Symposium aims to get more people to speak Creole language in Dominica

Leroy Wadix Charles was honored in 2018 for his contribution to arts, entertainment and culture in Dominica. 

A symposium geared at sensitizing the public on matters relating to the creole language and what can be done to get more people to speak it will be held on Wednesday February 24, 2021.

The event will see the collaboration of various stakeholders including the ministry of education, University of the West Indies, Creole Heartbeat magazine, the Dominica National Youth Council and the Standing Committee for Creole Studies/Konmite pou Etid Kweyol (KEK).

Organizer, Leroy “Wadix” Charles told Dominica News Online (DNO) that the creole symposium aims to foster a greater appreciation for the language.

At the event, a comprehensive analysis will be done on the creole language to determine where it stands, and where it needs to go, Charles noted.

“We have seen in the recent past that we have been having creole day and the food is excellent, the wear is exemplary but the language is not spoken. So we are trying to bring some relevance [and] some importance to sort of bring to the fore the language and see how we can get it into the schools [and] get more people across the board to appreciate the language and to speak the language,” he said.

The symposium will see a “very important presentation” by the ministry of education on the  development of the creole curriculum in Dominican schools. The National Youth Council’s President Ashma McDougall will also present on the youth’s role in cultural preservation and “what is in it for them”. Further, Dominican Creolist Gregory Rabess will also speak on a topic which centers on whether the creole language is endangered. Chief Cultural Officer Raymond Lawrence is also down to present.

“So we are hoping to really carry this on all media platforms -radio stations, social media – to really bring a whole renaissance of the language to the fore so we can get more people to appreciate the language and to actually learn to speak the language,” he told DNO.

Sponsors include the Dominica National Lottery and The SignMan Ltd.

The symposium will begin at 7 p.m. at the UWI auditorium and will be broadcast live on DBS Radio, Kairi FM radio, Q95 radio, Vibes Radio, Facebook and YouTube. Live streaming will be powered by Multi-Solutions Inc.

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13 Comments

  1. February 24, 2021

    Everyone has an opinion about patois. Regardless to where you came from you speak differently. It’s ok to teach patois, but be mindful we can only speak it among ourselves. Yes, people speak Spanish with different dialects but it’s still Spanish and they understand each other. I worked alongside Haitians and they have no idea what I’m talking about if I attempt to speak patios. I speak patois only when I’m among my people, Dominicans. I don’t care to speak patois with anyone else even if they speak it. (i.e.) my son have a friend from Grandbay when he comes to my house he laughs at how I speak patois. We’re correcting each other, I don’t want to speak like he does. Are you all going to teach children patois in every Village based on how YOU speak? It’s not about how English is spoken in Europe, or Spanish is Spain, Cuba, or Puerto Rico; it’s about how beneficial it would be to teach patois in schools and sending the students to China. Let it rest. That’s my…

  2. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    February 23, 2021

    Whereas the concept is similar to that of a mixed or hybrid language, creoles are often characterized by a tendency to systematize their inherited grammar by eliminating irregularities or regularizing the conjugation of otherwise irregular let’s say verbs.

    Like any language, creoles are characterized by a consistent system of grammar, possess large stable vocabularies, and are acquired by children as their native language.

    In Dominica, Creol patios is a combination of broken French and English, which as far as I am concerned is understood only in Dominica by those who indulged in patois. I’ve know Dominicans who traveled to the neighboring islands of Guadeloupe; where they spoke Dominica patios to the natives, the people simply looked at them wondering what were they trying to convey.
    In Europe (including England) it is mandatory for every student to learn at least one other European language, perhaps it would be better to have students at home learn at least two foreign…

  3. Sherman Joseph
    February 23, 2021

    This is great news and will be culturally beneficial to us as a nation. every other nation embraces its cultural heritage and anything we can do to preserve/promote the Dominican heritage will be a major plus for Dominica.

