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Some
journal articles which have recently appeared include the
following.
“Curriculum
for Jamaican creole-speaking students in New York City”
by Yvonne Pratt-Johnson in World Englishes 12/2,
1993 (pp. 257-64) discusses the situation in New York City
with regard to the education of Caribbean immigrants, similar
to that in the UK and Canada (see the reports in this issues
and in PACE Newsletter 4). Here is the abstract
of the article:
Jamaican students constitute a significant segment of
the New York City public school population. Many Jamaican
students have a solid grasp of Standard American English
(SAE) at the time they enrol in the New York City public
school system, but others speak only Jamaican Creole (JAC),
a variety of English spoken in everyday conversation.
Many New York teachers claim that JAC is incomprehensible.
Moreover, classroom teachers who are newly exposed to
the spoken and written forms of JAC are not familiar with
Jamaican culture or trained to handle the linguistic and
cultural differences. Consequently, they may refer these
students to English as a second language and/or special
education classes. This paper outlines some of the problems
encountered by JAC students in New York City public schools
and by the teachers who instruct them; it argues the need
for a specialized curriculum and instruction for these
students, and it offers recommendations and suggestions
for a model program which will accommodate those needs.
In their article, “The ‘real’ Haitian
orthography, ideology, metalinguistics, and orthographic
choice (American Ethnologist 21/1, 1994, pp.176-200),
Bambi B. Schieffelin and Rachelle Charlier Doucet present
a detailed picture of the debates concerning the orthography
to be used for Haitian Creole (kreyòl).They also
give an excellent summary of typical negative attitudes
towards creole languages in general (pp.181-2). Here is
the abstract:
This article analyses competing representations of kreyòl
and the symbolic importance of decisions taken in standardizing
a kreyòl orthography. Kreyòl, which educated
Haitians claim to share with the masses, is an enduring
symbol of Haitian identity, yet the image of this language
is deeply contested in several arenas. Linking language
ideology, in particular metalinguistic terms that refer
to varieties of spoken kreyòl, to orthographic
choice, we view the debates as part of a nationalist discourse
about Haitianness – what is authentic and legitimate
– and examine the role of language in national identity
formation.
An article in French by Vinesh Y. Hookoomsing, “Langues
et législations en pays créolophones”
appeared in a special issue of Universités on
the topic of languages and legislation in French-speaking
countries: La langue, la loi et la Francophonie
(15/2, 1994, pp.42-4). The article gives a comprehensive
overview of the use of varieties of French-based creole
in the Seychelles, Haiti, St Lucia, Dominica and Mauritius.
Only in the Seychelles and Haiti does the creole have status
as an official language and as a language of education.
Two important publications have come out in Australia this
year, both to be reviewed in a Special Report on Australia
in the next issue of this newsletter. The first is Bridging
two worlds: Aboriginal English and cross-cultural understanding
by Jean Harkins (University of Queensland Press, St Lucia,
1994).
The second is Fostering English language in Kimberley
schools (FELIKS): Professional development course for primary
schools (Catholic Education Office, Kimberley Region,
Broom, 1994), developed by the Language Team including Joyce
Hudson and Rosalind Berry. This is actually a whole kit
including a manual for presenters, overhead transparencies,
handouts, and audio and video tapes. (If you can’t
wait for the next issue to find out more about this course,
contact the Catholic Education Office, PO Box 1451, Broom,
WA 6725; Tel (091) 922 275 Fax (091) 022 559.)
[More publications are described in the report below on
the UK.]
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