Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'The creole language'

One of the most striking features of Saramaccan syntax is the almost categorically finite status of its sentential complements and serial verbs. In fact, a study of these constituents in the language is to primarily observe how characteristics of finite sentential structures are beginning to be lost in certain instances. The first three chapters are largely preliminary in nature. Chapter I briefly introduces Saramaccan, discusses the Government and Binding grammatical model and outlines why it is superior to competing approaches. This chapter also defines many of the pertinent concepts needed for the analyses. Chapter II looks at tense, modality and aspect markers and determines when a +Tense value is possible for a clause. In this context, we find that the complements of perception verbs are finite. The remainder of Chapter II and all of Chapter III determine the dislocation patterns and identifying parameters of various categories. The next three chapters investigate serial structures. In Chapter IV, it is found among other things that complementizer-like fu (from for) and taa 'say, that' are main verbs. Chapter V analyzes the Instrumental, Benefactive and Dative serials. We conclude that the Instrumental and Benefactive are contained within finite clauses, while the Dative serial verb is either an infinitive or has been deleted. Finally in Chapter VI, the many serials discussed exhibit a wide range of features which lead us to believe that some are fully finite, others are infinitives, and one has reanalyzed to another category. It is claimed in the last chapter, based on the evidence, that there is really no difference between sentential complements and serial structures; both are or were finite clauses. In addition, based on the nature of serials reported in the literature for West African languages, Saramaccan appears to be significantly different. This leads to the conclusion that serials spontaneously emerged in Saramaccan during the creolization process rather than being a continuation of such structures from West African languages.

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Clarissa Menezes Jordão<br>Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras. Defesa: Curitiba, 22/06/2017<br>Inclui referências : f.187-195<br>Resumo: Jamaica, uma das Antilhas Maiores do Caribe, compartilha com outras ilhas da região uma história de colonização, imigração e encontro de culturas que tem resultado na criação de uma cultura diversa e uma língua crioula. Como fenômeno integrador de cultura e história na sociedade, o crioulo jamaicano gera interesses múltiplos, segundo mostram a diversidade de estudos sobre essa língua e as diferentes questões de pesquisa em campos acadêmicos diversos, incluindo a linguística, a educação, a sociologia, a filosofia, entre outros. Seguindo um método cartográfico apoiado com o fundamento teórico da uma análise rizomática (Deleuze e GUATTARI, 1978), a tese apresenta um estudo panorâmico sobre o crioulo jamaicano, visando encontrar pontos de encontro entre a visão rizomática proposta para entender o desenvolvimento da língua jamaicana e os dados gerados a partir de entrevistas com os professores participantes. A tese discute aspectos diversos relacionados com a língua crioula jamaicana e apresenta uma interpretação de narrativas baseada nas percepções e concepções de língua prevalentes entre professores de espanhol como língua estrangeira na ilha. Estes professores compartilham com a autora interesses profissionais, especificamente por serem professores de línguas, o que aporta uma perspectiva diferente, dado que, ao considerar os assuntos das línguas, tanto os participantes quanto a autora estão incluindo pontos de vista que incluem a língua como um produto sociohistórico de amplo uso social e a língua como objeto de ensino. As narrativas interpretadas, portanto, incluem as experiências e ângulos pessoais de professores falantes nativos do crioulo jamaicano que têm informação de primeira mão sobre a realidade social dessa língua e sobre o seu impacto sobre a língua estrangeira que eles ensinam (espanhol). Consequentemente, a pesquisa sobre as narrativas compartilhadas e pessoais dos professores participantes mostra visões nascidas das experiências profissionais como professores de língua, e das suas próprias vidas dentro do contexto jamaicano. Conduzido entre professores jamaicanos que trabalham no contexto de educação secundária na Jamaica, o estudo conduz à interpretação de que esses participantes compartilham narrativas que têm a ver com a sua vida profissional e social, segundo há sido inferido de observações nas escolas, dos seus critérios e ideias nas entrevistas e conversas. Igualmente, a tese apresenta uma interpretação dos pontos de encontro entre as narrativas dos participantes com aquelas encontradas em publicações da mídia, as redes sociais, e conversas com pessoas proeminentes da sociedade jamaicana. O fato de não ser falante do crioulo jamaicano colocou à pesquisadora no papel de "outsider". No entanto, esse papel contribuiu para enriquecer o processo devido à experiência profissional e pessoal da autora como professora de espanhol e moradora da Jamaica há mais de 20 anos. Essa informação e vivências tem contribuído no desenvolvimento da própria narrativa da autora e conformaram uma outra perspectiva possível para interpretar o rico contexto jamaicano e as suas contradições lógicas. Palavras-chave: Crioulo. Rizoma. Crioulização. Descrioulização. Transcrioulização. Ensino. Espanhol. Jamaica. Narrativa. Percepções. Concepções de Língua. Cartografia<br>Abstract: Jamaica, one of the largest islands in the Caribbean, shares a history of colonization, immigration and culture convergence with other islands in the region, which has resulted in the creation of a diverse culture and a Creole language. As a phenomenon of sociocultural and sociohistorical integration, Jamaican Creole generates multiple interests; as shown by the diversity of language studies and the various research interests in several academic fields, including Linguistics, Education, Sociology, Philosophy, among others. Based on a cartographic approach, as proposed in DELEUZE & GUATTARI (1978) the thesis discusses various aspects pertaining to the language situation in Jamaica, especially the matter of Jamaican Creole, and presents an interpretation of narratives based on the language perceptions and conceptions prevailing amongst teachers of Spanish as a foreign language in the island. The thesis presents a discussion on various aspects pertaining to Jamaican Creole and an interpretation of participant's narratives about such situation, based on a study of the most prevalent language conceptions and perceptions found in this particular group composed of Jamaican Creole speakers involved in the teaching of Spanish in the island. The participating teachers and the author share common professional interests due to the fact that, being language teachers, they bring forth a different perspective to the discussion and analysis of language matters, particularly in connection with the socio-historical nature of languages and their use in education. The narratives interpreted, therefore, include the experiences and personal angles of teachers, who are native speakers of Jamaican Creole and who also have first-hand information about the social reality of that language, as well as its impact on the foreign language they teach (Spanish). Consequently, the research delved on the shared and personal narratives of language professionals, as views emerging from their personal and professional experiences within the context of Jamaica. After presenting a panoramic study of the language situation in Jamaica, based on a rhizomatic view of language development, the thesis discusses the data generated from interviews and unstructured conversations with Secondary Education Spanish teachers, most of whom are operating within a sociolinguistic context characterized by the presence of two languages: English (the official language of education) and Creole (the popular language). The study leads to the interpretation that these participants share narratives that involve their professional and social lives, as inferred from observations at their work spaces, their criteria and the ideas presented during interviews and conversations. Furthermore, the thesis presents an interpretation of connecting points between participant's narratives and those found in media publications, social network debates, and conversations with prominent Jamaicans. The fact of not being a Jamaican Creole speaker puts the researcher in a role of an "outsider". However, such role contributed to enrich the process due to the professional and personal experience of the author as a Spanish teacher and resident of Jamaica for more than 20 years. The sharing of information and experiences have contributed in the development of her own narrative and has brought forth yet another perspective to interpret the rich and multiple Jamaican context and its logical contradictions. Keywords: Creole. Rhizome. Creolization. Decreolization. Transcreolization. Teaching. Spanish. Jamaica. Narrative. Perceptions. Conceptions of language. Cartography<br>Resumen: Jamaica, una Antillas Mayores, comparte con otras islas del Caribe una historia de colonización, inmigración y encuentro de culturas que ha dado lugar a la creación de una cultura diversa y una lengua criolla. Como fenómeno integrador de cultura e historia en la sociedad, el criollo jamaicano genera múltiples intereses, según muestra la diversidad de estudios sobre el lenguaje y los distintos problemas de investigación en varios campos académicos, incluyendo la educación, la sociología, la lingüística, la filosofía, entre otros. Siguiendo un método cartográfico, basado en el fundamento teórico que ofrece el análisis rizomático (DELEUZE y GUATTARI, 1978), la tesis presenta un estudio panorámico sobre el criollo jamaicano, que tiene por objetivo encontrar y analizar puntos comunes entre la visión rizomática que se propone, para analizar el desarrollo del lenguaje jamaiquino, y los datos generados a partir de entrevistas con los profesores participantes. La tesis analiza diversos aspectos relacionados con la lengua criolla de Jamaica y presenta una interpretación de narrativas, en base a algunas percepciones y concepciones de lenguaje que existen entre los profesores de español participantes. Estos docentes comparten intereses profesionales con la autora, específicamente por el hecho de ser profesores de lenguas extranjeras. Tal hecho genera una perspectiva diferente, dado que, tanto los participantes como la autora aportan puntos de vistas que consideran aspectos del lenguaje como un producto sociohistórico de amplio uso social, incluyendo la educación. Las narrativas interpretadas, por tanto, incluyen experiencias y ángulos personales de profesores que son hablantes de criollo jamaicano, por lo que tienen información de primera mano sobre la realidad social de ese idioma y su impacto en la lengua extranjera que imparten (español). En consecuencia, la investigación sobre narrativas compartidas y personales de los profesores participantes muestra visiones relacionadas con las experiencias profesionales y de vivencia de los participantes dentro del contexto jamaicano. Sus experiencias y puntos de vista han conducido a una interpretación de narrativas, apoyada no solamente en los criterios e ideas presentados en las entrevistas, sino también en observaciones cartográficas del entorne característicos de sus escuelas. Al mismo tiempo, la tesis presenta una interpretación de los puntos de encuentro entre las narrativas de los participantes y las emergentes de publicaciones de los medios, redes sociales y conversaciones con personalidades de la sociedad jamaicana. El hecho de no ser hablante de criollo jamaicano puso a la autora en un rol de "outsider". Sin embargo, esa función contribuyó a enriquecer el proceso debido a su experiencia personal y profesional como profesora de español y residente de Jamaica durante más de 20 años. Esta información y experiencia ha contribuido en el desarrollo de su propia narrativa, a la vez que aporta otra perspectiva posible para interpretar el rico y múltiple contexto jamaicano y sus contradicciones lógicas. Palabras clave: Criollo. Rizoma. Criollización. Descriollización. Transcriollización. Enseñanza. Español. Jamaica. Narrativa. Percepciones. Concepciones de lenguaje. Cartografía.<br>Di Driff: Jamaica a wanna di biggess ailan inna di Caribbean an dem an di adda ailan dem inna di region ave di same istry a colonization an immigration, an dem copy tings from deh wanna nedda. A succum dem kultcha become suh mix up mix up, an a it mek dem ave patwa as a langwidge. Patwa great inna most people eye wen yuh considda di social an cultural fakta plus di social an istorical side a tings as well. Everybody interestid inna Patwa an yuh cyan si dat because a nuff study dem duh pan it, people weh interestid inna langwidge, Education, peeple weh study society, knowlidge an life an nuff more tings, study patwa. DELEUZE & GUATTARI (1978) suggess wan way fi duh research weh name cartography, i basically mean seh yaahgo map tings out, a it deh study yah use fi pree di langwidge situation inna Jamaica, exprecially Patwa, an di study explain certain tings base pa'how di Jamaican teecha dem weh teech Spanish feel bout Patwa. Deh study yah discuss wol heep a tings bout Patwa an it show yuh a meds bout how di participants dem feel bout it, an di study show yuh dem ting yah base pan di most common feelins weh dis particular group have wen i come to Patwa. An yuh dun know seh is a group a Jamaican Patwa-tawking teecha weh teech Spanish rait a yaad yah. Di teecha dem an di summady weh duh deh study yah have nuff tings in common wen yaah talk bout dem job because di wol a dem a teecha an dat a lone mean she dem kinda bring a different meds to di wol langwidge ting, exprecially if yaah tawk bout di social and history side a langwidge and how yuh use dem wen yaah deal wid tings fi duh wid education. From yuh hear dat yuh dun know seh anyting wi tell yuh, wi tell yuh base offa weh di teecha dem seh base pan dem own experience and feelins bout di matta. Plus, yuh know seh dem a Jamaican teecha weh tawk patwa from dem baan suh dem know firs han how peeple really treat pawta, plus dem know how it affeck tings wen dem a teech wan foreign langwidge like Spanish. Aarait, suh, di study use weh di teecha dem seh (buot weh di wol a dem agree pan an weh each a dem seh fi demself) fi get to di meet a di matta. After wi lay out everyting clear clear bout di langwidge situation inna Jamaica, base offa wan view weh dem use fi study how langwidge cum about weh dem call rhizomatic, weh mean seh langwidge can develop from different roots an levels, deh study yah discuss di response dem weh wi get from di interview dem an di conversation dem weh wi ave wid di teecha dem weh teech Spanish inna di high school dem. Most a dem deh teecha deh come from wan settings weh a two langwidge di people dem tawk, wan a Inglish, di wan weh dem use inna di skool dem, and di adda wan a Patwa, di wan weh almost all a people dem tawk. Di study lead up to wan andastandin seh di wol a di participant dem have similar experience, buot inna dem workplace an inna dem home an community surroundin, an wi realize dis base offa weh dem seh inna di interview dem an wen wi tawk to dem. Not ongle dat, but di study lead to wan andastandin of how weh di participants dem seh conneck wid weh dem always seh pan tv, an pan social media an weh sum a di big shot people dem always seh. Di fack seh di person weh a duh deh study ere nuh tawk Patwa mean seh yuh can basically call di person wan "outsaida". But di fack seh di person a wan outsaida add supm to di wol experience because of di professional an personal experience weh di person ave, because shi teech Spanish inna Jamaica an live deh fi ova 20 years. Because shi share infamation an experience wid di participants dem shi andastan di wol Pawta ting even betta now an can explain di nitty gritty a it much betta. Key word dem: Patwa. Rhizome. Creolization. Decreolization. Transcreolization. Teaching. Spanish. Jamaica. Di way people si tings. Feelins bout tings. How peeple si di langwidge. Mappin Out

