COMMUNICATION STUDIES

LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY

MODULE 2
LANGUAGE VS A LANGUAGE
Language refers to a system of communication unique to human beings that
makes use of written and vocal symbols. A Language on the other hand is a
subcategory of this type of communication peculiar to a particular people, region,
geographical region or socio-political background.
REDUPLICATION
In Creole, similar to front focusing and using double negatives, reduplication is
another method used for emphasis. Standard english does allow some
rearrangement for emphasis but it does not affect the rest of the sentence. E.g ‘I
will go tomorrow’ to ‘Tomorrow, i will go’

STANDARD ENGLISH ENGLISH CREOLE

He is sick He sick sick

I love her alot I love her bad bad

The man is foolish What a way di man fool fool

DEFINING LANGUAGE

Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating

ideas, emotions and desires by means of a system of voluntarily produced
symbols.
COMMUNICATION VS LANGUAGE
QUESTION: So why can animals communicate but are
not able to use language?
LANGUAGE AS HUMAN
Only humans have the physical capability to pronounce the wide variety of sounds
that are used in the world’s languages.

Language can deal with displacement.

LANGUAGE AS SYSTEMATIC
Unlike other forms of communication, language makes use of a number of
systems. One such system is sound.

Grammar is another important aspect of the language system. The grammar of a

language is the set of rules that govern how the words of language are put
together to make meaning.
LANGUAGE AS SYMBOLIC
This means it uses words as representations or symbols or ideas. Each word
represents some idea or symbol of ideas.
LANGUAGE AS A SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATION

"Things don't mean: we construct

meaning using representational
systems - concepts and signs."
(Hall:25)
LANGUAGE AS A REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM

We use signs and symbols whether they are

sounds , written words, electronic produced
images, musical notes or even objects to stand for
or represent to other people our concepts, ideas
and feelings.
WHAT COMES TO MIND?
REVISION OF DEFINITIONS
A LaNGUAGE (individual)

● Specific to a particular group of people, region, geographic location or socio-political background.

- Hindi
- German
- Spanish
- English
● A Language is a set of elements and systems that can be used to accomplish a specific tasks in
specific contexts. Examples: to greet friends, argue, ask the time.
● A Language is one recognizable, identifiable or accepted entity used by one or more community of
speakers.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
GENERAL OBJECTIVES

● Understand salient Characteristics of English Creole Languages

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

● identify the salient features of one Creole or Creole-influenced vernacular (in

their territory or any other territory) which make it different from Caribbean
Standard English;
● explain the challenges faced by the Creole or the Creole-influenced
vernacular speaker in learning Caribbean Standard English;
 OUTLINE

● Writing your Featured Address

● Recap Language characteristics

● Understand Grammatical Features of English Creole

● Two Activities
RECAP: LANGUAGE VS A LANGUAGE
Language (generic)

● is a system of human communication unique to human beings that makes use

of vocal and written symbols.
● Language is primarily spoken, but it can also be written
● Language is the verbal form of human expression
CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE
HUMAN

Only Humans have the physical capability to pronounce the wide variety of sounds
that are used in the world’s languages.

The human brain capacity also provides the ability to deal with complex issues (to
reason and plan for the future)

It is also human because it can deal with displacement. His means that language
can be used to discuss things that are not present and never existed
CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE
NON-INSTINCTIVE

This means it is naturally acquired. It needs to be learnt through communicative

interaction with others. While humans are born with the ability to acquire language,
they can only do so through imitation.

SYMBOLIC

This means it uses words as representations or systems of ideas. Most words

have an arbitrary but mutually agreed relationships between the symbol and the
meaning. This ensures that ideas are easily shared among speakers of the same
language.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE
SYSTEMIC

Language has a structure. Each language has specific grammar rules and follows
a specific word order. These systems are mainly Sounds, Grammar and
Semantics.

The dog bit the man Dog the man the bit

VERBAL

It is based on recognizable sounds.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE
DYNAMIC

Because language is human, language evolves as the people who speak them
adapt to new challenges. One manifestation of language change is the invention
of new words. New discoveries and technologies give rise to new vocabulary or
new meanings and terms for obsolete concepts fade out of use.

MATURATIONAL

As an individual groups older, their ability to produce and comprehend language

increases.
STANDARD LANGUAGES
The Language that commands the most prestige and is regarded as the standard
to be attained by education. It starts as the social dialect of the influential group in
society. By reason of its history of use in education and printing, it emerges as
standard and is often supported by economic, political and social factors.

The perception that only standard form is the ‘correct’ use of language gives rise
to the assumption that non-standard languages are ‘broken’, ‘corrupted’ or
incapable of communicating serious issues
CARIBBEAN STANDARD ENGLISH
The form of English that is written and spoken by literate and educated nations of
Caribbean territories and is accepted in formal social settings. It is influenced by
the British Standard usage, American Media and increased travel and
communication throughout the region.
CREOLE
● A creole is a language that comes into being through contact between two or
more languages. In the Caribbean, it has resulted from contact between
Africans speaking different native languages and Europeans speaking
different varieties of European languages.
● The substrate of Creole is the grammar of the African languages while the
superstrate of creole is the vocabulary of European languages.
● When a creole develops, it comes into conflict with the standard language of
the region. There is strong pressure on the creole speakers to move to the
standard english. This process is called decreolisation.
 ACROLECT (Dialect closest to standard european language,
spoken by groups in close contacts with most powerful in society

