WFLL Annual Lecture - Invisible Man, Invisible Language: Creole and Decolonization

Abstract

Several millions of people living in former European colonies (e.g. Haiti, Surinam, Papua New Guinea, Cape Verde, and so on) speak a creole or pidgin as their first language. Yet their languages do not enjoy the same status as the European languages from which they derive and with which they have long co-existed. Creoles and pidgins have been, and continue to be, viewed as makeshift and inferior languages not only by non-native speakers but also by native speakers, who are often judged uneducated and socially inferior. Consequently, they are consigned to the periphery of society with few opportunities for improving their lives. Research in creole and pidgin languages is a way of righting the wrong. It is about fighting for social justice and equality, and this is particularly important in the context of decolonization. My research has explored the structure of creole and pidgin languages with a view to dispelling the myth that they are somehow inferior particularly in comparison to those languages to which they are historically connected. Creoles and pidgins share many of their linguistic rules with these languages and should therefore be treated as being equal in status and their speakers seen as valued members of society. Decolonization offers an opportunity to re-assess the status of pidgins and creoles wherever they are spoken and empower their speakers. In this lecture, I look back at research that I have carried out in the last 30 odd years and argue that creoles and pidgins are not linguistically inferior and that these languages and their speakers should not be rendered invisible. 

Speaker

Dr Anand Syea (University of Westminster) in discussion with Professor Hannah Gibson (University of Essex).

Location

Fyvie Hall, The University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW