Saint Lucian Creole

Volumes in the Trends in Linguistics. Documentation series focus on the presentation of linguistic data. The series addresses the sustained interest in linguistic descriptions, dictionaries, grammars and editions of under-described and hitherto undocumented languages. All world-regions and time periods are represented.

This new work brings together both reviews and critiques of current theories of creolization and provides new data from a sociolinguistic case study of speakers of St. Lucian French-lexifier Creole (Kwéyòl) on the island of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. St. Lucian Kwéyòl has its origins in the 17th century after the French settled there in 1651 from Martinique with their slaves. In the following years, thousands more African slaves were imported. A rugged volcanic island with a roadless interior, St. Lucia provided a haven for runaway slaves (nègres marrons or maroons) from other islands. Buffeted by the forces of globalization and the continued impact of English, Kwéyòl continues to be widely-spoken on St. Lucia today. The crux of the book is the case study that examines Kwéyòl-speaking St. Lucians as a minority community on St. Croix where Kwéyòl is but one of numerous languages spoken, including Caribbean English, Crucian Creole, several other Caribbean Creole languages, Spanish, and Arabic. The collection of data and analytical attention are centered on questions of language choice, language attitudes, ethnolinguistic identity, and bilingualism. This book will be welcomed by students and researchers in linguistics, sociolinguistics, ethnolinguistics and anthropology with a special interest in Creole languages and linguistic minorities in multilingual speech communities.

Can historically marginalized, threatened languages be saved in the contemporary global era? In relation to the wider postcolonial world, especially the Caribbean, this book focuses on efforts to preserve and promote Lesser Antillean French Creole – Kwéyòl – as the national language of Saint Lucia and on the legacy of colonialism and impact of globalization, with which English has become the universal lingua franca, as mitigating factors undermining these efforts. It deals specifically with language planning for democratization and government; literacy, the schools and higher education; and the mass media. It also examines changes in the status of and attitudes toward Kwéyòl, English and French since national independence and presents language planning implications from these changes and steps already undertaken to elevate Kwéyòl. The book offers new insight into globalization and its impact on linguistic pluralism, language planning, national development, Creole languages, and cultural identity in the Caribbean.

If you are a Caribbean person, no matter which of the many islands you may hail from, you know that we all have our many ways of speaking. Growing up, we were all taught the "Queen's English" setting aside our own cultures in the process. This educational alphabet activity book aims to merge learning the standard English alphabet and our unique Caribbean, and more specifically, Kwéyòl vocabulary with a splash of St. Lucian flavor.This book is perfect to teach your child colors, shapes and letters as well as provide an opportunity to practice their writing skills and coloring. As a mother myself, I promise that you and your child will absolutely love every single thing about this 56 page book!I created this book to be a fun and interactive method of teaching all our children the fundamentals of the alphabet and our culture. I know that you will see and feel the passion and energy which was put into the creation of this.Perfect for children (boys and girls) - Ages 3-6

In this complete guide to the relaxed, informal, friendly island, the author tells visitors the best places to stay, from cheap guest houses to luxury condos, and offers cuisine choices from roadside kiosks to fine dining. 7 maps. Photos.