<p> This dissertation identifies three previously unexplained typological asymmetries between creoles, other types of language contact, and `normal' sound change. (1) The merger gap deals with phoneme loss. French /y/ merges with /i/ in all creoles worldwide, whereas merger with /u/ is also well-attested in other forms of language contact. The rarity of /u/ reflexes in French creoles is unexplained, especially because they are well attested in French varieties spoken in West Africa. (2) The assimilation gap focuses on stress-conditioned vowel assimilation. In creoles the quality of the stressed vowel often spreads to unstressed vowels, e.g. English <i>potato</i> > Krio /&rgr;&epsiv;&rgr;&tgr;&epsiv;&tgr;&epsiv;/. Strikingly, we do not find the opposite in creoles, but it is well attested among non-creoles, e.g. German umlaut and Romance metaphony. (3) The epenthesis gap is about repairs of word-final consonants.These are often preserved in language contact by means of vowel insertion (epenthesis), e.g. English <i> big</i> > Sranan <i>bigi</i>, but in normal language transmission this sound change is said not to occur in word-final position.</p><p> These case studies make it possible to test various theories of sound change on new data, by relating language contact outcomes to the phonetics of non-native perception and L2 speech production. I also explore the implications of social interactions and historical developments unique to creolisation, with comparisons to other language contact situations.</p><p> Based on the typological gaps identified here, I propose that sociohistorical context, e.g. age of learner or nature of input, is critical in determining linguistic outcomes. Like phonetic variation, it can be biased in ways which produce asymmetries in sound change. Specifically, in language contact dominated by adult second language acquisition, we find transmission biases towards phonological rather than perceptual matching, overcompensation for perceptual weakness, and overgeneralisation of phrase-final prominence.</p>

Bibliography: leaves 134-143.<br>With the shift away from evaluation of isolated aspects of linguistic performance, discourse assessment has become an important tool in assessing the communication competence of individuals following a neurological insult. The present research investigates the effects of mild to moderate aphasia on the dscourse performance of Creole speaking Mauritians. A control group was included so as to differentiate aspects of discourse from normal to pathological and with a view to discerning compensatory strategies of adults with aphasia in discourse.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of French and Italian, 2007.<br>Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-09, Section: A, page: 3825. Advisers: Barbara Vance; Julie Auger. Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 7, 2008).

