Tag: creole

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Kreyol or French: Communication in Haiti is more than a language issue.

haitianparents

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw Growing up, I used to hear my Dad say often to some people: “Sa’m di ou fè a, sé pa li ou fè” (You did not do what I told you to do). What if Haitians did not have a language problem? What if the real problem was communication? Many people thought that the inability for the general population to speak French instead of Kreyol was an handicap to the development of the country. They started to push kreyol into classrooms and … Continue reading Kreyol or French: Communication in Haiti is more than a language issue.

EducationLeave a comment

How many languages should we teach a child to succeed in 2035?

haitianparents

Among bilingual parents, the dilemma over how many languages to teach their children is more pronounced nowadays. Some parents think that speaking English is enough and will help children make friends faster in school or daycare. Other parents think that having a child learn a second language will provide them a competitive edge later on in life. Before we move on, we need to explain the term bilingual. The Census Bureau states that about 20% of Americans are bilingual. That number represents only the people who speak another language at home and does not include anyone who has learned to … Continue reading How many languages should we teach a child to succeed in 2035?