Editing Rwanda (section)

===Languages===
{{main|Languages of Rwanda}}
The country's principal and national language is [[Kinyarwanda]], which is virtually spoken by the entire country (98%).<ref name=BC/> The major European languages during the colonial era were [[German language|German]], though it was never taught or widely used, and then [[French language|French]], which was introduced by Belgium from 1916 and remained an official and widely spoken language after independence in 1962.{{sfn|Université Laval|2010}} [[Dutch language|Dutch]] was spoken as well. The return of English-speaking Rwandan refugees in the 1990s{{sfn|Université Laval|2010}} added a new dimension to the country's language policy,{{sfn|Samuelson|Freedman|2010}} and the repositioning of Rwanda as a member of the [[East African Community]] has since increased the importance of English; the medium of education was switched from French to English in 2008.<ref name=BC/> Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Swahili are all official languages.<ref>{{cite web |date=2019-05-28 |title=No, Rwanda hasn't dropped French as an official language |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/no-rwanda-hasnt-dropped-french-official-language |access-date=2021-03-08 |website=Fact Check |archive-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018045251/https://factcheck.afp.com/no-rwanda-hasnt-dropped-french-official-language |url-status=live}}</ref> Kinyarwanda is the national language while English is the primary medium of instruction in secondary and tertiary education. [[Swahili language|Swahili]], the [[lingua franca]] of the [[East African Community]],{{sfn|Tabaro|2015}} is also spoken by some as a second language, particularly returned refugees from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and those who live along the border with the DRC.{{sfn|Stanford University Swahili Department}} In 2015, Swahili was introduced as a mandatory subject in secondary schools.{{sfn|Tabaro|2015}} Inhabitants of Rwanda's [[Nkombo Island]] speak [[Shi language|Mashi]], a language closely related to Kinyarwanda.{{sfn|Nakayima|2010}}

French was spoken by slightly under 6% of the population according to the 2012 census and the ''[[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]]''.<ref>[https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Rapport-La-langue-francaise-dans-le-monde_VF-2022.pdf La langue française dans le monde] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105190302/https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Rapport-La-langue-francaise-dans-le-monde_VF-2022.pdf |date=5 January 2023}} (2022)</ref>
English was reported to be spoken by 15% of the population in 2009, though the same report found the proportion of French-speakers to be 68%.<ref name=BC>{{Cite web |url=https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/Euromonitor%20Report%20A4.pdf |title=The Benefits of the English Language for Individuals and Societies: Quantitative Indicators from Cameroon, Nigeria, Rwanda, Bangladesh and Pakistan |access-date=7 January 2023 |archive-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309070332/https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/Euromonitor%20Report%20A4.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
Swahili is spoken by fewer than 1%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/RW/languages |title=''Ethnologue'' report for Rwanda |access-date=7 January 2023 |archive-date=7 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107012830/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/RW/languages |url-status=live}}</ref>