<p>In this study, titled Learning in a language that isn't one's own - the case of Jamaica, our intention is to give a picture of what the language situation in Jamaica is like. English is the official language in Jamaica, but it is coexisting with Jamacian Creole, which is not admitted as a official language, but it is the language of the people. In this study we try to point out possible factors that have created the language situation of Jamaica. We have mostly focused on the situation at school, all teaching is supposed to be in English. We have observed attitudes among pupils and teachers to English and Jamaican Creole. We will also give general explanations of the terms Pidgin and Creole and we will give a brief history background of Jamaica.</p>

Southwest Louisiana Creoles underwent great change between World Wars I and II as they confronted American culture, people, and norms. This work examines that cultural transformation, paying particular attention to the processes of cultural assimilation and resistance to the introduction and imposition of American social values and its southern racial corollary: Jim Crow. As this work makes clear, the transition to American identity transmuted the cultural foundations of French- and Creole-speaking Creole communities. World War I signalled early transformative changes and over the next three decades, the region saw the introduction of English language, new industries, an increasing number of Protestant denominations, and the forceful imposition of racialized identities and racial segregation. Assimilation and cultural resistance characterized the Creole response, but by 1945, southwest Louisiana more closely resembled much of the American South. Creole leaders in churches, schools, and the tourism industry offered divergent reactions; some elite Creoles began looking to Francophone Canada for whitened ethnic identity support while others turned toward the Catholic establishment in Baltimore, Maryland to bolster their faith. Creoles were not the only distinct community to undergo Americanization, but Louisiana Creoles were singular in their response. As this study makes clear – in ways no historian has previously documented – Louisiana Creoles bifurcated as a result of Americanization. This study also contributes to, and broadens, the literature on Acadian identity. Previously, scholars simply assumed that whitened Latins in Louisiana had always identified with Acadia and their black-racialized brethren with Haiti. This thesis, however, suggests that Cajun and Creole are not opposites. Rather, they derive from the same people and culture, and their perceived and articulated difference emerged in response to Americanization. Through a critical analysis of that bifurcation process, this thesis demonstrates how Acadianized identity and culture emerged in the first half of the 20th century.

Research in the Caribbean often links global phenomena (e.g. increased tourism) to changes in lifestyles and mindsets taking place in this part of the world (Curtis, 2009). I examine the direction, intensity, and motivations of language changes among adolescents in three communities in Bequia (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) considering the socio-economic transformations affecting the island. Data for this study was obtained using a combination of sociolinguistic interviews and conversations between Bequia adolescents and their grandparents recorded in the course of several fieldwork trips. Three villages in Bequia were considered, Hamilton, Paget Farm and Mount Pleasant, characterised by different patterns of settlement and socioeconomic development. I investigate variation between: (i) creole verb stems vs. Standard English verb inflections (e.g. I go yesterday vs. I went yesterday), and (ii) verb stems and verb inflections vs. creole preverbal markers (e.g. I bin play yesterday). A variety of grammatical, discoursespecific, functional, and cognitive constraints are tested to determine which factors condition the variable patterns across different communities and age groups, and how linguistically similar/different these communities are. Results of the quantitative multivariate analysis of variation between bare verbs and inflected verbs show dialect levelling (Kerswill, 2003) among adolescents in Hamilton and Paget Farm and a transmission of the system (Labov, 2007) from the older generation to the younger in Mount Pleasant. In addition, adolescents in Paget Farm have recycled (Dubois and Horvath, 1999) a stigmatised creole form, preverbal bin, and are using it significantly more than any other group on the island. The study points to several important conclusions. Firstly, it emphasises the necessity for a multidisciplinary perspective in accounting for the factors which condition language change, especially in such a diverse and fast developing setting as the present-day Caribbean. Secondly, it supports the research on language and globalisation emphasising the relationship between the local and the global (e.g. Meyerhoff and Niedzielski, 2003). Finally, the study attempts to determine the nature of variation in creole languages as e.g. a creole continuum or co-existing systems, and establish replicable methods for measuring linguistic similarities/differences between communities.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior<br>Apesar de ser o principal veÃculo de comunicaÃÃo dos cabo-verdianos, residentes e na diÃspora, a lÃngua Crioula nÃo logrou alcanÃar o estatuto de lÃngua oficial de Cabo Verde, passados 38 anos, desde a independÃncia polÃtica do PaÃs. Com forte presenÃa na cultura das Ilhas, o Crioulo, no entanto, sà se destaca em ambientes informais, ao contrÃrio do PortuguÃs, cuja legitimidade à reconhecida pela ConstituiÃÃo de 1992 como lÃngua oficial de Cabo Verde. Com este reconhecimento oficial, o Crioulo foi literalmente afastado da administraÃÃo, do ensino formal e informal, dos negÃcios e da diplomacia. Na EducaÃÃo Ambiental, a discriminaÃÃo do Crioulo atinge nÃveis de pura ausÃncia. Esta pesquisa fala das potencialidades do uso da lÃngua materna de Cabo Verde, o Crioulo, como instrumento na EducaÃÃo Ambiental nas escolas de ensino secundÃrio, no MunicÃpio da Praia. Sua habilidade como lÃngua estruturada à demonstrada por meio de pesquisas diversas que antecedem esta dissertaÃÃo, e, entrevistas dirigidas aos professores, coordenadores e diretores das escolas do ensino secundÃrio no MunicÃpio da Praia, capital de Cabo Verde, comprovam o seu potencial. A pesquisa aponta claramente a vontade de valorizar o Crioulo, introduzindo-a como lÃngua de apoio, juntamente com a LÃngua Portuguesa no que concerne à EducaÃÃo Ambiental, faltando a vontade polÃtica dos decisores para a sua implantaÃÃo. Neste trabalho, propÃe-se o inÃcio de amplo debate nacional sobre as potencialidades da lÃngua-mÃe, como instrumento de mudanÃas de comportamentos, em face da degradaÃÃo do meio ambiente e dos seus impactos para a sociedade, nomeadamente para as geraÃÃes vindouras.<br>The understanding the cultural identity of the Cape Verdeans should be the first step for a project of environmental education that make use of the full linguistic capabilities of their country and of its specificities. The use of the mother tongue, Creole which ancestrally linked to the identity of the people of Cape Verde displays a potential proportional to the own identity, conservationist by the nature. Despite being the main vehicle of communication of Cape Verdeans,residents and those in the diaspora, the Creole language has failed to achieve the status of Cape Verde official language since the country political independence, 38 years ago. With a strong presence in culture of the Islands, the Creole, however, stands out only in informal environments, whereas Portuguese is established as official language of the country. The Creole has been literally away from the Administration and from the formal and informal education processes. Concerning the Environmental Education, the discrimination of Creole reaches levels of sheer absence. This research seeks to search and to understand the potential of the use of Cape Verde mother tongue, the Creole, as an instrument for the Environmental Education at the secondary schools level in the Municipality of Praia, proven through interviews targeting teachers, coordinators and directors of secondary schools in the territory of Municipality of Praia. The research clearly points out to valorize Creole, inserting it as language of support, sideways with the Portuguese language with regard to Environmental Education, lacking political will of decision-makers for its deployment. The findings shows that Capeverdean mother tongue is acknowledged to have great potential, as an instrument of behaviors changes trough out environmental degradation and its impact on society, in particular for generations to come.

