Revitalizing Attitudes Toward Creole Languages

This chapter strives to move away from hegemonic paradigms and toward decolonization by revitalizing attitudes toward Creoles: to refresh, reroute, and redefine how these languages are perceived, presented, and discussed, particularly in the Global North. The authors consulted Creole users (language experts) and linguists to better understand these two groups’ representations, characterizations, and ideologies of Creoles. First, they drew upon their personal and professional connections with three Creole-using communities to interview five users each of Cabo Verdean Kriolu, Kwéyòl Donmnik, and Trinidadian English Creole. Second, they surveyed 58 linguists, combining the interview questions with questions about pedagogical approaches to Creoles. Finally, they hosted a workshop bringing together language experts and linguists from several regions to discuss how best to integrate Creole languages into linguistics classrooms. The authors report the outcomes of the research, as well as our recommendations for a revitalized approach to creolistics pedagogy.