GINNY SILVA Second secretary at the British High Commission

“Congratulations on the first anniversary of the outlook supplement. I read it regularly and find it both interesting and useful. I was surprised when I arrived in Mauritius two years ago to find how little English was used in the media. I am pleased you are making the effort to provide news stories in English for your readers. I think this is not only helpful to expatriates who may not read French but also to Mauritians who want to keep practising their English skills.”

SIR VICTOR GLOVER President of the English Speaking Union

“I think the newspaper is quite good. The fact that it is part of l’express presents both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, the fact that it is the supplement of a well-read and renowned newspaper gives no room for any competitor. On the other hand, I believe that becoming a real newspaper should benefit it somehow. However, items are chosen in a fairly scientific manner. The language is ‘easy-to-read’ and it constitutes a great contribution to English. When it was first published, I was surprised to see that people at the ESU and elsewhere didn’t need to be encouraged or forced to read outlook. It was natural. So carry on and let’s hope we’ll celebrate the fifth or tenth anniversary of l’express-outlook!”

ROUKAYA KASENALLY Lecturer and Head of School of Media and Communication University of Mauritius

“The initiative taken by l’express of launching a weekly English supplement deserves congratulations. For far too long, the Mauritian print media has been dominated by the French language and the presence of l’express-outlook is indicative of the beginning of a shift in mentality towards English as an inevitable global linguistic force. A year is a short time and real impact on readers’ habits is gauged over time. However, the ‘value’ of a newspaper is judged according to its ability to be innovative, accessible and engaging towards its readers - factors that l’express-outlook possesses to a certain extent – but it should work at making them the hallmark of the paper.”

VINESH Y. HOOKOOMSING Pro Vice-Chancellor University of Mauritius

“I enjoy reading l’express-outlook. It’s very reader-friendly. The lay-out is attractive, the articles are not too long, and the style is light and lively. Such an English supplement was of course necessary but I would say not exclusively. The winning media language formula is a combination of French and English with, in between, a mix of grafi-larmoni Creole! I’m sure students do read outlook! It’s good for their language needs, and it’s also a nice shortcut to the main local and international news of the week. But I believe your readership extends to professionals, tourists, travellers, foreign workers and anybody who needs to keep in touch with English and the world. If you could add music and arts, IT and leisure as regular features, outlook would look even better!”

DHARAMJEET BUCKTOWAR Vice-President Toastmasters Club

“It has been a pleasure contributing short articles on public speaking in the columns of outlook – the English supplement of l’express. Outlook has been not only educative but also informative on local and foreign news. Furthermore it has opened its doors to encourage readers to become regular writers. We, at Toastmasters, wish the team responsible for the weekly issues further success and congratulations for maintaining an excellent standard for this first year.”

IDA COOMBES Head of International Preparatory School

“I believe l’express-outlook is a great innovation. It opened up a market and allowed it to become more global by thinking about foreign expatriates. English is supposed to be the official language in Mauritius but the great majority of newspapers have always been in French. Moreover, the articles are very serious ones and people find them interesting. So I really think this was a wonderful idea. Keep it upÉ and maybe we’ll soon have it everyday?”

ROSALIND BURFORD Director of the British Council in Mauritius

“The Tuesday outlook supplement is an excellent initiative on the part of l’express. Congratulations on your first anniversary! The supplement has a wide variety of articles and an attractive presentation – I enjoy reading it. Outlook helps people like myself to become familiar with diverse aspects of Mauritius and its people. However, since there is only one weekly English-language newspaper here and the media carries so little in English, there is an argument for addressing a wider audience. Why not attract more Mauritians to the pages of outlook? Perhaps this is a development to consider as the outlook team embarks upon its second year of publication. Good luck!”

MARJORIE HARRISON Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy

“I was very glad to see l’express outlook come out one year ago and I’m glad to see it every Tuesday. I think there should be more of them. I often wonder about the curious situation wherby English is the official language in Mauritius but all official declarations from the government are published in French. So I think an English supplement was greatly needed for all English-speaking residents. Some of them understand French and can read newspapers but it is much easier for them to keep in touch with news if they are in English.”

MAHBOOB S. SOHAWON English teacher and deputy head of Islamic College

“An English newspaper is a ‘must’ because there has always been a lack. I think you should continue the supplement formula for a few more months before starting to make something bigger and more complete. One of the strengths of the newspaper is that it is not too bulky and shouldn’t become so to remain attractive as it is still quite new. At school, we use this newspaper to arouse pupils’ interest in local news. We also use it to make all pupils read the English language. For Form V and Form VI students, the GP corner is really interesting. Teachers use it as a support when they study a specific topic.