New National Literacy Policy for PNG

New Research Center in Hawaii

Creole Exam for Teaching Qualifications

New National Literacy Policy for PNG

Papua New Guinea has a new National Literacy Policy. A copy of the policy (published in 2000 by the Department of Education, PNG) was kindly sent to the PACE Newsletter by Willie Jonduo, Director of the National Literacy and Awareness Secretariat. In the policy, Tokpisin and Hiri Motu are recognised as the two national languages. One of the National Goals of the policy is: "All Papua New Guineans must be encouraged to become print literate in their own language and one of the two national languages, Tokpisin or Hiri Motu."

New Research Center in Hawai`i

The Charlene Sato Center for Pidgin, Creole and Dialect Studies has recently been established by the Department of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai'i in Honolulu. It is named in honour of the late Charlene "Charlie" Sato, a native speaker of Hawai`i Creole English (HCE) well known for her work on the language and its role in education . This research centre (called the Sato Center, for short) will conduct and promote research on pidgins, creoles and unstandardized dialects (such as African American English) - especially research that would be of some benefit to speakers of these varieties. High on the list of priorities is research on educational issues relating to these varieties.

Anyone interested in spending their study leave/sabbatical at the Sato Center, or in doing research on Hawai'i Creole English, Pidgin Hawaiian, AAE in Hawai'i, or any other relevant topic, should contact the editor of the PACE Newsletter (see p.1).

Creole Exam for Teaching Qualifications

In a message over the CreoList, Stéphane Grivelet of Université des Antilles et de la Guyane announced that in 2002, a CAPES (a special examination to become a teacher in French secondary schools) will be created in France for Creole. A website has been created on this subject : http://kapeskreol.online.fr/