What language do they speak in Timor?
First of all, this is an extremely loaded question. Be careful with the language issue in relation to Timor, it can get you in real hot water! The lingua franca of Timor is Tetum (yes, it is officially spelled with an “m” at the end). The other official language of the country is Portuguese. The Portuguese presence in Timor lasted over 450 years. The vast majority of Timorese cannot converse or read in Portuguese. School children — and their teachers — are currently learning, although there is a severe lack of books in the country. Although Indonesian is the language that today’s young adults were educated in, the political elite considers the language unimportant to Timor’s future development. English is widely spoken after a number of UN missions. Timor has over a dozen local languages that remain mother tongues. Bottom line: the Timorese are accomplished polyglots.
