a place,
Vocabulary
In-class practice
* Kii (about a person)
* Lii (a non-human being)
* Fii (referring to a place)
* Ndax (for Yes/No)
* Picture description
* Review basic family vocabulary
* Family description using Kii
* Dialogue using Yes/No question
frames
* Lab activity
On the culture
Grammar: Yes or No questions, Plural nouns, noun classes, Prolocatives, Imperative (-al,
léén), prepositions
Test 2: (Thursday Sept. 24)
Ayubés 6: Kañ nga juddu?
Sept. 29 – Oct. 3
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to count from 101 to 1000, to talk about their age
and when/where they were born, to use the ordinal numbers up to 30th, to present to the class a
detailed introduction of their respective family members (name, age, residence, origin, etc.),
know and effectively make use of days of the week and the calendar.
Vocabulary
* Days of the week
* Month of the year
(Gregorian calendar)
* Lu jiitu, ginnaaw, dippi
In-class practice
* Picture description
* Family description (elaborate)
* Classroom stand-on discussion
* Vocabulary game: (Using the verb
am to find the maximum common
connections with other members of
the group)
* Lab activity
On the culture
* Respecting elders and having
mercy to the children
* When do women dislike to be
teased on their age?
Grammar: time locutions (before, after, since). Complete possessives: sunu, séén, séén
Graded bi-weekly assignment 3 (Due on Tuesday, October 7)
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Ayubés 7: Lan ngay def ci bés bi?
Oct. 6-10
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to talk about their routine of a particular day, to
describe what their weekly/semester schedule is.
Vocabulary
In-class practice
* Schedule comparison
* Schedule description
* Amuma jot
* Am naa jot
* Yitté yi
* Waxtu (the time)
On the culture
* Perception of time
* Appearance and dress code
* Lab activity: Write and record the
complete schedule of a particular
day or event of your choice
(including details about time,
location, duration, etc.)
* Ñaata kalaas nga am ci bés bi/ci
semestar bi
Grammar: Lu ci ëpp, leeg-leeg, future tense, negative future.
Test 3: Thursday, Oct. 9.
Ayubés 8: Ci sama bésu-juddu
Oct. 13-17
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to describe what they usually do on their birthday
and what is specific about their celebration.
Vocabulary
* Review days of the week,
months of the year
(Gregorian calendar)
* Lu jiitu, ginnaaw
In-class practice
* Short writing practice in pairs
*Comparative descriptive and
exchange on birthday celebrations
* Describing one’s birthday
* Lab activity
On the culture
* Birthday celebration
* Age and responsibility
Grammar: Before and after, expressing opposing ideas.
Midterm exam: TBA
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Ayubés 9: Meññeef ak lujum.
Oct. 20-24
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to tell the fruits/vegetables they like and dislike,
and use them to talk about particular food preferences.
Vocabulary
In-class practice
On the culture
* Añ, reer, ndékki
* Names of fruits and
vegetables
* Names of three Senegalese
dishes
*Lii lan la? (with fruits & vegetables)
*Waaw wala déédéét?
* Bëgg naa … waaye Bëgguma …
*Lab activity
* Tropical fruits
* Meals of the day and their time
Grammar: DA form and the descriptive mode,
Graded bi-weekly assignment 4: (Due on Tuesday, Oct. 28)
Ayubés 10: Ñëwléén añ!
Oct. 27-31
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to pick one Senegalese and describe the cooking
process including the food items needed, the measurements, and the mode of preparation.
Vocabulary
* Senegalese dishes and
mode of preparation
* Names of utensils
* Specific verbs needed for
cooking
* Measurements (kiló, liitar,
doom, etc.)
*Adjectives describing taste
In-class practice
* Select a dish a describe the
ingredients and the mode of
preparation
- Lan nga bëgg togg?
- Lan nga soxla?
- Nan ngay togge ...?
*Lab activity
On the culture
*On seating positions while
eating
*Disciplining the children around
the bowl
*Accepting/rejecting food offered
Grammar: Review imperative mode.
Test 4: Thursday, Oct. 30.
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Ayubés 11: Nan la mel?
Nov. 3-7
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to recognize and describe the different colors of an
object, or in a picture, and talk about their color preferences.
Vocabulary
*Classroom objects
*Names of colors
In-class practice
* Object description with reference
to colors
* Lii wan melo la?
Lii, nan la mel?
Ndax lii dafa …?
* Xalima gu xonq
* Lab activity
On the culture
* Most men prefer blue and baxa
* Gendered meanings of colorful
dressing
Grammar: The relative pronoun and the use of the adjectival forms, review of the DA form.
Graded bi-weekly assignment 5: (Due on Tuesday, Nov. 11)
Ayubés 12: Collin ak Sañse ci Senegaalu tay
Nov. 10-14
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to describe somebody’s outfit with reference to
colors and the specific clothing items, and perform the Yuuza dance.
Vocabulary
*Clothing items
*Sañse
*Yaa ngi taal
In-class practice
* Describing articles of clothing with
reference to colors
* Discussion about Pinw fashion and
dances such as Yuuza
* Practicing Yuuza dance in class 
*Lab activity
On the culture
* Review gendered meanings of
colorful dressing
* Pinw fashion and dancing
trends among Senegalese urban
youth
*Complimenting on dress type
Grammar:
Test 5: Thursday, Nov. 13.
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Ayubés 13: Cëri yaram
Nov. 17-21
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to describe the human body and use accordingly the
vocabulary related to body parts, and perform the song Tànk-loxo-nopp effectively with
coordination to the body parts.
Vocabulary
In-class practice
* Song: Tànk-loxo-nopp
* Wan ma sa… (Show me your…)
* Ndax lii … la?
* Writing: Moor laal na …-am.
*Interaction: Ndax Moor …-am la
laal?
*Lab activity
*Body parts
On the culture
* On kids games and
socialization
Grammar: Review possessives
Ayubés 14: THANKSGIVING BREAK
Nov. 24-28
Ayubés 15: Seer na, wàññi ko!
Dec. 1-5
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, students will be able to use effectively the CFA currency to purchase in a
Senegalese market or store, and understand the culture behind bargaining.
Vocabulary
In-class practice
* Dërëm and the CFA
currency
* Review food items, colors,
and measures
* Role plays (customer/seller)
(Am) jaay ma … !
Ndax am nga … ?
On the culture
* Tricks on bargaining in
Senegalese markets
* The CFA currency
* Correspondence between the
counting systems and the CFA
currency
Grammar: Adjectives, Object pronouns (ma, la, ko, nu léén, léén)
Ayubés 16: Oral exams and review for finals
Dec. 8-10
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