This thesis begins with a re-reading of selected texts by Caribbean writers, specifically, Joan Anim-Addo, Olive Senior and Merle Collins and in so doing argues that literary fiction can and does function as a ‘creolised archive’. I argue that a historic marginalisation, which has barred Caribbean scholars from entering ‘formal’ archival spaces, has created an alternative discourse. Consequently, Caribbean writers have chosen the imagined landscapes of literature, a new archival space for the Caribbean, within which to document and preserve Caribbean cultural traditions. If as I suggest, fiction allows for the safeguarding of traditions, how then should we read Caribbean literature? The combination of a physical and a virtual archive questions the literary and linguistic interface that such a mingling entails in a preservation of Caribbean culture. I argue for an appreciation of orality as performance, primary and technologised, as well as the reading of texts as ‘creolised archive’. Drawing on interlinked theoretical works including that of Kamau Brathwaite, Édouard Glissant and Antoinette Burton, I attempt to establish the performativity of the ‘creolised archive’ in twentieth and twenty-first century Caribbean literature, defined as oral in this research. I suggest that the ‘creolised archive’ has a plurality of sources/resources enabling the preservation of aspects of Creole culture. I begin by exploring the literary representation and imagining of black female subjectivity to highlight a reading of the black female body as archive. The selected short stories provide a starting point from which the history and construction of the Creole voice is explored to determine the representation and preservation of Caribbean Creoles archived within the literary text. In considering the World Wide Web as archive, I examine how the World Wide Web might most effectively serve as an interactive archive for Caribbean oral literature. Additionally, I interrogate how the Web might be seen and experienced as a literary interface – a creolised archive – enabling Caribbean Creole languages and literature to be represented.

British expansion to the West Indies in the eighteenth-century resulted in vast economic growth for the British Empire and a rise in literature set in the region. Examining the literature allows for an in-depth exploration of how the Caribbean has become associated as a place of relaxation and escape though its early history of colonialism is fraught with violence. My study builds on the understanding of the Caribbean region in the eighteenth-century and utilizes hospitality theory to articulate the role that cultural exchange and physical setting play in the texts and in the formation of national identity, both in the West Indies and in England. Using hospitality theory to explore how power shifts between the guest/host/witness, I explore the influence of literature on eighteenth-century perceptions of this region through an examination of the patterns that develop through prose fiction, drama, and poetry. Section one includes Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko (1696), Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) and William Pittis’ The Jamaica Lady (1720). I argue that Behn’s work establishes narrative patterns that uncover what eighteenth-century travelers imagined in the West Indies—the host welcomes the outsider, the land serves as witness, and the arrival of the guest initiates a realignment of the British subjectivity—and show how these patterns reappear in the later works of Defoe and Pittis. In the section two, I show that the theatre creates a shift in these categories as a direct result of space, performance, and shared experience through my readings of Thomas Southerne’s Oroonoko (1696), Richard Cumberland’s The West Indian (1771), and John Gay’s Polly (1728). The final section focuses on the poetry of James Grainger, Nathaniel Weekes, and Francis Williams, revealing the tropes that emerged and demonstrating how the Caribbean land is visualized as a welcoming space. I argue that these genres work together to generate images of the tropics in the eighteenth-century British mindset and provide a foundation for the way we have come to imagine this region today.

<p> This dissertation will demonstrate that a variety of Dominican Spanish in contact with St. Thomas English Creole (STTEC) revealed many features which are consistent with Dominican Spanish in other contact environments and some new features which are emerging as the result of uniquely STTEC influences. The most notable feature is the appearance of the vowel [&epsiv;] in Dominican Spanish, which in STTEC is highly indexical to St. Thomian identity. In the present sociolinguistic analysis, it was found that the variability of [&epsiv;] was significantly influenced by the following phonological segment, syllable stress, the language of the token, and the speaker's&rsquo; social network ties and self-ascribed identity. This dissertation also includes a socio-historical background of St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, a description of St Thomas English Creole, and a history of immigration patterns of people from the Dominican Republic to St Thomas, U.S.V.I.</p>

Nigerian Pidgin English is widely spoken in different parts of the country and “has been called the native language of a substantial population of people in the Niger Delta, particularly in the Sapele and Warri areas” (Igboanusi, 2008: 68). According to Balogun (2012: 90), “Nigerian Pidgin English has emerged as the most widely spoken language of inter and intra communication among Nigerians and across diverse ethnic groups that do not share a common language”. The language plays a major role in youth culture and most Nigerians speak the language. There is a general belief by some Nigerians that Nigerian Pidgin English is a colloquial form of English that is mostly spoken by those whose Standard English proficiency has not fully developed (Agheyisi, 1971:30). The government has continued to ignore it “despite the fact that Nigerian Pidgin is in most respects the most logical choice for a national language [and] official attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin remain negative, perpetuating erroneous notions inherited from the colonial period that Nigerian Pidgin is some form of ‘broken English’” (Faraclas 1996: 18). Also, the general attitudes held by Nigerians regarding the language can be described as ambivalent with majority leaning towards the negative attitude more. This project investigated if the Nigerians who find themselves in a different geographical space like Cape Town still hold negative attitudes towards Pidgin English and whether they abstained from speaking the language or speak it freely. The study also sought to establish if those who may have held negative attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English while in Nigeria now hold a different attitude since being in Cape Town. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in form of online questionnaires and semi structured interviews involving 38 participants to investigate the uses of and attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English. The findings revealed that the attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English do not show significant difference from that held by Nigerians within Nigeria. The participants in this study held negative attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English in formal domains and positive attitudes towards the language in informal domains. These same attitudes were obtainable among Nigerians living in Nigeria. The data analysis revealed that the Nigerians in this study use the language in their daily activities for different purposes. The hegemonic perspective on Pidgins being an informal language that can serve only informal purposes was also present among some of the Nigerians that formed part of this study. Although some thought that the language can go beyond informal domains, the majority thought otherwise. All the participants use Nigerian Pidgin English mainly to communicate with their friends, family members and other Nigerians they encounter despite living far away from home where other languages exist. Also, the analysis revealed that all the participants considered the language to be an important aspect of their Nigerian identity and togetherness in the diaspora. This indicates a significant difference between those in the diaspora and those in Nigeria, because those in the diaspora appreciate and think there is a greater need for Nigerian Pidgin English outside the country. The data suggested that the reason for this shift in attitude is because speaking the language bridges the gap between home and abroad.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD<br>This research is a critical ethnography of KM in primary schools. Its purpose is to explore the link between heritage language and identity construction. My central research question is: how does the introduction of KM as an optional language in primary education shape Creole pupils' language identity construction in Mauritius? The research studied the overall impact of KM on two schools which I selected as research sites. Research participants were pupils of Standard I-II-III, head of schools, teachers and parents. I also selected some key informants. The study was placed within the international literature on heritage language and identity construction. The research is significant in the sense that it was conducted at the initial stages of the introduction of KM in schools. It might be of interest for future studies as its findings would serve to understand the place of KM in schools. At the same time looking at KM as a heritage language set against the 'ancestral languages' has not been done before. It contributes to other ways of looking at 'heritage' in a global world. I elaborated a conceptual framework based on classical Marxism, post-structural Marxism, French theories and post-colonial studies. I applied critically the theoretical lens in the Critical Theory Tradition which basically challenges the status quo. This study drew implications for language teaching policy and practice and the teaching of KM as a tool for empowerment and human agency. This research indicated the learners' views as to how their exposure to Kreol Morisien in the classroom shapes their ability to construct new, desired identities within local, national or global communities. The research design was based on a critical ethnographic approach whereby the researcher and the participants find themselves in a reciprocal human experience. Research instruments that were used were ethnographic interviews, class observations, document analysis complemented by the Delphi Method which is a forecast study of future trends. I got five findings. First, Creole consciousness movement underpinned the introduction of KM as an optional language in primary education. Second, parents chose KM on a purely utilitarian basis. Third, the curriculum and syllabus do not reflect and support the Creole identity and culture. Fourth, there was an invisibility and ambiguity about Creole culture in the school textbook. Finally, the pedagogy used to teach KM as an optional language created motivation and self-esteem. This study which was conducted during the first three years of the introduction of KM in two primary schools indicates that the presence of KM did not however, really enhance the identity of the Creole children as the curriculum, syllabus and textbook did not reflect and support the Creole culture and identity. KM was an additional language subject which certainly seduced by its novelty but it did not bring great changes as were expected. But KM does open avenues for adjustments and initiatives for an alternative programme in KM as heritage language and culture which could be implemented outside school. Such initiative would foster KM in its double identity of being both an ethnic and national language plus its future use as medium of instruction.

