Kreole as an option to improve the effectiveness of our education system in Mauritius?
Have you read the article of Jimmy Harmon on L’Express of the 4th November. Do you think the proposal is feasible?
Not being an expert in education, I support the idea of using the mother tongue, the easiest communication vehicle to access further learning. The underlying principle would be: to learn from ‘known to unknown’. Indeed, I rather watch and enjoy Louis de Funes or Benny Hill in the original version. True! Reading R. Tagore in Bengali must have an enhanced flavour as much as hearing ‘zistoire ti jean in Creole’. I for one can express my sentiments better and easier in Creole despite the practice and use of English all through his education years.
The political issues and the unspoken battle of ‘protecting one’s turf’ , be it for the teachers and the education establishment who have to adjust their deliverables, be it for the politicians -whose main outcome is more towards gaining mileage to be re-elected-, be it the parents of the various social-strata who fear changes, have to be trashed out.
What is your opinion?
7 comments ↓
Creole is being used in education – tutors explain in creole in many secondary schools and in many tertiary institutions as well.
However, it’s worth reminding people that creole has no syntax and no true value.
When some nutjob shows up and demands for creole to be a written language, I say we all call for the nutjob to be kicked in the nuts!
Anyway, the real question to ask here is WHY IS CREOLE EVEN USED IN EDUCATION? MOTHER TONGUE? NO! Because Mauritian people don’t give a frak about English which is the primary language.
What do you hear nowadays? – Le Franglais in its infinite majesty. It kills my ears and grind my gears!
Learn English or Mandarin! – These languages will prevail the ages to come! Creole is restrictive, pretty much dead (because of tourism, ‘deculturisation,’ net-lingo and franglais)
BTW, why not promote the evil sms-lingo as well? I mean – it’s “English” and has a “syntax.”
Wow @ the syntax, BTW -> z stands for the, summit means something, and other crap. People who write in sms-lingo deserve to be kicked in the butt!
More about SMS-Lingo here -> http://shah.developer4ever.com/index.php/2008/07/21/internetsms-lingo-path-to-idiocracy/
Sorry for going off-topic. Languages which lack proper syntax grind my gears! Proper English is the best IMO.
Thanks for your reaction and comments. I had the same thoughts as you until…..I made a discovery which is not high lighted and widely promoted. Just I like you may be, I thought that there was no standard script and syntax. Kreole has since progressed, leaving you and me behind.Though basically phonetic based just as your SMS lingo…the lingustists have studied and concluded a standard to write the phonetics to script.The syntax issue is no issue any more as there are rules. You and I are Kreole illiterate, having not learned the language we may contravene the language if we do not obey the rules of the language. Kreole morisien has a standard based on internationally accepted rule which shred a new light to my understanding. I had the chance to speak to one scholar of UOM who is the specialist in the subject.
Have you read Shakespeare in the original version? Can you say that it was not English?
Wow. I didn’t know that.
Thanks. Still, when you compare the weight of the criteria which make up a language and the factors which make it popular, the score of creole is low.
What is a fact: Kreole is the vernacular that is the most used in Mauritius.
The objective is well to use a vehicle that makes learning easy for the priviledged as well as the under privledged.
May it be qualified to be a language or not, to me is not material.
Most countries use their mother tongue to teach infants. Beside, Kreol is the best tool to develop maths skills and other languages for children who are not constantly exposed to english at home.
http://blebon.blogspot.com/
Kreol Morisien is a full -fledged language.
FACTS
All languages have a grammar. You do not say in Mauritian Creole : Dipin manz moi. ( Bread eats me) You say : mo manz dipin. ( I eat bread).
We do have a written script ( standardised form ) called Grafi-Larmoni established by the University of Mauritius since 2004.
The claim for Kreol Morisien is based on cicil linguistic rights and linguistic and cultural rights ( e.g see Canada, Belgium).
Kreol Morisien is also the direct language of heritage of one component of the population. By virtue of universal human rights, any citizen must have access to his / her language. And it is the duty of a sovereign state to guarantee that right
Thanks Jimmy for your rightful comments. The PM last night on the opening of the creole Festival stated that Creole will be one of the official language of the country. The language bonding the community.
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