Why would you learn French-based Creole ?

Sak pase Caribbean fellows and others !

As a French West Indian always promoting my culture and language, I for sure want you to learn French-based Creole. Now, why would YOU learn that language instead of French really ?

Really and truly, the world speaks English, French, Spanish, the three main languages already spoken in the Caribbean due to colonization. Though, there is a Caribbean identity and awareness rising over the years and throughout the region. We are more and more assertive as Caribbean people and want to show the world who we are really. Our culture litteraly takes over the world ; look at the music, the dance, the style travelling all over. Being Caribbean turns out to be trendy. We are more represented on the screen whether it is on Netflix or at the movie theater. I am always proud to hear Jamaican Creole (Top Boy, One love movie, Meet Joe Black) or Haitian Creole (Human : The world within, Avec Naomie, etc) while watching a show even though we must admit that it is sometimes exaggerated when it comes to accent or attitude.

Still, we, Caribbean people, are disregarding our own wealth. Yes, Creole is our own, it's our wealth. It belongs to us (at least on that side of the globe). I see the Caribbean as one entity divided in several unique entities. Did you know that the 1st regional language spoken throughout the West indies is French-based Creole with more than 12 millions speakers ? Let's thank the Haitian population on that one. This means that we have the power to communicate and reach out to each other talking a language which is ours and not the colonizer's. Let's thus check the assets of learning French-based Creole nowadays as a Caribbean English or Spanish native speaker :

• Thanks to this language you will be able to target several islands population including three non English nor Spanish-speaking population. This is valuable for business or cultural cooperation as well as for tourism activities

• I myself speak about 5 languages more or less fluently. This ability allows me to read and inform myself on lots of topics, no translation needed. Sometimes, I'd even say, most of the time when it comes to our history and culture, information are in the original language. Learning French-based Creole will definitely give you access to a knowledge and databases you could have probably never imagine.

• Switching code is a major tool in any kind of situations ; sometimes Creole may be the only common language you'd have when meeting another West-Indian. Also, it might serve as a "secret language" when talking in public places about sensitive topics.

• Fortunately, most Caribbean people are (almost) bilingual. Did you know that learning new languages keep your cognitive functions healthy ? Furthermore, the more languages you speak, the more new languages you can learn. Your brain knowing already the learning process AND having several linguistic references will be able to pick up words and codes very easily. In addition, French-based Creole syntax is very similar to other Creole structures ; it is also really close to English syntax ! Thus, learning Creole will be very effortless.

• If we leave the West Indies a bit, learning French-based Creole will definitely ease up any trip to Reunion island, Mayotte, French Guiana, Maurice island and more. Though there are obviously (big) differences when it comes to the lexicon, it will be a linguistic advantage especially if you don't speak French in the first hand. Yeah, Creole speakers can actually understand each other.

You got it, French-based Creole learning process can be fun, easy and useful at some point.

As a rooted Caribbean person, it's a linguistic skill you should embrace and cherish. Remember, this language is ours ! Colonization put the first Caribbean languages (I think of Indigenous languages obviously) aside though some words survive still in many modern languages (hammock, tobacco, hurricane and many more), let's not encourage the disappearing of this one because of globalization and stupid inter-islands conflicts.

Start learning Guadeloupean French-based Creole, FOR FREE, right here : https://www.parcooroo.com/fp3wtfzm