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Creole Languages and Caribbean Identities

Prof. Michel DeGraff · Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Start with lecture 1 At MIT OpenCourseWare

About

Caribbean Creole languages result from language contact via colonization and the slave trade. In this course we explore the history of Creole languages from cognitive, historical and comparative perspectives. We evaluate popular theories about “Creole genesis” and the role of language acquisition. Then we explore the non-linguistic aspects of Creole formation, using sources from literature, religion and music. We also look into issues of Caribbean identities as we examine Creole speakers’ and others’ beliefs and attitudes toward their cultures. We also make comparisons with relevant aspects of African-American culture in the U.S.

Lectures

Class Videos

  1. 1. Do "Pidgins" exist? Do Creole languages come from Pidgins? 10 min · Video
  2. 2. How much variation in space and in time through the history of Haitian Creole? 4 min · Video
  3. 3. On "Kreyolofoni": Why do we still use the label "Creole" to refer to "Creole languages"? 8 min · Video
  4. 4. Post-colonial discourses of power & identity; the making of socio-economic & cultural hierarchies 16 min · Video
  5. 5. Language and discourses of power in the making of “authentic” identities in post-colonial societies 15 min · Video
  6. 6. Language, culture, identity and "authenticity" in post-colonial communities 15 min · Video
  7. 7. Feedback to students who led class discussion 4 min · Video
  8. 8. Against Creole Exceptionalism, Part 1: Creole languages are perfectly normal languages 17 min · Video
  9. 9. Against Creole Exceptionalism, Part 2: Creole formation is normal language change 10 min · Video
  10. 10. Against Creole Exceptionalism, Part 3: Creole formation is language acquisition plus social factors 10 min · Video
  11. 11. "Birth certificates" of languages created via migration & population contact—Kreyòl, English… 10 min · Video
  12. 12. A brief & partial history of anti-Creole myths at the core of imperialism—linguistic & otherwise 18 min · Video
  13. Guest lecture (2022): Unmaking and remaking community (part 1) Video
  14. Guest lecture (2022): Unmaking and remaking community (part 2) Video

Syllabus and materials

At MIT OpenCourseWare, as the course publishes them.

Credits and licence

Institution
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department
Linguistics and Philosophy
Teacher
Prof. Michel DeGraff
Term
Spring 2017
Level
Undergraduate
Language
English
Subjects
Philosophy, Languages and linguistics
Source
MIT OpenCourseWare
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, as MIT OpenCourseWare states it. Non-commercial use only. MIT OpenCourseWare's terms
Attribution
Prof. Michel DeGraff. Creole Languages and Caribbean Identities. Spring 2017. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu/. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.
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