Representations and attitudes toward bilingual teaching: a survey on teachers and educational supervisors in Niamey.; [REPRÉSENTATIONS ET ATTITUDES FACE À L’ENSEIGNEMENT BILINGUE: UNE ENQUÊTE AUPRÈS DES ENSEIGNANTS ET DES ENCADREURS PÉDAGOGIQUES DE LA VILLE DE NIAMEY]

Based on the example of some schools in the city of Niamey (Niger), our research attempts to shed light on the new language policy that should enable the Nigerien authorities to extend French /national languages bilingual teaching within the education system of the country. Our study first traces back the history of bilingual education in Niger, and evokes the different reflections made on this topic. We then analyze the results of a field survey, in which we gathered information on the representations and attitudes of the main actors involved in the process of bilingual education (teachers and pedagogical supervisors) to explore the extent of their support, which is desirable for the success of the reform. The study revealed the low level of commitment of the actors involved in this educational initiative but also tried to identify the causes for these attitudes, and propose possible solutions. Our aim is to enlighten decision-makers by providing them with information grounded on reality, and thus enable them to make the necessary adjustments to make the current reform on bilingual education effective. © 2023 Fabrizio Serra Editore Srl. All rights reserved.