    We seem to have lost some of our ways as most of the younger generations are so captivated and influenced by the culture or behaviors of other countries and more so the (US). I grew up in Fortuné (located in St. George Parrish), My Great grandmother and parents communicated with my siblings & Me in Creole (Kwéyòl, patois) and English, & I, in turn, am trying my best to inculcate that language and culture into every facet of my family life.
    It is amazing to see how they stand out from the rest of the children in the US in a positive way.

    My thoughts should be taken as a non-political narrative please :-D

  4. click here
    February 23, 2021

    This is useless. Seems like Creole day has no significance. One day will also not make any difference. TEACH IT IN THE SCHOOLS from preschool age. Approach the Ministry of Education to have the matter addressed if you really want to make a difference. I see they are involved in your sympopsium but, i highly doubt the lady from Castle Bruce knows what she is doing. I get your intentions and passion Wadix, but all you fellers really are void of viable ideas. While on paper it looks good, but im very sure it will have very low impact unless it is enforced in the school curricullum. I doubt much youth will be at your sumposium. Unless it have music and drinks and food, which are themselves distractions from what is being presented.

  5. Oui ohoy
    February 23, 2021

    For this to be successful- french language must be a mandatory subject from Kindergarten. It will help greatly. For must of Dominica when we write in creole ,,it is from from the english language. Eg: tomatay – (tormenté)

  6. Waiting For Airport
    February 23, 2021

    This is great, they should start teaching it at primary school level. Thats our culture a language that literally saved our ancestors, keep it alive.

  7. out of south city
    February 22, 2021

    You could say the same for other languages. My son learnt and speaks Spanish, has Spanish friends but the Spanish speaking countries, especially in South America also speak it in variations. Americans speak English but many of their words are pronounced and written differently than Europe. Why do we have to be the first to dissuade and discourage one another’s attempt at things of importance????? This is what I have been waiting for for years to be a part of the schools’ curriculum. I applaud Wadix and all those who have come together to make this symposium feasible. It is said that the more languages one speaks, there is a greater percentage of intelligence.
    STOP being a discourager!!!!!!

  8. Caricom
    February 22, 2021

    Great initiative. I hope many attend and tune in.

  9. Anson D. Pantz
    February 22, 2021

    This is dumb. Creole varies from village to village.

    • Poly Sye
      February 22, 2021

      I have to agree with you because the people from Wesley and Marigot cannot even speak creole. Therefore you would have to do something different to protect their “cokoye”.

    • badbaje
      February 23, 2021

      I have found out that Spanish also varies somewhat from region to region. Is it then “dumb” for colleges and universities the world over to teach Spanish? Just asking your opinion on this?
      To me this makes the culture even more rich, more to explore, more for people to learn.
      Instead of looking for or seeing things that divide us, let us look more for things which unite us. Peace unto you and yours.

    • out of south city
      February 23, 2021

      So do some other languages. Spanish has its variations among the people of South America. Even European languages. The British and Australians speak English but many of their words sound differently. Our Creole and St. Lucia’s Creole also have a slight variation. You need to know about languages in order to make such a statement.
      Instead of supporting the move you are criticising it. Most times we are our own enemies. I applaud Mr. Wadix Leroy Charles and everyone else involved for putting this symposium together in order to get Creole started in our schools. It is high time. The more languages one speaks, the better.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      February 23, 2021

      Anson, it is not a dumb idea, but you are correct, patios in Grand Bay, is totally different to that spoken in the village of Woodford Hill.

      Let’s take it to St. Lucia, they speak Creol Patios in St. Lucia, which is totally different to that spoken in Dominica.

      So, let me crown it all now; in certain places in the State of Louisiana in the United States they speak Creol, but it’s nothing as we speak in Dominica.

      It is far from broken French combined with English; if anything it sounds like paplemento! In some cases, it sounds like dutch mixed with some other language.

      And so I ask where can one go outside of Dominica to communicate to other natives besides some Dominican in patios.

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