15827: Lafond: RE: 15826: Allouard: Re: 15813: Ventres: French to be taught in Pam Beach County (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "Lafond, Jean-Ronald" <LAFONDJ@MAIL.ECU.EDU>

 I have not written before but have followed these discussions with
interest. I feel compelled to support the excellent statements by Phillipe
Allouard.

The idea of severing all links to slavery is one often preached by those who
feel they are helping the young to have greater pride in their culture. It
is an ideological error. To suggest that Haitian children should be taught
in Creole only, is the equivalent of suggesting that American inner-city
children, most of whom are black, should be taught in Ebonics (sp?) because
it is the "dialect" they understand best. (I do not want to confuse the
issue by suggesting that Creole is a dialect--that is another argument
altogether, though somewhat relevant).

Haitian children, like the American equivalent mentioned above, must be made
to have access to "at least" one mainstream language. This provides them an
outlet to the rest of the world, rather than be confined to the island
linguistically. In fact, Haitian culture and history is not bound by French.
If we take the example that the Louisiana Purchase is a direct consequence
of the Haitian Revolution, then we will understand that much of that history
is tied to to the U.S. Remember that the slave trade had a triangular route
Africa-Louisiana-Caribbean.

In short, we should not reduce the linguistic scope of Haitians, but rather
capitalize on the fact that the young Haitian child is conditioned to be a
poliglot, by the early exposure to two languages, and close proximity to
Spanish America which adds a 3rd languages and the availability of English
adding yet a fourth. Most Haitians in the diaspora who were educated in
Haiti become proficient in several languages. This is an asset to be
encourage in the homeland, not discouraged.

Thank you for this Forum.

Jean-Ronald LaFond.