The truth about learning Haitian Creole. Image source.
Some are mystified by its idiosyncratic structure and sound, some consider it to be the same as French or a merely simplified derivative, while others consider it to be too hard to learn. Are these ideas true? No, they are nothing less than exaggerations. This article shows how Haitian Creole works and if it is really worth your time learning it.
Language Structure of Haitian Creole
Oftentimes, creole dialects that originate from a mother tongue are considered to be incomplete, informal and suitable only for the common people. But, the same cannot be said for Haitian Creole. It has actually developed to be an actual language with systematic diction and grammar rules. This is why Creole is being used as a way for agencies to reach out to non-English speaking Haitians. This would not have been possible if Creole was always written in a way that is solely based on how an author think it should be written instead of using a standard.
Haitian Creole is easy to learn. Image source.
3 Reasons Why Learning Haitian Creole is Easy
When a group of people are speaking a foreign language in front of you, it truly sounds more like incomprehensible gibberish than anything else. But, as you begin to understand the foreign language, it becomes more like a piece of elegant art to you. The same can be said for Haitian Creole. What is more, Creole is actually convenient. Unlike main stream languages such as English, Spanish and French, the grammatical and spelling rules of Creole are significantly simpler.
1. Reading and Spelling: With the exception of some distinct pronouns and nouns such as "Ford" and "pizza" that are directly borrowed from other languages, all words are spelled exactly as they sound and sound exactly as they are spelled. The sounds are very phonetic, strong, abrupt and emphatic. You don't have to roll tongue in all sorts of ways just to pronounce a word correctly.
2. Verbs: Memorizing the different verb tenses and conjugations are one of the most time-consuming things of learning a new language. Fortunately, there is very little verb conjugation in Haitian Creole. For instance, the verb se or "to be" remains the same in all forms (eg. Mwen se → I am, Ou se → You are, Li se → He/She is, Nou se→We are, Yo se → They are). Notice how the verb se or "to be" remains the same with all subject pronouns.
3. Vocabulary and Syntax: In some languages, each object has a gender. For example, in French and Spanish, "the apple" is considered to be a female object (French: La pomme, Spanish: La manzana). Like English, Objects have no gender in Haitian Creole.
Is Haitian Creole the Same as French?
Haitian Creole and French are indeed very similar -- so similar that people often think that they are the same. It is easy to draw this conclusion because virtually all vocabulary words in Creole came from French. Nevertheless, those who have heard people speaking Creole and French know for a fact that they sound very different despite their similarity.Why is this? As already mentioned above, the sounds of the words, the conjugation of the verb tenses and the overall structure are quite different. In Haitian Creole, the sounds and pronunciations are strong and emphatic. The verb tenses and sentences have a substantially simpler structure. Lastly, Creole is influenced by some African dialects, which gives it its distinctive and seemingly firm pronunciations. Because of this, native French speakers hardly understand Creole. They can only pick up some words here and there.
Haitian Creole - Should You Even Bother Learning It?
Spoken by millions of people worldwide, Haitian Creole is proliferating beyond the borders of Haiti and is quickly permeating through the U.S. and other lands. Yes, unlike other creole languages that are reeling from imminent extinction, Haitian Creole is actually blooming in popularity.
Haitian Creole is getting more popular. Image source.
As such, there is a greater demand for it now than ever before. Places such as the northeastern coast of the U.S and southeastern and Southwestern Florida are locations in the United States that have an especially high demand for Haitian Creole [1].
Even other countries such as Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have a great demand for it. Haitian Creole is also relatively easy to learn. Think about it. That is exactly what people are looking for: a language that is in high demand and easy to learn. Since Creole meets both of these criteria, it is actually a good idea to consider learning it.
References
1. City-Data. "Top 101 Cities with the Most Residents Born in Haiti." Accessed June 10, 2014.