<p>At the turn of the 19th century, ideas promoting women’s rights were sweeping across America. During that time Kate Chopin’s The Awakening was published, portraying a young woman, Edna Pontellier, who after several years of emotional unfullfilment in her marriage questions her place as a woman in her marriage as well in society. Edna’s Presbyterian Kentuckian upbringing is in opposition to Catholic Creole society that her husband belongs to. Creole society, at that time, was governed by its unwritten social codes, which were especially clear on issues concerning women’s traditional roles in society in connection to marriage and social duties. In this essay I present how Edna’s emotional awakening and her struggle to achieve independence are in conflict with the cultural norms that exist in Creole society. Also, I argue that the reason why Edna fails in her search for individual freedom is because her awakening is emotional and not intellectual; she lacks knowledge and cannot perceive herself beyond the conventions that limit and oppress her. Additionally, Edna cannot find guidance in any of the other women because they all act within the frames of the role they are playing.</p>

El presente trabajo presenta un estudio etnolingüístico de tres comunidades afroparaguayas: Emboscada (fundada en el siglo XVIII por pardos libres) y Camba Cua y Laurelty (fundadas en el siglo XIX por soldados negros libres que llegaron con el general uruguayo José Gervasio Artigas). Los datosconfirman la existencia de configuraciones lingüísticas que establecen vínculos claros con otras comunidades de habla afrohispánicas, entre ellas el Valle del Chota (Ecuador), los Yungas (Bolivia), Sama-Las Yaras (Perú), el Chocó (Colombia) y Helvécia (Brasil). Entre las características claves sedestacan los plurales invariables y con una sola marca de plural (las persona, los militar), los verbos invariables para persona y número y la ausencia del género nominal femenino (loh mujere, algún comida). -- The present work offers an ethnolinguistic study of three Afro-Paraguayan communities: Emboscada (founded in the 18th century by free blacks), and Camba Cua and Laurelty (founded in the 19th century byfree black soldiers who arrived with the Uruguayan general José Gervasio Artigas). The data confirm the existence of linguistic structures that link Afro-Paraguayans with other Afro-descendent communities, such as the Chota Valley (Ecuador), the Yungas (Bolivia), Sama-Las Yaras (Peru), Chocó (Colombia), and Helvécia (Brazil). Among the principal traits are invariant plurals with a single plural marker (las persona, los militar), verbs invariant for person and number, and lack of feminine gender concord (loh mujere, algún comida).

This thesis examines social and economic change among Black Creoles in the sugarcane plantation society of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. It begins with slavery and emphasizes the last 40 years. The study area is viewed as a creole society set in the United States. Change and adaptation is analysed from the perspective of those lacking access to, and control over, resources ensuring socio-economic advancement. Factors of race and ethnicity are crucial to the analysis.<br>Changes in the agricultural economy have cast blacks off the land. In local settlements, they form a surplus labor pool. In today's industrial, neoplantation economy, Civil Rights legislation and alliances beyond the study area have ensured black participation, particularly at a textile mill, resulting in fragile prosperity. Their dual Afro-Creole identity, viewed through language, music, and food, faces a questionable future as alliances external to the creole society are strengthened.

Spanish<br>Ph.D.<br>This dissertation will demonstrate that a variety of Dominican Spanish in contact with St. Thomas English Creole (STTEC) revealed many features which are consistent with Dominican Spanish in other contact environments and some new features which are emerging as the result of uniquely STTEC influences. The most notable feature is the appearance of the vowel [ɛ] in Dominican Spanish, which in STTEC is highly indexical to St. Thomian identity. In the present sociolinguistic analysis, it was found that the variability of [ɛ] was significantly influenced by the following phonological segment, syllable stress, the language of the token, and the speakers’ social network ties and self-ascribed identity. This dissertation also includes a socio-historical background of St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, a description of St Thomas English Creole, and a history of immigration patterns of people from the Dominican Republic to St Thomas, U.S.V.I.<br>Temple University--Theses

This descriptive research paper looks at English teaching in Jamaica, and examines what perceptions upper secondary school teachers have of the teaching mission, the teacher role and the responsibility that comes with the teacher profession. The paper also examines the teachers’ attitudes towards Jamaican Creole and Standard Jamaican English and the relation between these two languages. The paper discusses inequality connected to language diversity in Jamaica and aims to explore attitudes, language ideologies and educational policies, in relation to English teaching in a Jamaican Creole speaking classroom.The study was carried out with a qualitative approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted with five teachers at three public upper secondary schools in Jamaica. The collected data was analyzed with an explorative approach.The main conclusion drawn from this study is that English teaching in a Jamaican Creole speaking classroom is affected by a number of factors. Firstly, the teachers expressed an ambivalence opinion about what language is or should be the first and second language. Secondly, teaching English in Jamaica is difficult due to the absence of a standardized written form of the students’ vernacular. Lastly, the teacher role is not limited to teach a first or second language, the teachers’ role is extended to include a great responsibility for the students’ future life

Cette thèse porte sur les marqueurs de temps, de mode et d’aspect [TMA] dans deux créoles français : le mauricien et le haïtien. Deux objectifs sont visés : 1] apporter des arguments pour soutenir l’idée du caractère non exceptionnel des langues créoles et 2] mettre en lumière les différences constrastives du marquage TMA entre les systèmes verbaux des deux créoles. Premièrement, nous remettons en question le concept de « Creole Specific Reanalysis » [Detges 2000] en discutant de l’opposition entre deux mécanismes importants du changement linguistique que sont la grammaticalisation et la réanalyse et nous menons une étude diachronique sur les marqueurs TMA en créole mauricien à partir d’un corpus de textes anciens. Par son exploitation systématique, ce travail permet d’arriver à une description de l’émergence et du développement du système verbal TMA en mauricien. Deuxièmement, nous faisons une étude comparative synchronique des systèmes des marqueurs TMA du mauricien et du haïtien en nous appuyant sur un cadre théorique général de la temporalité et à partir de données contemporaines, issues entre autres d’une enquête suivant le questionnaire de Dahl [1985]. Nous présentons les éléments communs et ceux qui différencient les marqueurs TMA des deux créoles en raison de leurs fonctions communicatives et de leurs sémantismes dans leurs emplois et usages respectifs<br>This study concerns the tense, mood and aspect [TMA] markers in two French Creoles: Mauritian and Haitian. The objectives of this doctoral thesis are twofold : 1] provide arguments to support the idea that Creole languages are non-exceptional and 2] highlight the contrastive differences of TMA marking between the verbal systems of the two creoles. First, we question the concept of "Creole Specific Reanalysis" [Detges 2000] by discussing the opposition between two important mechanisms in language change : grammaticalization and reanalysis, and we conduct a diachronical study on TMA markers in Mauritian Creole based on a corpus of old texts. Through its systematic exploitation, this work describes the emergence and the development of the TMA verbal system in this Creole. Secondly, a comparative analysis of the synchronic systems of TMA markers in Mauritian and Haitian is done, based on a general theoretical framework on Temporality and on contemporary data, resulting inter alia from a survey using Dahl’s [1985] questionnaire. The study presents the common elements and those that differentiate the TMA markers in the two Creoles because of their semantics and the communicative functions they fulfill

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2008.<br>Title from file title page. Mary Zeigler, committee chair; Marti Singer, Lynée Gaillet, committee members. Electronic text (113 [i.e. 112] p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Oct. 1, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-110).

