Kriol Language Taught at Y.M.C.A Summer Program

Kriol is one of Belize’s richest cultures that proponents insist we should not only practice but preserve. So it’s in that light that the Young Men’s Christian Association, Y.M.C.A contracted the services of Kriol expert, Silvaana Udz (Woods) to conduct a thirty-five hour Kriol program at that institution. Today, a closing ceremony was held for the students who enrolled and News Five spoke with Udz and one of the students, Herman Williams, to find out how it went. 

Silvaana Udz

Silvaana Udz, Facilitator, Y.M.C.A. Kriol Program

“The bilingual way is actually designed specifically for a group like this. High schoolers who are monoliterate in English. Maybe they know some Spanish writing too, but argument’s sake. Monoliterate in English, but bilingual in Creole and English. So what we’re doing is we’re tapping into knowledge they don’t even know they have. They are perfect Creoles. In fact, they can talk Creole better than you and me cause they correct me half the time, right? My Creole too educated. But the thing is, instead of just saying the Creole, we’re using the standard writing system because that further develops pride. Oh, there’s a way to read and write it. The dictionary is there. It elevates it in their minds, even though it’s still a language, whether or not there’s a dictionary. So, all the examples we’re using to show how grammatical rules in English are different from grammatical rules in Creole. We use the standard system, embedding it. Then we do a little implicit teaching of the symbols. Ih nuh hard for read and write? There are just some symbols you have to learn. Of the 7, 000 plus languages in the world, maybe 2,000 are written down. But outta deh ya, outta deh ya, English da the one with the most mixed up spelling because of how English form, as the kids wa tell wi, right. But most of the world’s languages, one sound is represented by one symbol. The symbol might be two letters, so every time I want Marian – Yan – ih wa be Y-A-N. M-A-R-Y that Yan, Yan, right? If I want to say garden, ih wa always be G-Y. If I always want the A sound – laata – L-A-Y-T-A. S-O-T-A-Y. Stay wa be like  English: S-T-A-Y, but in English, it could be straight: A-I-G-H-T. Late: L-A-T-E. It could be many ways. This is one sound, one symbol. Of course you have to learn which symbol it is and practice a bit.”

Herman Williams

Herman Williams, Student, Y.M.C.A Kriol Program

“We did different activities in Creole, like, we did some fill in the blanks, some story writing, and some story reading.”

Marion Ali

“Now, you’re moving on to sixth form. How important do you think this course will be in your future?”

Herman Williams

“So, I believe this course will be important because I don’t speak English too well. I don’t. I do mix up some words sometimes because I came from speaking in Creole where I live  – just my household we speak Creole mostly. So, I understand why I get mixed up with English sometimes because I came from the Creole background and the Creole word system. So, I know how to implement the different words, like the difference between English and Creole now so that I can not make the same mistakes I did.”