POST CREOLE CONTINUUM

MESOLECT

BASILECT (Basic form of dialect spoken by the group at the

bottom of the social ladder)
COMPARISON OF STANDARD AND CREOLE LANGUAGES

STANDARD CREOLE

Established Tradition of Written Literature Mainly oral traditions

Published dictionaries Few published dictionaries

Accepted Medium of Education Rarely used as official language in education

Official national language, globally recognized Recognized as official in a few regions

Most prestigious dialect of a language African sound, phrase and sentence (substrate)

Centuries of evolution, borrowing words from Result of sudden forced change

other languages

Complex system of rules Simplified rules

Enjoys stability and uniformity Continuum - creolisation/decreolisation

 CHARACTERISTICS/FEATURES OF ENGLISH CREOLE

GRAMMATICAL FEATURES
PHONOLOGICAL FEATURES
LEXICAL FEATURES
POSSESSION
In Standard English, possession is signaled by adding the apostrophe ‘s’ to nouns
or just ‘ if the noun is plural and already has an ‘s’.

Creole English however shows possession by following one noun immediately

after the other (juxtaposition). The first being the possessor and the second being
the possessed. The word “fi” or”a” is also used to show possession.

STANDARD ENGLISH CREOLE ENGLISH

The student’s book The student book

It is my mango A fi mi mango

It is John’s mango A john mango

PLURALIZATION

In Standard English, nouns form the plural by adding “s” or “es”. In some cases,
the noun form is changed e.g mouse: mice.

Creole nouns carry NO signs of plurality. They are signalled by the addition of the
word “dem” to the noun.

STANDARD ENGLISH CREOLE ENGLISH

The Boys Di boy dem/di boy an dem/dem boy deh

Mary and her friends want to come Mary dem want to come
COPULA VERB CONSTRUCTION
Standard English follows a subject-verb-predicate structure. Predicate (anything
that follows the verb. The verb is essential to the sentence.

In contrast, Creole English can have ZERO copula structure. The linking verb is
removed.

STANDARD ENGLISH CREOLE ENGLISH

I am happy Mi happy/I happy

Jane is sick Jane sick

You are thirsty You thirsty

The driver is dead The driver dead

SERIAL VERB
This is the occurrence of two or more verbs in a clause. Verbs are often used in
series without ‘to’ or ‘and’. The verbs ‘mek’ let (lehwi) and ‘se’ have a special
function in creole.

STANDARD ENGLISH CREOLE ENGLISH

Come and see it Come see it

He carried it for them to see He carry it mek dem see it

I told him that i do not like that Me tell him se me na like that

Bring she lehmi see Bring her for me to see

Run go tell him Run and tell him

TIME
● In Creole verb forms do not change to indicate past tense (it may insert another word) (C1)
● Creole normally indicates time reference by context. (C2)
● Creole would not use an auxiliary verb (C3)
● Does not require subject verb agreement in present tense (C4)
● Some varieties of Caribbean creole use ‘a’ to form the present tense (C5)

ENGLISH CREOLE STANDARD ENGLISH

C1 Di rock did fall/di rock me fall The rock fell

C2 Yesterday, she fall down She fell

C3 I leavin now/me a lef now I am leaving

C4 It drop It dropped

C5 Five boy a come Five boys are coming

HABITUAL ACTION
In Territories like Barbados, Bahamas, Guyana and some parts of the Eastern
Caribbean, the auxiliary verb “does is used to signal habitual action.

ENGLISH CREOLE STANDARD ENGLISH

We does eat late every evening Every evening we eat late

John does go a river everyday John goes to the river everyday

DOUBLE NEGATIVE

ENGLISH CREOLE STANDARD ENGLISH

No tell she nutn Don’t tell her anything

Nobody better don’t walk here I hope no one walks here

FRONT FOCUSING
In creole english, the ordering and placement of phrases and sentences are using
to highlight and emphasize different aspects of meaning in a sentence. It may or
may not have a/is in front of it. This arrangement does not occur in Standard
English.

FROM TO

John eat di mango yesterday Iz di mango john eat yesterday/ iz john eat
di mango yesterday

You tell me the story Iz you tell mi de story/a u tell me de story

 POPCAAN - INVIOLABLE
Hoii
Whole heap a real youth me see dem try tie down
Me know dem can't tie down me
Man buss 'way and rich, now dem waan see man lay down
Me know dem can't tie down me
Unruly, we nah fail
Tell dem we no failure
Dem waan we fi go a jail
Pop Skull nah be no jailer
Father God, me thank you for watching over me
Mhm
Father God, me thank you for watching over me
Cho!
CREOLE GRAMMATICAL FEATURES IDENTIFIED

Hoii
Whole heap a real youth me see dem try tie down
Me know dem can't tie down me
Man buss 'way and rich, now dem waan see man lay down
Me know dem can't tie down me
Unruly, we nah fail
Tell dem we no failure
Dem waan we fi go a jail
Pop Skull nah be no jailer
Father God, me thank you for watching over me
Mhm
Father God, me thank you for watching over me
Cho!
FORM YOURSELVES INTO GROUPS OF NO MORE THAN THREE

● CREATE A DIALOGUE/STORY/DRAMATIC PIECE/SONG USING AN

ENGLISH CREOLE LANGUAGE FROM THE CARIBBEAN
● THE PIECE MUST CONTAIN AT LEAST FIVE CREOLE RULES/FEATURES
● TO BE PRESENTED (CLASS HAS TO IDENTIFY FEATURES CORRECTLY)