i seriously think gunner wrote this!!!!!!!!


After paying a ransom of $23 billion, what more does Haiti owe the French? Haitians were Africans enslaved by France, so there should be no real sentimental attachment to the French language, right? So would we not be the wiser to have the English language incorporated just as much in Haitian public life as the French language? Especially given our close proximity of about 60 miles from the United States, a real world power, as opposed to 5,000 miles from France, a traditional world power?


Firstly, I believe Creole should be the only national language of Haiti. It’s a living language, ever-evolving, and is spoken by every Haitian. It should be studied, perfected and understood as a language rather than a dialect.

That's in my perfect world. But in the real world, Creole is not the only national language in Haiti, French is also a national language and it has been a language used to divide Haitians in terms of class or perceived intelligence.

Furthermore we’ve begun to realize that French has not helped us reach out to the greater world; case and point, the Haitian Center for the Facilitation of Investments has decided to make English its primary language. Also, most of the developed world speaks English before it speaks French... except for France. Even Canada seems to be making a shift.




http://defend.ht/columns/posts/the-editors-blog/3131-english-as-a-national-language-of-haiti

NegNwe - 24 June 2012 02:31 PM

Why do you think Gunner wrote this? Even though it promotes English as a national language as Gunner does, the writer shows respect for Haitian Creole, a language that Gunner has repeatedly shown nothing but contempt for.

Come to think of it, I don't really think Gunner even speaks Creole. He sure as hell never attempts to write it. This is not Gunner's writing.

I agree....NO GUNNER anywhere in that article.

NegNwe - 24 June 2012 02:31 PM

Why do you think Gunner wrote this? Even though it promotes English as a national language as Gunner does, the writer shows respect for Haitian Creole, a language that Gunner has repeatedly shown nothing but contempt for.

Come to think of it, I don't really think Gunner even speaks Creole. He sure as hell never attempts to write it. This is not Gunner's writing.

No interest in writing Kreyol. Zero.

But that's holding with Haitian tradition, it's only the young and naive that think the endeavor is worth the paper it's written on.

Perfect your English and quit with the written Kreyol nonsense already.

Perhaps you can get Jessie and the Ebonics crowd to join in your effort.

French is a waste of time as well in this hemisphere.

And very quickly losing its influence in Europe and the world.

Just look around; China is requiring English and German, Rwanda is 100% English having dropped French, and the list goes on and on.

NegNwe - 24 June 2012 05:03 PM

Great! So one way of keeping you out of conversations is simply to hold them in Creole or French.

Yes, but if you would put that doobie down, and sit up in the lazy boy chair, you would realize I never stated I couldn't read it.

Good God. If science needs a "test study" of the negative affects of smoking marijuana, Haitix has the guinea pig for you!

Rachel - 24 June 2012 07:32 PM

Mezanmi, sa vle di m'ka fout joure malandren-a an kreyol ou byen an fransè. C'est formidable!

Plus, of course Gunner didn't write this. He writes in disjointed sentences, while this article was written in comprehensive paragraphs.

Too bad he'll respond in upper street standard nonsense.

I agree. The Martelly administration should make English the 1st official language of Haiti. France has not done anything to help Haiti and most French people can't even point Haiti on a map. The only reason Haiti should keep the French language as a 2nd language is for its proposed membership in the African Union next year.

Haiti should either go the Mauritius and Seychelles route and make English, French, and Haitian Creole as official languages.
-English(1st language taught in school and used for business in Haiti), 2. French(taught in secondary school as a 2nd language subject for three years of study) and 3. Creole(minimum 1 year subject in lycee to learn the basics to read and write).

Or

Only make English official and have all Haitians learn a second language( for the ones that make it to secondary school) with the options of 1.Spanish (Latin America), 2. French(2nd political language in the European Union, African Union, United Nations and other international organizations after English), and 3. Germain (the 2nd language of business in Europe after English) for a minimum of three years in secondary school.

BTW, i didn't add these languages because they are not needed or could be learned independently:

1. Mandarin - Super-hard language that requires lots of time to learn. Haiti does not have the resources. Most Chineses are learning English and German.

2. Brazilian Portuguese. Super easy language to learn independently in 4 months if one knows Spanish.

3. Arabic - Too many dialects and Modern Standard Arabic is not useful all the time. Most educated Arabic speakers speak flawless English (Middle East) or French (Maghreb)


ENGLISH is now the minimum... The world is now going bilingual with English(only world language) and a 2nd international language to have a competitive edge.

caribbeanboy1 - 24 June 2012 07:56 PM

The only reason Haiti should keep the French language as a 2nd language is for its proposed membership in the African Union next year.

HEIN?????????

Is French required to join the African Union????

