Abstract
Creole and Pidgin languages are spoken by not less than 50 million people around the globe, but literacy is usually acquired in other languages, especially those languages introduced by the former colonial powers. This paper suggests that Pidgin and Creole languages should be elaborated for use as the media of instruction in formal education, particularly in contexts where up to 85 per cent of the population speak them. Pidgins and creoles researchers have labelled pidgin and creole languages as “developing” and they highlight their capacity to perform the same functions as their developed European lexifiers, English and French. The central argument is that pidgin and creole languages have the potential to express complex realities and function officially in formal education despite the negative attitudes towards them by their speakers. The attitudes towards pidgin and creole languages in education, the part of political and linguistic entities in adopting Nigerian Pidgin and Mauritian Kreol as the medium of teaching literacy in their respective countries are the central issues of focus.
Highlights
Creole and Pidgin languages are spoken by not less than 50 million people around the globe, but literacy is usually acquired in other languages, especially those languages introduced by the former colonial powers
This paper suggests that Pidgin and Creole languages should be elaborated for use as the media of instruction in formal education, in contexts where up to 85 per cent of the population speak them
Though strong arguments are backing the use of pidgins/creoles in primary education, it should be recognised that in situations where education in English is highly valued for reasons of social advancement and prestige; education in a first language usually much less, not all of the individuals involved will be quickly persuaded of the benefits of training literacy in Kreol and NigP
Summary
This paper suggests that Pidgin and Creole languages should be elaborated for use as the media of instruction in formal education, in contexts where up to 85 per cent of the population speak them. The central argument is that pidgin and creole languages have the potential to express complex realities and function officially in formal education despite the negative attitudes towards them by their speakers. Suggesting Creoles as the Media of Instruction in Formal Education. (2020) “Suggesting Creoles as the Media of Instruction in Formal Education”, East African Journal of Education Studies, 2(1), pp. Ekiye, “Suggesting Creoles as the Media of Instruction in Formal Education”, EAJES, vol 2, no.
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