Make Pidgin English Lingua Franca

[Bizzaro, Resa Crane]

Hi, all.  As a person who speaks standard English and at least two regional
dialects from eastern NC, I'm in favor of incorporating dialects into
standardized tests.  What would that do to the No Child Left Behind
Initiative, which is seriously affecting the schools in my county? :-)

Great idea!

Resa

-----Original Message-----
From: Hishinlai' [mailto:fnkrs at UAF.EDU]
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 1:00 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Make Pidgin English Lingua Franca


As we've all experienced from some other time, not too long ago, I think we
know a "news article" hardly ever covers the facts. For me, given the
gravity of this statement "that there are easily 500 mother tongues in the
country, which can be classified under dead, dying, moribund or living
languages.", it would be interesting to see how he can back-up a "Pidgin
English Lingua Franca."

Maybe in the U.S., we could adopt non-standard English that is appropriate
regionally. Wow! I wonder what the NCLB initiative would think of that if
they had to institute those types of tests in the schools? Hishinlai'

>===== Original Message From Indigenous Languages and Technology
<ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> =====
>Make Pidgin English Lingua Franca
>
>>>From Iyefu Adoba in Abuja
>http://www.thisdayonline.com/news/20040218news31.html
>
>A Director of research programmes from the National Centre for
>Scientific Research in France, Professor Bernard Caron, has made a case
>for Pidgin English as a lingua Franca in the country.
>
>Speaking in Abuja at a lecture titled "Why Study Minority Languages in
>Nigeria," Professor Caron, who has been in and out of Nigeria for the
>past 17 years, regretted that despite Pidgin being an important Lingua
>Franca, it is hardly mentioned in the language policy of the country.
>
>"Why is the language policy silent on Nigerian Pidgin which is used in
>families and is a first language for many children?" queried the
>Professor.
>
>He noted that English is the de facto official language in the
>bureaucratic and educational system, while the 3 major languages of
>Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa remain the major national potential languages.
>
>Noting that Pidgin is commonly used in songs, the Professor however
>observed that very little literature, if any at all, exists in Pidgin
>and asked if there is any future literary for Pidgin which can be
>easily read in Nigeria and even outside the country.
>
>Caron said Nigeria is a well known country of many languages, adding
>that there are easily 500 mother tongues in the country, which can be
>classified under dead, dying, moribund or living languages.
>
>The Professor said the study of minority languages helps provide better
>knowledge of the culture of the people and helps fight illiteracy.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Hishinlai'
"Kathy R. Sikorski", Gwich'in Instructor
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Native Language Center
P. O. Box 757680
Fairbanks, AK  99775-7680
P (907) 474-7875
F (907) 474-7876
E fnkrs at uaf.edu
ANLC-L at www.uaf.edu/anlc/

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veet'indhan ts'a' nak'arahtii kwaa k'it ch'andzaa. or

"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt, and
Dance like you do when nobody's watching."