Cribbeanboy1, your diatribe is preposterous! You're acting like a country's language can be changed on a whim. First of all, doing so is completely unecessary, and secondly, even though it has been done before in other countries, Haiti has nowhere near the resources required to do so. Most people can't even go to regular school let alone start taking English lessons en masse. After hundreds of year's, many of us haven't even mastered our official language, French, and you want the country to master English in what, a generation? Then you start talking about Mandarin, Brazilian Portuguese, And Arabic? Please!

quote author="Jesus Christ" date="1340606170"]

caribbeanboy1 - 24 June 2012 07:56 PM

The only reason Haiti should keep the French language as a 2nd language is for its proposed membership in the African Union next year.

HEIN?????????

Is French required to join the African Union????

No, French is not required to join the African Union. However, let me ask you something- Is Spanish required to be part of Free Trade of Americas, OAS, or Nafta? No, it is not. Although English is all you need, Spanish is the second most important dominant commercial language in the Americas after English and gives bilingual English/Spanish speakers a competitive advantage over monolingual English and Spanish speakers.

Now switch Spanish for French to the African Union and regional African organizations. French is the second official dominant language in Africa after English spoken by over 120 million 1st and 2nd language speakers ( speak, read, and write in only French speaking countries) in Africa.

French is official in 20 African nations:

Benin (official language)
Burkina Faso (official language)
Burundi (official language, with Kirundi)
Cameroon (official language, with English)
Central African Republic (official language, with Sango)
Chad (official language, with Arabic)
Comoros (official language, with Shikomor and Arabic)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (official language)
Republic of the Congo (official language)
Côte d'Ivoire (official language)
Djibouti (official language, with Arabic)
Equatorial Guinea (official language, with Spanish and Portuguese)
Gabon (official language)
Guinea (official language)
Madagascar (official language)
Mali (official language)
Mauritius (2nd language, with English and Creole)
Niger (official language)
Senegal (official language)
Seychelles (official language, with English and Creole)
Togo (official language)

French is taught as the 1st foreign language in these Arabic speaking countries as early as 2nd grade and English is introduced in the 1st year of secondary school. Majority under 30 currently speaks French as a 2nd language except Mauritania:
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania

French is a required subject in high school in English speaking West-African countries:
Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia

English and French are both taught in primary and secondary school as secondary languages in all Lusophone African countries:
Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, and Mozambique

To sum it all:

Americas: English, Spanish and Portuguese -French is a minority language spoken by 10 million 1st and 2nd language speakers in Canada(Quebec), Haiti(educated class), and minority communities in the rest of the Americas and not much relevant.

Africa: English, French, and Modern Standard Arabic -Portuguese (20 million 1st and 2nd language speakers), Spanish(10 million 1st and 2nd language speakers) in the rest of the Africa and not much relevant since English and French are widely taught and spoken as a 2nd language Lusophone and Hispanophone in countries in Africa.

Rachel - 25 June 2012 03:05 AM

Cribbeanboy1, your diatribe is preposterous! You're acting like a country's language can be changed on a whim. First of all, doing so is completely unecessary, and secondly, even though it has been done before in other countries, Haiti has nowhere near the resources required to do so. Most people can't even go to regular school let alone start taking English lessons en masse. After hundreds of year's, many of us haven't even mastered our official language, French, and you want the country to master English in what, a generation? Then you start talking about Mandarin, Brazilian Portuguese, And Arabic? Please!

Rachel, did you correctly read my post?

How is my diatribe preposterous? Have you been to Haiti lately? All young Haitians want to learn ENGLISH. You could go to the poorest communities in Haiti and find young Haitians rapping to Jay-Z, Eminem, 50 cent, Lil Wayne, etc and using the latest American slang in their Creole speech.

I recommend English as the first language since most Haitians will most likey only complete primary school. Trust me Haiti does have the resources to teach English. English is already spoken by more Haitians in the diaspora than French. The Haitian elite, middle, and educated class are already multilingual in English, French and Creole- a good portion already knows Spanish. Most monolingual young Creole speakers in Haiti already knows some English since they are being bombarded by American media and the huge presence of English speaking American and Canadien NGO workers and volunteers throughtout the country.

Since Haitians are most likely to only complete primary school, it is imperative to teach English as the first language with a strong preparation in basic math, science and technology to build a solid foundation for the future.



Secondly Rachel,

I recommedend a 2nd language as a subject for three years in secondary school with preference to either:

1. Spanish- The second most important language in America and Haiti is already surrounded and located in a Spanish speaking region.
2. French- Already official and spoken by 15% of the population and entrenched in Haitian culture, history and Creole language and is the second most important language of the African Union which Haiti soon will be a member.

Why a second language Rachel? The world is already going bilingual- English and a second internationial language.

Challenge: Before arguing the facts with me.. Please go pick up an international paper or magazine such as the Economist and look for for high paying jobs in international organizations and companies in the Americas, Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific and see for yourself: English (default) and a second language
(Spanish and/or Portuguese, French, Arabic, Mandarin, or German) as preferred, recommended or required.

Please go back and read of what I wrote about Portuguese, Mandarin, and Arabic and why they were not chosen as preferred.