[lg policy] Linda Richardson contributes to language policy for the Creole-speaking Caribbean

[Harold Schiffman]

Linda Richardson contributes to language policy for the
Creole-speaking Caribbean
Friday, 28 January 2011 01:31

PHILIPSBURG--Linguist and former minister of education and culture of
the Netherlands Antilles Linda Richardson represented St. Maarten
recently in Jamaica, where she participated in an International
Conference on Language Policy in the Creole-speaking Caribbean. The
conference held January 13-14 was organised by the International
Centre for Caribbean Language Research (ICCLR) and the Jamaican
Language Unit at University of the West Indies, headed by Professor
Hubert Devonish.

It brought together professional linguists and educators, and those
who, because of their role in culture, education, administration and
politics, hold responsibility for language policy, culture and
education, and sought to bring about a Caribbean-wide consensus on how
this region's linguistic complexity should be handled based on a draft
Charter on Language Policy and Language Rights in the Creole-Speaking
Caribbean, and its implementation.

The panel on Developments in Language Policy and Practice in the
Creole-Speaking Caribbean over the past 50 years included St. Lucia
Governor-General Pearlette Louisy, Belize Governor-General Colville
Young, Professor Lawrence Carrington of University of the West Indies,
Richardson and former minister of education and culture Marta Dijkhoff
of Curaçao, also a linguist.

In her presentation, Richardson gave a comparative overview of the
language policy and language practices in both French and Dutch St.
Maarten. She also elaborated on her contribution as a
linguist/educator to the decades-long language-of-instruction debates
throughout the Netherlands Antilles and highlighted several measures
she had taken as minister of education and culture of the Netherlands
Antilles.

Some of these were the introduction of Papiamentu in kindergarten and
the first two years of elementary education in Curaçao and Bonaire;
the implementation of English as language of instruction throughout
elementary and secondary education in Saba in an attempt to reduce the
high rate of repeaters and dropouts; and the signing of a protocol
with the then-Executive Council of St. Maarten to establish a
committee to look into possibilities of introducing bilingual
education in St. Maarten.

Dijkhoff gave the keynote address titled Language Policy and Language
Rights. She presented an historical overview of the tireless efforts
of Caribbean linguists to obtain recognition for the languages of
Caribbean people over the past 50 years.

She also elaborated on the work of the Linguistic Institute of the
Netherlands Antilles by Frank Martinus, Linda Richardson and herself.
Particular mention was made of the project "Removal of Language
Barriers throughout the Caribbean" under the auspices of CDCC and the
establishment of the Caribbean Language Institute (CLI), both
spearheaded by Richardson, Martinus and Dijkhoff. Regrettably, the
dream of setting up the CLI was never realized.

The main focus of the conference was the review of the draft Charter
on Language Policy and Language Rights in the Creole-Speaking
Caribbean, the implementation of which was discussed in several
working groups dealing with the violation of linguistic rights and
human rights in several sectors of Caribbean communities, such as the
education system, public administration, law, and the workplace. The
status of endangered languages in the Caribbean was also a point of
discussion.

At the end of the conference, the final draft of the Charter was
presented to the general public, to the media and to other invited
guests and stakeholders. The charter will be forwarded to several
international organisations, including Caricom and UNESCO.

In the meantime, the conference attendees were requested to inform the
Governments and peoples of their countries of the Charter on Language
Policy and Language Rights and the establishment of a Regional
Language Council. Professor Hubert Devonish said he hoped to visit
several countries to assist in the dissemination of information on the
Charter.

Richardson commended the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry
for recognising the importance of St. Maarten's participation in this
international conference and for making it possible for her to
participate in the deliberations at the conference.

http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/12992-linda-richardson-contributes-to-language-policy-for-the-creole-speaking-caribbean.html

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