by In Congo and Cameroon, they speak many native languages called “les patois” (pat-wah) in addition to French.
What are the different patois?
The most common patois in Congo are Lingala spoken mainly in Brazzaville in the Brazzaville Zone, Lari spoken mainly in Southern Brazzaville in the Makelekele Zone, Kituba spoken mainly in the Pointe-Noire Zone and in Dolisie. In Cameroon, they literally speak hundreds of patois and there is so much tribal blending in the cities that there is no specific patois in each region. In Gabon, many people speak a language called Fang. Learn more about Gabon in this article.
Why should you learn the patois?
This is an important question. Why learn a local language when you already have to learn French? Learning a few words and phrases in the patois where you serve helps you have a stronger connection with members and people you serve in that area. It will make the members smile and sometimes help the people be more attentive to your message if you took the time to learn some words in their patois. A missionary who is a huge inspiration for this is Elder Colby who always made it a point to learn some phrases in the patois of where he served and to speak it with the members and the investigators to make them laugh and to be closer with them. He helped many people join the Church because of that stronger connection with them and the members. You can do it too.
