HAITIAN CREOLE
WHY HAITIAN CREOLE?
Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen) is one of the creole languages that evolved in the Americas out of the encounter of Africa and the West during the period of European geographical and economic expansion. In Haiti, this linguistic phenomenon was particularly salient. With the departure of the French colonists from the island in 1804, Haitian Creole developed into a full-fledged language with a distinct syntax and lexicon. Today Haitian Creole speakers number close to more than 10 million and the language’s demographic sphere expands throughout the Caribbean region, Canada, France and the United States. In Florida, there are more than 500,000 Haitian Creole speakers and Haitian Creole is the language most spoken in that state after English and Spanish.
DEFINITION
The Haitian Creole Language program at Howard University in the Department of World languages and Cultures is designed to introduce students to the Creole Language and Culture of the Republic of Haiti. It is intended for students without prior knowledge of the language, for heritage learners who wish to learn the language of their parents, for researchers who plan to conduct work in Haiti and in the Haitian diaspora, or anyone wishing to improve their skills in Haitian Creole and explore the rich culture and history of Haiti.
Howard Haitian Creole Program
Program Objectives
The Haitian Creole Language Program aims to help students develop both reading and writing skills in the target language. The program highlights communicative competence through exercises in oral expression, increases proficiency in listening comprehension and grammar, strengthens analytical skills through reading of texts and the writing of thematic composition on the culture of the people of Haiti, and explores other Creole-speaking countries/regions of the world (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mauritius, Reunion, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Dominica).
In addition, it provides students the opportunity to develop those language skills that increase the marketability of knowledge gained in other disciplines and prepares them to use Haitian Creole for careers in business, industry, the arts, international organizations, civil and foreign service.
Course Offerings
Haitian Creole I
Haitian Creole II
Haitian Creole III
Haitian Creole IV
These courses satisfy Howard University's four semesters of language study requirement and count toward the completion of degrees in African American Studies, Anthropology, Latin American and Caribbean Studies. For more information contact Dr. Marc A. Christophe at marc.christophe@howard.edu; or at mactof@verizon.net.