Few valid and reliable placement procedures are available to assess the English language proficiency of adults who enroll in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. Whereas placement material exists for children and university ESOL students, the needs of students in adult community education programs have not been adequately addressed. Furthermore, the research suggests that a number of variables, such as, native language, age, prior schooling, length of residence, and employment are related to second language acquisition. Numerous studies contribute to our understanding of the relationship of these factors to second language acquisition of Spanish-speaking students. Again, there is a void in the research investigating the factors affecting second language acquisition and consequently, appropriate placement of Haitian Creole-speaking students. This study compared a standardized instrument, the NYS Place Test, used alone and in combination with a writing sample in English, to subjective judgement of a department coordinator for initial placement of Haitian adult ESOL students in a community education program. The study also investigated whether or not consideration of student profile data improved the accuracy of the test. Finally, the study sought to determine if a relationship existed between student profile data and those who withdrew from the program or did not enter a class after registering. Analysis of the data by crosstabulation and chi-square revealed that the standardized NYS Place Test was at least as accurate as subjective department coordinator placement and that one procedure could be substituted for li other. Although the writing sample in English improved accuracy of placement by the NYS test, the results were not significant. Of the profile variables, only length of residence was found to be significantly related to accuracy of placement using the NYS Place Test. The number of incorrect placements was higher for those students who lived in the host country from twenty-five to one hundred ten months. A post hoc analysis of NYS test scores according to level showed that those learners who placed in level three also had a significantly higher incidence of incorrect placements. No significant relationship was observed between the profile variables and those who withdrew from the program or registered but did not enter a class.

The purpose of the study was to compare the English III success of students whose home language is Haitian Creole (SWHLIHC) with that of the more visible African American high school students in the Miami Dade County Public Schools System, in an effort to offer insight that might assist educators in facilitating the educational success of SWHLIHC in American Literature class. The study was guided by two important theories on how students interact with and learn from literature. They are Reader Response Theory which advocates giving students the opportunity to become involved in the literature experience (Rosenblatt, 1995), and Critical Literacy, a theory developed by Paolo Freire and Henry Giroux, which espouses a critical approach to analysis of society that enables people to analyze social problems through lenses that would reveal social inequities and assist in transforming society into a more equitable entity. Data for the study: 10th grade reading FCAT scores, English III/American Literature grades, and Promotion to English IV records for the school year 2010-2011 were retrieved from the records division of the Miami Dade County Public Schools System. The study used a quantitative methods approach, the central feature of which was an ex post facto design with hypotheses (Newman, Newman, Brown, & McNeely, 2006). The ex post facto design with hypotheses was chosen because the researcher postulated hypotheses about the relationships that might exist between the performances of SWHLIHC and those of African American students on the three above mentioned variables. This type of design supported the researcher’s purpose of comparing these performances. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA), two way ANOVAs, and chi square tests were used to examine the two groups’ performances on the 10th grade reading FCAT, their English III grades, and their promotion to English IV. The study findings show that there was a significant difference in the performance of SWHLIHC and African American high school students on all three independent variables. SWHLIHC performed significantly higher on English III success and promotion to English IV. African American high school students performed significantly higher on the reading FCAT.

À la Réunion, le créole et le français cohabitent dans un même espace linguistique avec un mode spécifique de variation. Selon bon nombre de linguistes, renvoyant au vieux modèle de la diglossie, il existerait deux variétés de créole qui s'organiseraient selon leur proximité avec le français, la basilectale (dite éloignée du français) et l'acrolectale (réputée plus proche du français). Dans l'ensemble de la communauté, la définition de dialectes nets et le cloisonnement linguistique n'apparaissent donc pas toujours de manière saillante. Ce que certains ont appelé la « décomplexification » de la tension diglossique s'est en fin de compte effectuée dans un laps de temps assez court compte tenu de l'urbanisation croissante et de l'arrivée massive des moyens de communication de masse. Un cadre citadin en pleine construction, de nouveaux rapports entre segments sociaux, des types de contact inédits entre générations, l'influence croissante des outils médiatiques dans le paysage local, une considération inattendue pour la parole sérieuse, artistique et prestigieuse proférée en créole tendent à modifier l'expression des aînés et la réception des plus jeunes. Au fond, un constat s'impose aujourd'hui, c'est que traitant du créole et du français, l'on ne peut plus parler de systèmes linguistiques discrets et autonomes qui se départiraient l'un de l'autre, selon une frontière nette et harmonieuse. Le gauchissement du français dans les pratiques langagières quotidiennes des locuteurs créoles entraîne alors des difficultés descriptives pour les linguistes qui ne parviennent plus à classer ce qui appartient au créole ou au français. Ainsi, au vu d'une pluralité de lectes entre deux pôles linguistiques, nous adoptons le concept de macro-système mis en évidence par une jolie forme macaronique et assumée : l'interlecte. Intégrant des angles d'approche variés, nos travaux n'ont pas pour prétention d'apporter toutes les réponses que suggèrent les problématiques qui gravitent autour des « parlers jeunes ». Nous nous proposons d'analyser des mots, des locutions, des expressions, des énoncés que nous entendons dans la bouche des jeunes et à la radio, que nous lisons dans des textes artistiques et sur les écrans des réseaux sociaux. Dès lors, après avoir tenté une saisie complexe et diversifiée de ce matériau, nous soumettons ces mots ou expressions à analyse afin de dégager le sémantisme le plus large et le plus nuancé possible, tout en analysant des structures syntaxiques caractéristiques, notamment l'usage des auxiliaires verbaux, des pronoms ou des prépositions<br>In Réunion island, the Creole and French cohabit in the same linguistic space with a specific mode of variation. According to a good amount of linguists, returning to the old model of the diglossy, there would exist two varieties of Creole which would be organized according to their proximity with French, the basilectale (known as far away from French) and the acrolectale (famous nearer to French). In the whole of the community, the definition of dialects Nets and the linguistic bulk-heading thus do not appear always in a projecting way. What some called the “decomplexification” of the diglossic tension is in the final analysis carried out in a period of time enough runs taking into account the increasing urbanisation and of the massive arrival of the means of communication of mass. A town framework in full construction, new relationship between social segments, of the new types of contact between generations, the increasing influence of the media tools in the local landscape, an unexpected consideration for the serious, artistic and prestigious word uttered in Creole tend to modify the expression of elder and the reception of young people. At the bottom, a report is essential today, it is that dealing with the Creole and of French, one cannot speak any more about discrete and autonomous linguistic systems which would separate one of the other, according to a clear and harmonious border. The warping of French in the daily linguistic practices of the creole speakers then involves descriptive difficulties for the linguists who do not manage any more to classify what belongs to the Creole or to French. Thus, within sight of a plurality of lectes between two linguistic poles, we adopt the concept of macro-system highlighted by a pretty macaronic and assumed form: the interlecte. Integrating varied angles of incidence, our work does not have as a claim to give all the answers which the problems suggest which revolve around the “young speeches”. We propose to analyze words, phrases, expressions, statements which we hear in the mouth of the young people and with the radio, that we read in artistic texts and on the screens of the social networks. Consequently, after having tried a complex and diversified seizure of this material, we subject these words or expressions to analysis in order to release the broadest semantism and most moderate possible, while analyzing characteristic syntactic structures, in particular the use of the verbal auxiliaries, pronouns or prepositions

L’Ile Maurice est une société complexe où se côtoient un grand nombre de langues : l’anglais et le français, langues administratives, sont apprises dès la première année du cycle primaire tandis que le kreol mauricien (KM), L1 de plus de 85% de la population, n’y joue aucun rôle à ce jour. C’est dans ce contexte que nous avons choisi d’analyser des productions orales en français et en KM d’enfants de deux groupes d’âge (6-7 ans et 8-9 ans), nos enquêtes ayant été faites dans des zones géographiques présentant des contextes socioculturels et linguistiques différents. Notre corpus est ainsi constitué d’environ 200 récits dans ces deux langues, obtenus à partir de la planche connue comme “Les oisillons”. Nous proposons ainsi une analyse détaillée des moyens mis en œuvre dans la référence aux entités, y compris des constructions possessives. Ceci nous mènera à constater avant tout qu’il existe une grande variabilité dans les productions, autant entre les langues que les zones géographiques. Nous remarquerons que l’acquisition du français est plus aboutie en zone urbaine que rurale tandis que le constat inverse s’appliquera au KM. Cette analyse mettra à jour deux conceptualisations de la tâche à accomplir (description et récit) qui montreront des degrés de variation concernant l’acquisition du genre et du nombre, ainsi que de l’utilisation du démonstratif, des pronoms, des noms nus, des possessifs et des compléments du nom. L’acquisition du français se révèlera alors tributaire d’un manque d’exposition à cette langue, de même qu’à l’influence du KM et de la variété locale de français<br>Mauritius is a complex society where a wide range of languages are in compétition : whereas English and French, the administrative languages, are learnt from the first year of primary education, Mauritian Kreol (MK), the L1 of almost 85% of the population, has no part whatsoever to play in the system. Our analysis is focused on oral productions in French and MK from children of two age-groups (6-7 and 8-9 years old), coming from different sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds. 200 oral productions constitute our data, both in French and MK, collected from the task of retelling a story from drawings, known as « Les oisillons ». We have produced a detailed analysis of the means used by these children in the reference to entities including possessive structures. This has brought us to acknowledge that there is a huge variability in the productions, between the two languages as well as between the geographical zones. We have noticed that children in urban context reach a higher level of acquisition in French than those living in rural areas, whereas it is exactly the opposite when it comes to MK. This analysis also shows two conceptualisations of the tasks (description and narrative), which bring to light a high degree of variability as regards to the acquisition of gender and number, as well as that of demonstratives, pronouns, bare names, possessive determiners and constructions. The acquisition of French then appears as highly influenced by a lack of exposure to that language, as well as the influence of MK and the local variety of French

