8087: Re: 8074: Language Question from Darian Arky (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Clayton Stockdale <cdstockdale@worldnet.att.net>

Hello Darian,

Writing as a high school French speaker who went to Haiti:  I understood a
lot of single words, but I could not follow conversations!!  It was one of
the hardest parts of the whole culture shock thing for me, because I tried
so hard to understand, but knew nothing of Kreyol.  I am picking it up
fairly quickly now that I have had some exposure and use in practical terms.
So it would be to your advantage to learn a little Kreyol before you go, and
to speak it with someone who knows it if possible.  Also, learn the
phonetics, so whne you see written Kreyol, you can pronounce it, and
understand the words which have a French origin.  I found that I often knew
a word which I didn't recognize by sight, if I pronounced it.

Deb S.