An overview of the language situation in Haiti

Various concepts of diglossia found in sociolinguistic literature are confronted with the linguistic situation in Haiti, & it is argued that the element of functional complementarity essential to diglossia does not exist between French & Haitian Creole. Bilinguals use the language interchangeably in formal & informal settings, & more than 95% of the population is monolingual in creole. The notion that this majority, according to recent reinterpretations of the notion of diglossia, suffer from linguistic guilt is rejected. Language debates in Haiti are confined to a small group of intellectuals, & the ineffectiveness of language reforms in the areas of orthography & literacy is ascribed to the promoters' lack of realism. The use of French is an object of both admiration & mockery among most of the monolingual population, whereas the widely reported changes of attitudes toward creole & its public use represent developments within the bilingual minority. Regional & social variation in creole is described, & trends in the creole spoken by bilinguals are noted. 19 References. J. Hitchcock