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Creolese is the mother tongue of most Guyanese and is the most widely spoken language in this country. It is the first language that most children hear, learn, speak and write. It is the primary language in which they converse during their formative years and, for the most part, is unforgettable for their entire lives.
The perception that Creolese is merely a bastardization of English is false. Many pupils do not understand instructions in Standard English. They need to be taught in their mother tongue − Creolese. Many pupils can be penalized for speaking Creolese and speakers are often regarded as ‘backward’ in academic, professional and social settings and told to ‘speak properly’.
Former President David Granger, speaking on the programme – The Public Interest – argued that Creolese is an educative, emotive, expressive and extensive mode of communication, conversation and comprehension. He asserted that Creolese is a normal, natural and necessary national language that evolved among people who spoke separate primary languages but sought to communicate with each other. It is a unique cultural creation which continues to change as new words are added. It is not ‘bad’, ‘bastard’ or ‘broken’ English and, certainly, is not a pidgin, patois, jargon or slang. Creolese is a language with its own grammar, lexicon and syntax; it borrows words from English and other languages but is regarded as a ‘language’ because of its uncommon lexicon.
Mr. Granger warned, however, that language changes continuously and many sub-dialects – based on ethnic, geographic, social and occupational differences – are spoken. Linguistic expressions vary between locations – urban-rural, coastland-hinterland, village-plantation, home-street and school-market. Distinct forms of Creolese prevail, for example, among largely Indigenous hinterland and African coastland villages and Indian rural communities. Descendants of five ethnic groups and nine indigenous tribes, each originally with its own language – generated a linguistic medley over the past 200 years.
The Former President acknowledged that, despite the acceptance of Standard English as Guyana’s official language, Creolese is a commonplace medium of communication in factories, homes, offices and some schools and churches. The importance of education in a ‘mother-tongue’ for general cognitive development is recognised and supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s conventions and declarations. Education in the mother tongue is ‘a basic human right,’ which should be free from discrimination or marginalization, thereby allowing students to feel a sense of belonging, while creating a motivating, learning environment where students can participate and express themselves freely.
The Creolese language should be respected and protected. Language defines our national identity. It is important that awareness and appreciation of Guyanese Creole is understood as a language that encapsulates our culture and that is different from English. Programmes should be promoted to advance the use of Creolese as the national language.
Educators should teach Creolese in schools – from the nursery to the tertiary levels – and the recognition of Creolese as an official language should be legitimized. Educators who deny students the use of their language in the classroom disparage their identity, deter communication with their countrymen and diminish their ability to understand the world in which they live.
The Former President affirmed that persons who are interested in national unity and social cohesion should promote the ‘national language’ which accelerates communication and integrates communities. Creolese has evolved over a long period, is spoken over a wide area and is understood at all social levels simply because it is functional. The suppression of a language is harmful. The promotion of linguistic and cultural diversity contributes towards social cohesion and personal achievement.󠄀
