2689: Adieu to Dr. Pradel POMPILUS (one of Haiti's top scholars): Delimon comments (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Florence Delimon <fdd7929@garnet.acns.fsu.edu>

I had a shock when I read about Dr. Pradel Pompilus' departure - I almost
wrote "early departure" - this morning through corbettland listserv.  I
supposed this should not come as a surprise to me (Dr. Pompilus being old
enough), but to me he was ageless.

I was his student at the Ecole Normale Supérieure during 1980 - 1983.

Mr. Canal has really captured Dr. Pompilus' demeanor as a teacher and an
intellectual guide, for this is also how I remember him.  From him, I
learned all the basic foundations and methods in linguistics, that are still
keeping me in good stead in my graduate studies here in the United States.
Thanks to him, I developed a great respect and love for Haitian Creole, for
the richness and depth, imagery and savor of the language.  I will agree
with Mr. Canal on his comment regarding Dr. Pompilus not favoring French
above Creole in his teaching.  He taught us how we could use one to teach
the other, making ourselves, and later our students, aware of how we would
slide from the structure of one language to another, and how to learn to pay
attention to this, and better understand and master both languages.

These are still techniques that I use for myself, and in my teaching.  These
are lessons that still infuse and guide my on-going interest in learning
about Haitian Creole and French language teaching.  I have learned them from
Dr. Pradel Pompilus.

I did not mean to be so personal at the outset, but I could not stay silent.
I needed to express the very deep respect that I have always felt for Dr.
Pompilus, and state that he is the epitome of a teacher and intellectual in
pursuit of knowledge and understanding of his own milieu that we need to
model, and emulate - in a positive way.

Dr. Pradel Pompilus, I will miss you.

Florence Délimon