From foreign to national: a review of the status of the French language in Gabon
This article provides a review of the various statuses of the French language in Gabon, a French-speaking country in Central Africa. It reveals a process in which different generations of Gabonese people are increasingly learning, and thus conceptualising, French as a second language rather than a foreign language. Furthermore, some are also learning and conceptualising French as a mother tongue or initial language, rather than a second language. This process of reconceptualisation has somehow been encouraged by the language policy of the colonial administration and the language policy since the attainment of independence, the latter being a continuation of the former. The final stage of this process is that the language has been adopted among the local languages within the Gabonese language landscape.
The reproduction of cultural aspects in dictionaries in French and the Gabonese Languages : contemplative article
La reproduction des aspects culturels dans les dictionnaires en francais et en langues gabonaises
La reproduction de la culture dans les dictionnaires constitue l'un des problemes fondamentaux des lexicographes aujourd'hui. Quelle est la nature des donnees culturelles dans les dictionnaires? Jusqu'a quel point les donnees culturelles doivent-elles etre transferees d'une langue a une autre? Comment ce transfert doit-il se faire? Cet article tente d'examiner la pertinence de la reproduction des aspects des cultures gabonaises dans les dictionnaires en francais et en langues gabonaises. L'un des principaux problemes rencontres par les redacteurs de ses dictionnaires etait le transfert et la traduction de certains aspects culturels. 
Pour discuter de la nature et du degre des informations culturelles dans les dictionnaires en langues gabonaises, cet article va se limiter aux points suivants: 
La traduction de differentes realites
Le role de la culture dans le changement du sens
Les dictionnaires et les activites culturelles
Les dictionnaires et la morale culturelle
Les dictionnaires et les registres de langue
Les dictionnaires et la maintenance de la culture
Les dictionnaires et la standardisation de la culture
Avant une discussion des points sus-mentionnes, une breve description des dictionnaires examines sera donnee. Apres une description de l'influence des contextes culturels dans le choix des ele-ments macrostructuraux ainsi que de leur traitement, les divergences culturelles entre langues-sources et langues-cibles dans les dictionnaires en langues gabonaises seront examines. L'article conclut par l'observation que la majorite des travaux lexicographiques existants tente de donner un apercu du lexique total de la langue. Le traitement lexicographique de certains mots est satisfaisant parce qu'il prend en compte la vision du monde sous-jacente des populations. Par exemple, dans cet article, les themes suivants sont pris en compte: habitudes alimentaires, sexualite, mythologie, pharmacopee traditionnelle, systeme de parente, hospitalite, et le respect de l'autorite traditionnelle et des aines. Cependant, pour etre utilisees de la maniere la plus efficace, ses publications lexicographiques meritent d'etre revisees.
The reproduction of culture in dictionaries constitutes one of the fundamental problems of lexicographers today. What is the nature of cultural data in dictionaries? To what extent should cultural aspects be transferred from one language to another? How should this transfer take place? This article attempts to discuss the relevance of the reproduction of Gabonese cultural aspects in dictionaries in French and the Gabonese languages. One of the main problems the compilers of these dictionaries encountered was the transfer and the translation of some cultural aspects. 
In order to discuss the nature and extent of cultural information in Gabonese dictionaries, this article will restrict itself to the following points: 
The translation of different realities
The role of culture in the change of meaning
Dictionaries and cultural activities
Dictionaries and cultural ethics
Dictionaries and language registers
Dictionaries and culture maintenance
Dictionaries and the standardization of culture. 
Prior to a discussion of the above-mentioned points, a brief description of the dictionaries investigated will be given. After a description of the influence of cultural contexts on lexicographers in the choice of macrostructural elements and their treatment, cultural differences between source and target languages in the dictionaries of Gabonese languages are discussed. The article concludes with the observation that the majority of existing lexicographic works tend to survey the full vocabulary of the language. The lexicographic treatment of some words is satisfactory because an account of the underlying worldview of the people is given. For example, in this article, the following themes are considered: dietary practices, sexuality, mythology, traditional pharmacopoeia, the kinship system, hospitality, and respect for traditional authority and elders. However, to be used in the most efficient way, these lexicographic publications need to be revised.
World Bibliographical Series
Considers the World Bibliographical Series. Outlines the history and aims and objectives of the series, and the ways in which the volumes differ in terms of size and bibliographic content. Identifies set sections for the volumes for all countries and the possibilities for incorporating other areas to convey a country′s essential flavour and unique characteristics. Points out that volumes do not cover single countries only, but also other geographical areas. Includes an introduction to the companion International Organizations Series .