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007.<br>Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 8, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-209).

La politique du Québec en matière d’immigration et ses politiques culturelles favorisent la présence d’un nombre important de personnes d’origine haïtienne à Montréal. Ces dernières se retrouvent dans un environnement social différent de celui de leur pays d’origine. Grâce à une recherche menée dans le quartier Saint-Michel à Montréal auprès d’un groupe de jeunes de différentes origines, mais majoritairement d’origine haïtienne, nous sommes arrivée à différentes conclusions. En effet, nous constatons que les jeunes d’origine haïtienne, tout en étant dotés d’une mémoire de l’altérité parfois douloureuse, développent un lien social avec des jeunes qui ne sont pas d’origine haïtienne et qui ne sont pas d’origine immigrante. Même quand la langue dominante de ces jeunes d’origine haïtienne est le français québécois, le créole haïtien s’affirme comme l’emblème de ce lien développé entre les différents jeunes de ce quartier. Ces jeunes d’origine immigrante font également preuve d’innovation sociale et développent des stratégies identitaires s’affirmant ainsi en tant qu’acteurs sociaux se situant dans la société québécoise. De plus, la dynamique sociolinguistique à Saint-Michel favorise la vitalité du créole haïtien, qui emprunte ainsi un parcours inhabituel<br>The immigration policy and cultural policies of Quebec promote the emergence of a significant number of Haitian people in Montreal. Therefore, these people can evolve in a social environment that is different from the one they used to have in their country of origin. We have conducted a research in the Saint-Michel district of Montreal with of a group of young people of different origins, but mostly of Haitian origin. Through this research we have concluded that Haitian origin, while sometimes being endowed with a painful memory of alterity, have developed a social bond with other young people, whethernative or immigrants from different other origins. Although the most predominant language used or spoken by these young Haitian immigrants is Quebec French, the Haitian Creole has established itself as the emblem of this link developed between the different young people of the district. We have also noticed that these young people of Haitian origin have demonstrated social innovation and developed identity strategies in order to assert themselves as social actors in this Quebec society. In addition, the sociolinguistic dynamics in Saint-Michel has favoured the vitality of the Haitian Creole, which, thus, takesan unusual route

Educational Leadership<br>Ed.D.<br>This case study explored students’ perception about their performance in CSEC English A at three evening schools in Savanna La Mar. While conducting the research I used ethnographic methods, including interviews, observations and document analysis to better understand students’ perceptions of their performance in CSEC English A. The central questions which guided the research are “how do students at three evening schools in Savanna La Mar perceive their performance in CSEC English A and what factors affect those perceptions, and what strategies do students think can improve their performance in English?” Creswell’s (2008) steps for analyzing qualitative data were used to explore the central research questions. The discussion sought to highlight how students perceived their academic performance in CSEC English A and what attributed for these perceptions. These views were examined using four themes: student factors that influence student learning outcome, influence of Jamaican Creole (JC) on learning Standard Jamaican English (SJE), teacher traits that influence learning and structure and operations of the evening schools. The Attribution and Expectancy Value Theories were used to make meaning of the data. The findings revealed that most of the students exhibited high self-concept and expressed that they would be successful in the upcoming CSEC English A Examination despite previous challenges they experienced with SJE. They attributed this success to the strategies they were using and the encouragement and positive feedback they got from their teachers. However, some students cited several factors which have negatively affected their performance such as the predominant use of JC in the home, school and community. Although the research was a multiple site study, it was limited to one geographical location which delimited the generalizability of the study. However, the insights gained can contribute to and fill gaps in the literature and also enlighten educators and other stakeholders of students’ perception about their performance in CSEC English A.<br>Temple University--Theses

Austrian playwright Jovita Epp's German language novel Amado mí­o, which takes place in post-WWII Argentina, is a modern adaptation of the traditional colonial novel. As such, the romances between the female main character, an Argentine of German descent, and her two love interests, an Argentine of Spanish descent (Criollo), and an Austrian Argentine, reflect the hopes and fears of persons and/or cultures caught up in the imperialist dreams of their nation. In the wake of WWII, Argentina becomes a space in which European(-descended) settlers can look back at Europe's "barbarism," questioning the imperialist worldviews that brought Europe to the brink of destruction. At the same time, these colonists search for European values that are salvageable from the cultural wreckage in Europe and employable in reconstructing a new identity in Argentina.

Ce travail prend appui sur une collecte des données inédites et difficiles, celles d’un corpus complexe du Mahabharata, les textes sacrés de l’Inde, et les corpus de la tradition orale du Barldon, chantés en société créole de La Réunion depuis les présences des migrants indiens dans l’île. Plusieurs corpus de nature différente ont été collectés pour être analysés en synchronie et en diachronie de manière dynamique. Durant les années de recherches, nous avons ouvert une étude dans trois champs disciplinaires conjoints. Nous avons effectué des recherches à Pondichéry et nous avons ramené des documents sur l’esclavage indien et un manuscrit tamoul chanté à La Réunion à l’occasion du rituel de la « marche sur le feu ». Nous avons mené des travaux sur l’histoire de la langue, des cultes, de la culture, et des migrations. Nous avons constitué un appareil critique composé de l’analyse des corpus, des index, des annexes dont l’outillage conceptuel est composé d’un centaine de documents : 8 cartes, 4 croquis, 36 graphiques, 32 tableaux, 5 textes dont une édition tamoule critique, deux textes tamouls et créoles inédits leur traduction, 25 images et une séquence filmique. Nous avons reconstitué des strates de langue et notre travail montre que le Réunionnais a conservé un état de langue bien particulier et exposé au processus de la créolisation linguistique et culturelle, la langue du Barldon, une langue ancestrale que nos prospections n’ont pas permis de retrouver en Inde du Sud. Peut-on parler d’une langue sacrée conservée à la Réunion mais exposée à la dynamique de la créolisation ? Notre questionnement reprend les interrogations formulées par Gillette Staudacher-Valliamee sur la difficulté qu’il y a à poser pour La Réunion une créolisation linguistique et culturelle sans pidginisation, en rappelant que la question de langue est centrale. Notre travail réexamine la place de l’Inde dans la formulation des hypothèses énoncées pour la genèse du créole de l’océan Indien (A.Bollée 2009, R.Chaudenson 2010)<br>This work is based on a collection of unpublished and difficult data, those of a complex corpus of Mahabharata, the sacred texts of India, and corpus of the oral tradition of Barldon, sung in Creole society of La Réunion ever since the Indian migrants settled in the island. Several corpuses of different types were collected for effective synchronic and diachronic analysis. During our research work, we introduced three new areas in the same research field. We carried out research at Pondichery and brought back documents on Indian slavery and a Tamil manuscript sung in Reunion at the time of the ritual of “walk on fire”. We also worked on the history of language, cults, culture and migration. We established a critical apparatus which includes the analysis of the corpuses, indices, appendices whose conceptual tool consists of over hundred documents: 8 maps, 4 sketches, 36 graphs, 32 paintings, 5 texts of which one is Tamil critical edition, two unpublished translated Tamil and Creole texts, 25 images and a cinematic sequence. We reconstructed layers of language and our work shows that the Réunionnais remained a very special language and exposed to the process of linguistic and cultural creolisation, the language of Barldon, an ancestral language that our surveys have failed to find a place in South India. Can one speak of a sacred language in Réunion but kept exposed to the dynamics of creolisation? Our inquiry shows the queries made by Gillette Staudacher-Valliamee the difficulty of asking for Reunion the linguistic and cultural creolisation without pidginisation, by reminding that the question of language is central. Our work re-examines the place of India in formulating assumptions for the genesis of Creole in the Indian Ocean (A. Bollée 2009, R. Chaudenson 2010)

