ThePoliticsOfLanguageInTimorLeste

After Timor-Leste declared its independence, the government faced the tough decision of deciding which of the many languages spoken in this tiny country would be the "official" one actually taught in the schools. There are many regional languages including the ancient trading language of Tetun (spoken mainly in Dili, the capital city). There is Portuguese - spoken mainly by the older people who lived through the Portuguese occupation almost 25 years ago and internationally spoken only in Portugal and Brazil. There is Indonesian, the one language spoken by everyone in the country because the recent 20 year rule by the ruthless Indonesian army made survival contingent on learning the language. Then there is English, which very few people in Timor-Leste speak, although it is the international business language and the major contibutor to the charity work in the country is the English speaking Australia. The Decision!!! (Drumroll) Portuguese! An amazing decision, especially considering that the teachers have to take language lessons in their spare time to learn the language so that they can then teach lessons in Portuguese to the students who are also learning the language. The almost 1000 books written in English (photo of sample below) kindly donated by the Australian Rotary Club to the school where we are working may wait to be read, since everyone is currently speaking Indonesian and Tetun and learning Portuguese. For now, English is low on the list.