Reading the article that I refered to in my last blog caused me to think of my beautiful Creole language.
Ay ay. But meh boy getting well grown up.
Ay ay, but like ah forget meh pen.
Ay ay, like you going somewhere. Who yuh ask?
See how many times we can use "ay ay" (as in day) and it means so many different things? And the difference lies simply in the intonation of the voice. The first one of course you stretch out the ay. The second is short and sharp and the third goes high then low, this is the one used by parents a lot. That's Trinidad creole the best language in the world, at least that's my view.
Ever listen to television reports as they interview the protesters, or eyewitnesses? Rich, thick description that makes you feel as if you were there. And how about when one creole word replaces two standard English words? For example, Yuh going tuh town? means Are you going into town? Yuh = Are you. How then can we get the children to form the bridge between their core language and the language of exams – Standard English?
A teacher once told me that foreign language teachers no longer use students' errors to teach. You know how we take the errors and then show them what they wrote against what they should have written? She says it's more productive to simply translate on the board in the Standard English what they say in Creole eventually they will begin to make the connection. I guess in this way, we use their own language to teach them and not make them feel as if it is offensive. Any other ideas?
Love your post. I have one beef though; I don't like to refer to the use of the creole as an error.We need to let our student's know that the use of creole has its place and should not be used when writing Standard English for examination purposes etc. If the creole is used correctly, the meaning of the writer is still conveyed by examining the context even if the audience has never heard the word. Is true, Trinidad creole sweet, oui.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, we were always told 'speak properly', or 'you embarrassing me' when we spoke our dialect. As a child , I spoke very little when we had company for fear of being an 'embarrassment'I remember one of my siblings even commenting that as an English teacher, she was shocked to hear me speak in dialect. According to my setting ,I speak or send texts or emails using either Standard English or
ReplyDeleteAt he beginning of every academic year I remind my students that they have already mastered our dialect and that they do it so beautifully. I also remind them that our purpose here is to learn Standard English since it is a global language plus it is their ability to use it effectively would ensure success at CXCs.
Like your other colleague , I do not refer to it as errors but ask how the same thing can be said in Standard English.
I have always wondered how we could say "lime" in Standard English and capture the essence of the word as used in dialect? I love my dialect!