Language Attitudes of Multilingual Haitians in the Washington, D.C., Area
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Bonnefil, Christine Elise
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Abstract
The complex relationship between Haiti’s two official languages – Creole and French – is ambiguous and, at times, conflictual. This ambiguity and conflict, stemming from a long history of colonial domination, is evident in how speakers perceive these languages and how they believe the languages should be used today. The current study investigates the language attitudes of multilingual Haitian immigrants living in the Washington, D.C., area to better understand the roles and perceived values of Creole and French in this community. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from ten participants: all fluent speakers of Creole, French, and English, most of whom also speak Spanish. Results from written questionnaires and focus group discussions reveal the persistent presence of sociolinguistic inequalities rooted in colonial language ideologies, as well as increasingly inclusive views of Creole in certain domains previously reserved for French.
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Keywords
Haitian Creole, Multilingualism, Language ideologies, Diglossia, French bilingualism, Language attitudes