Suchergebnisse

Can historically marginalized, threatened languages be saved in the contemporary global era? In relation to the wider postcolonial world, especially the Caribbean, this book focuses on efforts to preserve and promote Lesser Antillean French Creole – Kwéyòl – as the national language of Saint Lucia and on the legacy of colonialism and impact of globalization, with which English has become the universal lingua franca, as mitigating factors undermining these efforts. It deals specifically with language planning for democratization and government; literacy, the schools and higher education; and the mass media. It also examines changes in the status of and attitudes toward Kwéyòl, English and French since national independence and presents language planning implications from these changes and steps already undertaken to elevate Kwéyòl. The book offers new insight into globalization and its impact on linguistic pluralism, language planning, national development, Creole languages, and cultural identity in the Caribbean.

Saint Lucie, le comme la plupart du reste de la Caraïbes, est une société créole. Vue les circonstances spécifiques de la région, l'identité culturelle antillaise créole est fluide. Les résidents de l'île connaissent des réalités culturelles communes entre leur île et les Caraïbes francophones utilisant le créole à base lexicale française, et d' autre part, celle des anglophones. Ils valorisent les différentes langues de son héritage colonial- le français, le kwéyòl et l'anglais- tant pour des raisons intangibles relatives aux valeurs de l'identité locale et pan-culturelles, que pour certaine opportunité économique et sociale que ces langues favorisent. Sous l'influence de la globalisation, une hiérarchie a été définie dans le cadre de la valorisation de ces langues. Les habitants de l'île valorisent l'anglais parce qu'il représente un plus grand bénéfice sur le plan socio-économique tant qu'à l'intérieur qu'à l'extérieur de Sainte Lucie. Ils considèrent le français comme une langue secondaire et complémentaire et, à cause de sa versatilité communicative avec les voisins, l'affluence de la Martinique et son secteur touristique. Même si la majeure partie des résidents confesse l'importance de leur créole à base lexicale française, kwéyòl, ce symbole exceptionnel de la nationalité de Sainte Lucie, il reste toujours un grand perdant au point de vue de la compétence l'ère postcoloniale et de façon globale. Vue l'influence de la globalisation et comme une société en état de changement, l'orientation de la tradition culturelle de Saint Lucie est entrain train de changer, car le kwéyòl se fait supplanter par l'anglais. Cependant, de nouvelles formes culturelles et linguistiques sont entrain de surgir. L'anglais vernaculaire, un anglais créolisé kwéyòl traversé par une forte influence du kwéyòl, est transforme en une nouvelle forme de langue franche de la nation, utilisée spécialement parmi les travailleurs urbains et les jeunes.

Examines attitudes toward cultural identification with the French language, recently increased in education, relative to English and Kwéyòl, among St Lucians, through a postcolonial conceptual framework. Author contextualizes this within St Lucia's history, as first French and later British colony, and relates it to the multiplicity, characteristic of St Lucia (and Caribbean) Creole identity, and a connected fluidity in language use. Through a rural and Castries sample, he further studies the evaluations of St Lucians of French, English, and Kwéyòl, in relation to their sense of cultural and social relevance and affinity of and with these languages. He shows how English is seen by most as high-status and important for St Lucians, especially for upward and outward mobility, while especially for St Lucia's national identity Kwéyòl is also valued by most, despite its recent partial waning. French, recently stimulated as main second or third language, is seen as quite important, and should according to a majority of the sample (especially in Castries) be learned more by St Lucians, and is seen as more relevant than Spanish. Author points out how this is related to a strong cultural affinity St Lucians sense with nearby Martinique, practical connections (traveling, migrating) to Martinique, or French/Martinican tourists in St Lucia, as well as to French's similarity to Kwéyòl, thus possibly helping to bolster Kwéyòl's status.

