Portuguese, also called Português or Língua Portuguesa, is used throughout formal public life. It is the language of instruction from the 1st to the 12th class, administration, employment, higher education, official documents and most formal communication. In the 2012 census, 98.4% of respondents reported Portuguese use. The preliminary 2024 census release does not include a language table, so it does not support a newer national prevalence figure. São Tomé and Príncipe also has Forro or Fôrro, Angolar, Lunguié or Lunguê and Cabo-verdiano. These community languages support family communication, social identity and cultural heritage, but their learning is mainly informal. There is no verified national course, standard orthography, regular curriculum or examination system for these languages. Lunguié has particular local relevance on Príncipe. The 2012 census recorded self-reported use of Fôrro at 36.2%, Cabo-verdiano at 8.5%, Angolar at 6.6% and Lunguié at about 1%. These figures describe that census and should not be treated as current measurements. The school curriculum provides structured foreign-language learning. French is taught from the 5th to the 12th class, English in lower and upper secondary education, and Spanish in the 10th to the 12th class. English is also relevant to international contacts and tourism, while French has a broad place in secondary education and university study. Spanish has a more limited role in the upper secondary curriculum. German is available in a specific USTP study combination rather than as a broadly documented national option. The Universidade de São Tomé e Príncipe (USTP) has a Department of Languages with four-year Licenciatura programmes in Portuguese, French, English, and English and German. These programmes carry 270 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits. Admission usually requires completion of the 12th class or an equivalent qualification, together with course-specific subject requirements; some courses may provide an ano zero option. Only accredited programmes have legal recognition. Camões – Centro de Língua Portuguesa at USTP provides Portuguese and cultural activities, teacher training, learning advice, reading support and information-technology or audio resources. The Camões Centro Cultural Português in São Tomé and its Polo Príncipe also organize cultural and linguistic activities. Current local course calendars, supervised-course prices and private-provider fees are not verified, so freely downloadable material should not be confused with a free taught course. Portuguese assessment materials from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences include written and oral evaluation frameworks for the 7th to the 12th class. CAPLE, the Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira, offers Portuguese examinations from A1 to C2 for foreign citizens through an international network of authorized centres. A specific CAPLE centre, examination date or price in São Tomé and Príncipe is not verified. No standardized local certification for Forro, Angolar, Lunguié or Cabo-verdiano is documented. The MEES repository provides school materials for Portuguese from the 1st to the 12th class, English materials for the 7th to the 12th class, assessment frameworks, teacher-training resources and materials for deaf learners, including a Manual de Português para Surdos and a dictionary of the São Tomé and Príncipe sign language. Distance learning is legally available as a complementary, supplementary or alternative form, including for recurring education, higher education and continuing teacher training. No official local language-learning app, learning-management system or fixed live online course schedule is documented. Portuguese remains the most useful language for formal communication, government procedures, school, university, documents and most formal workplaces. Forro, Angolar, Lunguié and Cabo-verdiano may be more useful for particular families or communities. English and French can support education, tourism and international contacts, but no local workplace language-test system is verified. A learner should therefore match the language and provider to the intended use, the recognition needed and the available evidence of a current course or examination place.
Languages in São Tomé and Príncipe
Portuguese is the official language of São Tomé and Príncipe and the main language of administration, schooling, work and public documents. Language learning also includes French, English and Spanish in the school system and higher education, while Forro, Angolar, Lunguié and Cabo-verdiano remain significant for community, identity and heritage use. Formal learning options are established for Portuguese and foreign languages, but learning local creole languages is mainly informal. The practical choice depends on whether the goal is school or university study, formal communication, international contact or community use.
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