15895: Vedrine: Re: 15875: Allouard: Re: 15847: Dorce: Re: 15811: Magloire:School to be taught in French (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: E Vedrine <evedrine@hotmail.com>


Corbetters,
Here are some quotes (worth of reading) for the subject:


[“The debate on Kreyòl and French today would not be the same twenty years
ago.  “Haiti is a French-speaking country” is a linguistic mistake that I
always underline whenever I can see it.  The native language, Kreyòl, has
always played important role in Haitian society: it is the backbone of our
culture and the trademark of our ethnicity.  It is clear, The Constitution
of 1987 stipulates only one language unites all Haitians - it is the Kreyòl
language. The same Constitution recognizes Kreyòl as another official
language on par with French.  The linguistic situation of Haiti has been (up
to now) a diglossia where French or Kreyòl can be looked at as a dominant
language in some cases.  For instance, most of the official documents,
including Teaching materials, are still written in French.  There is a need
to render them in Kreyòl.  There have also been a great number of Teaching
materials in Kreyòl (from the last twenty years) covering the elementary and
middle school cycles.  And now, there are also Haitian researchers and
educators in the Diaspora who are developing materials for Haitian Bilingual
Programs (elementary, middle and secondary level).  Despite all these types
of activities, the real change remains in the hands of the Haitian
government - not only to build free schools throughout the country, but also
to promote teaching and literacy programs in the Kreyòl language first and
try to work toward a solid bilingual program.  The day this dream becomes a
reality - when all children in Haiti will be able to attend schools freely,
to learn how to read and write in their native language, and to master it
before learning a second language,  education will be a great step in the
development of the country and of the genuine movement for school reform
sought by many conscious Haitians”.

-- E.W.Vedrine
Editor-in-Chief,
E.W.Vedrine Creole Project

«Nou menm Ayisyen, nou gen tout enterè pou nou soutni lang kreyòl la. Se nou
menm ki premye nan kontinan amerik la ki kreye kreyòl kòm lang ofisyèl nou
epi gen plis moun ki sèvi ak lang kreyòl la nan lekòl ak nan tout lòt
aktivite. Konsa, plis Ayiti ak Ayisyen ap fè pwogrè nan lang kreyòl, se plis
n ap bay lòt pèp kreyòl yo jarèt pou kanpe dyanm»

(We Haitians have every reason to support the Kreyòl language. We are the
first on the American continent to make Kreyòl our official language and
there are more people who use the Kreyòl language in school and in all
activities. That way, the more Haiti and Haitians are progressing in Kreyòl,
the more we are pushing other Creolophone nations to stand firmly.)

-- Michel-Ange Hyppolite


“Since 1804, the ruling elite has been trying to mold Haitians into
Frenchmen, and the policy has not worked. It’s as simple as that. One has to
be practical and realistic, and realize that Haitian Creole is the language
of Haiti’s future… People discuss philosophy in Haitian Creole; they learn
anatomy in the language. And do not think Haitian Creole is a popular idiom
whose vocabulary is limited to 3 to 4 thousand words. This is not so. The
range of usage is amazing, and once you study the literature and work
intimately with the language you begin to realize its amazing diversity…”

-- Bryant C. Freeman.


«Sèl lang ki simante tout Ayisyen ansanm, se lang kreyòl»
(Only one language unites all Haitians - it is the Creole language.)

-- The Haitian Constitution (1987)]


Courtesy of
E.W.Vedrine Creole Project