L'orthophoniste est habilité à intervenir auprès de personnes de tous âges, dès lors que la communication est entravée. L'évaluation, qui s'appuie sur le concept de norme, est une étape fondamentale ; en quoi consiste-t-elle ? Quels en sont les enjeux ? Les orthophonistes exerçant à La Réunion sont confrontés à de multiples difficultés lors de l'évaluation langagière : outils et normes inadaptés, connaissances limitées du terrain réunionnais... S'il est mis en évidence, depuis de nombreuses années, la spécificité de l'intervention auprès des individus plurilingues, les travaux portant plus spécifiquement sur les milieux créoles en sont à leurs balbutiements. Comment mener à bien une évaluation orthophonique, s'appuyant sur la norme, prenant pour référence le « français standard », dans un milieu où les pratiques langagières se jouent des normes ? Il est nécessaire de repenser nos modèles et repères normatifs, de reconstruire une démarche évaluative en adoptant une autre épistémologie et une autre définition de « la langue ». Nous montrons en quoi il est pertinent d'adopter le cadre théorique du macrosystème et de l'interlecte (Prudent, 1981). Nous explicitons ensuite l'élaboration d'un outil d'évaluation du langage, que nous testons auprès d'un échantillon d'enfants réunionnais. Notre rôle de concepteur nous amènera à nous poser les questions suivantes : comment conjuguer posture professionnelle et posture de sociolinguiste ? Comment combiner le besoin de normes, de rigueur scientifique, et l'approche plus souple de la sociolinguistique, qui met en avant la variation et l'anomie de la parole réunionnaise ? Peut-on envisager l'émergence d'une orthophonie de la variation ?<br>The speech therapist is entitled to intervene with people of all ages, as soon as communication is constrained. The assessment, built on the concept of norm, is a fundamental step; what does it consist in? What are the issues? Speech therapists who practice in Reunion Island face several difficulties in assessing language: unsuitable tools and standards, limited knowledge of the Reunion specific field... While the specificity of intervention regarding the multilingual speakers has been highlighted for many years, works carrying more specifically the Creole areas are just beginning. How can one achieve a successful speech therapist assessment based on norm – taking for reference « standard French » – in an environment where the linguistic practices disregard norms? It is necessary to rethink our models and normative landmarks and to rebuild an evaluative approach by adopting a different epistemology as well as another definition of "the language". In this work, we show how relevant it is to adopt the theoretical frame of the macrosystem and the interlect (Prudent, 1981). Then, we explain the elaboration of a tool of assessment of the language, which we test with a sample of children from Reunion Island. Our role as a designer will lead to a series of questions: how can one combine professional posture and sociolinguist posture? How can one ally the need for standards and scientific rigor with the more flexible approach of the sociolinguistics, which puts forward the variation and anomy of the reunionese speech? Can we consider the emergence of a speech therapy of variation?

This study investigates variable noun phrase number agreement (VNA) in two second language varieties of Portuguese, spoken in Maputo, Mozambique and in Mindelo, Cape Verde. Quantitative VARBRUL analysis is carried out based on recordings made in Maputo and Mindelo 2007 and 2008. Previous quantitative studies on VNA in varieties of Brazilian Portuguese (Guy, 1981; Lopes, 2001; Andrade, 2003) as well as on VNA in first and second language varieties of Portuguese from São Tomé (Baxter, 2004; Figueiredo, 2008, 2010) indicate contact between Portuguese and African languages as the main origin of this phenomenon. VNA in Brazilian Portuguese is, however, interpreted by Scherre (1988) and Naro &amp; Scherre (1993, 2007) as the result of language internal drift. Varieties of Portuguese from Mozambique and Cape Verde are particularly interesting to contrast in order to investigate influences from African languages on VNA, as in Mozambique Bantu languages are first languages of the vast majority of Portuguese speakers, whereas in Cape Verde, practically all Portuguese speakers are first language speakers of Cape Verdean Creole, whose substrates are West African, and not Bantu, languages. Comparison is also made with previous studies from Brazil and São Tomé. The results of this study comment previously postulated explanations for VNA in Portuguese in various ways. The analysis of the variables onset age and age stratum indicates that VNA in the analyzed varieties is a phenomenon linked to the acquisition of Portuguese as a second language and/or language contact rather than the result of internal drift. The fact that all the compared varieties tend to mark plural on pre-head components contradicts Bantu transfer as an explanation for this pattern, and raises the need to also consider more general explanations based on language contact. The basic structural similarity between the compared varieties suggests the existence of a grammatical restructuring continuum.

Cette thèse renseigne sur la structuration du discours d’écoliers haïtiens à des stades spécifiques de leur acquisition du français langue de scolarisation. A partir de tâche narrative de construction de récit, elle étudie d’une part leur capacité à mettre en mots des événements complexes, à produire un récit structuré et cohérent (analyse macro-structurelle) et, d’autres part, les moyens référentiels qu’ils mobilisent pour introduire, maintenir, réintroduire les protagonistes l’histoire à raconter (analyse micro-structurelle). Les récits ont été recueillis en créole haïtien L1 et en français L2 à partir de la planche narrative les Oisillons. Le corpus est constitué de 160 récits (80 en créole haïtien, 80 en français). Les enquêtés, d’âge et de niveau scolaire différents (9-10 ans/4ème année et de 11-12 ans/6ème année) viennent de 4 écoles différentes de la capitale haïtienne, positionnées différemment sur l’échelle des valeurs sociale et scolaire. L’âge, le niveau scolaire, le contexte d’appropriation du français ont été considérés pour les deux axes d’analyse. Les investigations portent essentiellement sur les récits produits en français L2, langue en cours d’acquisition mais certains éléments sont examinés au regard de la L1. Les résultats d’analyse révèlent principalement une variation importante dans le développement de la capacité narrative et linguistique des sujets en L2 entre les quatre groupes scolaires représentés. Ils montrent par la même occasion l’influence de l’école, lieu principal d’acquisition du français sur le développement des compétences linguistiques des écoliers haïtiens en L2, aspect qui est décrit dans cette présente étude<br>This doctoral dissertation provides information on how Haitian pupils structure their written text at specific stages of the process of acquiring French as their academic language. Examining how narrative stories are constructed, on the one hand, the capacity of students to express complex events (macro-structural analysis) and, on the other hand, the referential means that are put to work: introducing, maintaining, and reintroducing the protagonists and the story to tell (micro-structural analysis). Stories have been gathered in Haitian Creole L1 and in French L2 from the story les Oisillons (Young birds). The corpus is made up of 160 stories (80 in Haitian Creole, 80 in French). The pupils surveyed whose age and school level are different (9-10 years old / 4th grade and 11-12 years old / 6th grade) come from 4 different schools of the Haitian capital. These schools occupy different positions on the scale of social and school values. Several factors including age, school level, and acquisition context of the French language have been considered for the two axes of analysis. The research focuses mainly on stories written in French L2, which is the language in the process of being acquired, but some elements of L1 are also examined. The results of the analysis reveal mainly an important variation in the development of the narrative and language capacity of the subjects in L2 between the 4 school groups that are represented. At the same time, it is shown how school which is the main place for the acquisition of French influences the development of language competence of Haitian pupils in L2. This is the point that is described in this study