Examines attitudes toward cultural identification with the French language, recently increased in education, relative to English and Kwéyòl, among St Lucians, through a postcolonial conceptual framework. Author contextualizes this within St Lucia's history, as first French and later British colony, and relates it to the multiplicity, characteristic of St Lucia (and Caribbean) Creole identity, and a connected fluidity in language use. Through a rural and Castries sample, he further studies the evaluations of St Lucians of French, English, and Kwéyòl, in relation to their sense of cultural and social relevance and affinity of and with these languages. He shows how English is seen by most as high-status and important for St Lucians, especially for upward and outward mobility, while especially for St Lucia's national identity Kwéyòl is also valued by most, despite its recent partial waning. French, recently stimulated as main second or third language, is seen as quite important, and should according to a majority of the sample (especially in Castries) be learned more by St Lucians, and is seen as more relevant than Spanish. Author points out how this is related to a strong cultural affinity St Lucians sense with nearby Martinique, practical connections (traveling, migrating) to Martinique, or French/Martinican tourists in St Lucia, as well as to French's similarity to Kwéyòl, thus possibly helping to bolster Kwéyòl's status.

Discusses the trend toward Anglicization in St. Lucia, and the increasing demise of the Kwéyòl language in the historically Kweyol-speaking rural districts, related to perceived opportunities for economic advancement. Author explains how this influence of Anglicization spread from the, more English-focused, capital Castries to the rural areas of the islands. He places this perception of English for economic possibilities (of children), partly also fueled by US impact, alongside the gains of cultural nationalism including Kwéyòl promotion in the past 3 decades, such as increasing use of the language on the radio and festivals. Kwéyòl is also seen as a part of an St. Lucian identity. He points out how, nonetheless, the government or parents do not really invest in it, and favor knowledge of English among children.

Objective. This article draws on the concept of segmented assimilation to analyze the values toward, aspirations for, and realistic expectations of pursuing formal education among Mexican–origin students in southern California. Methods. Survey data inform the analyses, which include regression of educational aspirations and expectations on a series of potentially significant independent variables. Results. The evidence of segmented assimilation is mixed. Informants are nearly unanimous in professing positive values toward formal education. However, length of residency in the United States is negatively and fluent bilingualism in Spanish and English is positively associated with educational aspirations and expectations. Conclusions. At the cusp of entering high school, Mexican–origin students profess positive educational values, aspirations, and expectations, belying documented elevated rates of high school dropout and low rates of college attendance.

Objective. This article draws on the concept of segmented assimilation to analyze the values toward, aspirations for, & realistic expectations of pursuing formal education among Mexican-origin students in southern CA. Methods. Survey data inform the analyses, which include regression of educational aspirations & expectations on a series of potentially significant independent variables. Results. The evidence of segmented assimilation is mixed. Informants are nearly unanimous in professing positive values toward formal education. However, length of residency in the US is negatively & fluent bilingualism in Spanish & English is positively associated with educational aspirations & expectations. Conclusions. At the cusp of entering high school, Mexican-origin students profess positive educational values, aspirations, & expectations, belying documented elevated rates of high school dropout & low rates of college attendance. 4 Tables, 49 References. Adapted from the source document.

The Maroons of Suriname enter the twenty-? rst century as the only surviving, culturally and politically autonomous Maroon communities in the Americas. The paper adopts a world-systems approach to explain the evolution of the Surinamese Maroon nations vis-à-vis the ever expanding Surinamese state and global political economy, with particular attention paid to the cultural survival of the Maroon nations. Prior to emancipation, limited colonial integration and mutual fear between the Maroons and Surinamese coastal society facilitated the development of the Maroon communities as relatively independent nations. Despite the best efforts of colonial authorities after emancipation, the weak economy and infrastructure of the Surinamese colony as well as continued mutual fear and distrust enabled the Maroons to guard their autonomy. However, after the Second World War, a period of global economic expansion, the rapid development of the Suriname as an integrated political, economic and cultural unit, and the depletion of and strain on natural resources in traditional Maroon territory dealt serious blows to Maroon autonomy. Maroon cultural survival depends on the ability of the Maroon nations to navigate the rapid changes currently affecting Maroon society, guarding political autonomy and cultivating the most treasured aspects of their cultural heritage, while participating, albeit peripherally, in modern global capitalism.