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#1192: Laleau replies to both DeGraff and Corbett: (fwd)
From:NLaleau@aol.com
Dear Bob, Michel, et al --
I haven't been following this debate (again) with very great scrutiny because
I think we already beat it to death -- but -- for what it's worth, here is
another opinion.
If Haiti's economy ever reaches the poverty level (instead of "misery"), I
doubt very much that it will be difficult for majority-class Haitians to
learn English quickly.
My reasoning?
(a) I've lived for some lengths of time in a number of other countries and
cultures and been exposed to people from many social levels in those
countries. I've also been a teacher. At the risk of generalizing, I think
there are certain personal and cultural traits that facilitate the learning
of a second language -- namely, extraversion (willingness to extend oneself
and engage with the Other), curiosity about what is new, and creativity in
combining elements at hand to meet perceived needs. I have never been in a
country as poor as Haiti, or also encountered such thriving curiosity and
creativity in another country as I find in Haiti. I also don't think that
Haitians will NECESSARILY abandon Kreyol if they learn English. I think they
will use both with great facility. Perhaps a similar example from Haiti's
culture is the ease with which vodun adapts religious iconography and
incorporates it into local practices.
(b) Although I haven't done strict research on language learning among
Haitian Kreyol speakers in the US or anywhere else, I have noticed that
Haitians seem quite adept at learning English once they arrive in the US --
my own stepchildren picked it up in a matter of months. Granted, they were
hearing it in the home for a couple of years before arriving in the US, but
they didn't speak it at home until they began going to school in New York
City, and then, if my memory serves me, they lost NO time in becoming fluent.
(On the other hand, one of their older aunts was in the US for 12 years and
never learned English -- she didn't need or want to -- and perhaps prided
herself on working for French-speaking people.)
I don't think there are any internal obstacles to the masses of Haitians
learning English (and Spanish or whatever else) and also keeping Kreyol. I
think it is simply an economic question. If they had systematic access to
technical education , I also suspect Haitians would become quickly fluent in
computer languages and develop software and hardware that could rival what
comes out of Seattle, too. In other words -- I don't think Haitians are
limited by "mind-set" to use only what is currently available to them, but
are rather very gifted and talented people in disguise -- disguised only by
the color of their skin and their monetary poverty, and by the blinders in
the eyes of those who don't want to see. And I think computer education
should be introduced at a very early age in all schools -- once schools are
built and staffed. There is no need for Haiti to re-invent the wheel and
climb the international economic pyramid painful block by block from the
bottom, or remain forever at the bottom. (In fact, if the "pyramid" to which
Haitian slaves contributed with their labor was ever taken off their backs by
those who control access to financial resources, we would not have to be
having discussions about Kreyol/English/French... the Haitian people would
have already astounded us with their speed and versatility.
Sincerely,
Nancy Laleau
Sincerely,
Nancy Laleau