The power of Creole (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

The power of Creole
Beneath Haiti’s problems lies a deep conflict with its own language.
An MIT professor has a bold plan to fix that.

July 24, 2011|By Leon Neyfakh

When Michel DeGraff was a young boy in Haiti, his older brother
brought home a notice from school reminding students and parents of
certain classroom rules. At the top of the list was “no weapons.” And
right below it, DeGraff still remembers: “No Creole.” Students were
supposed to use French, and French only.

It was like this all over the country, and still is. Despite the fact
that the vast majority of Haitian children grow up hearing and
speaking exclusively Haitian Creole—the language used in their
villages and homes, in their music, and in their proverbs, jokes, and
jingles—the minute they start school they are forced to start all over
in a language they don’t know.

Access full article below:
http://articles.boston.com/2011-07-24/news/29810375_1_language-gap-degraff-creole-language