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Description
Haitian Creole
Language Crash Course is
a language-learning program developed by Hispaniola Spanish Language
School for individuals interested in further deepening their
understanding of Haiti. The program offers its participants the
opportunity to learn Haitian Creole basics, intermediate and advanced
levels. It combines language learning, guide exercises and practice
of spoken language. Upon request, a weekend in Haiti, along with the
teacher can be arranged. Students may also be able to get credits for
an international rotation.
Goals
Students will be able
to read, write
and speak Creole; they will be introduced to unknown vocabulary.
Within the first week of classes, students would be able to construct
simple phrases and followed by further improvements over short period
of time. At the end of the third level, students will be able to
carry a normal conversation and understand most of the spoken and
written messages.
Structure:
Haitian Creole
Language Course is
divided into 3 levels, and each level lasts for one week (20
lessons). First level is based on vocabulary and spelling
(understanding and writing any word, even if unknown). Second level
is focused on grammatical elements (capacity to build correct
phrases). Third level is dedicated to practising the four skills:
speaking, reading, writing and listening.
Time table:
Private
Instruction
(can
be
one-on-one or 2-on-one)
Custom
Group
Course
(max
8
students)
Monday to Friday:
08.30-10.30
Grammar
10.30-11.00 Coffe Break
11.00-12.30 Conversation
Price:
US$180 per week
(Group Course)
US$280 per 10 lessons (Private Instruction)
For
educational or group fees, please contact
us
General
Informations
(from
different sources on Internet):
The Haitian Creole language is spoken by the
inhabitants of Haiti.
By definition, a creole is a language
that arose from the mixture of
two or more languages. Creoles are usually created when speakers of
several mutually unintelligible languages are forced by historical
circumstances to invent a new form of spoken communication, which
then goes on to become the native language of another generation of
speakers.
Haitian Creole evolved in this way from a
combination of French
and several languages. Though the resemblance to its parent languages
can still be clearly seen, Haitian Creole has developed into a full
language in its own right, with a distinctive
vocabulary and a unique
grammar system. Today, Haitian Creole is recognized as one of
the
official languages of Haiti.
The Haitian
Creole alphabet is a variation of the
Latin alphabet,
similar but not quite the same as the one used by English. However,
English speakers learning Haitian Creole should be aware that the
Haitian Creole letters do not always sound the same as their English
counterparts. In some ways, Haitian Creole pronunciation is closer to
that of French, although it is not identical. As is typical of creole
languages, Haitian Creole pronunciation is simpler than that of the
languages it came from, with fewer distinct sounds. Spelling also
tends to be very phonetic, meaning that words are written exactly as
they are spoken. Diacritic marks are used over the vowels in certain
words to indicate various aspects of pronunciation.
Most Haitian Creole vocabulary words were derived
from French.
However, such words are not always immediately recognizable, due to
differences in spelling and pronunciation. For example, the Haitian
Creole word bwe ("to drink") comes from the French
word boire ("to drink"), and the Haitian Creole word chwal
("horse") is related to the French word cheval
("horse"). It is also common to find Haitian Creole words
that have incorporated all or part of a definite article along with a
French word, such as Haitian Creole lalin ("moon")
from the French la lune "the moon" or Haitian Creole zanmi
("friend") from a shortened form of
French les
amis "friends".
Haitian Creole also has a substantial number of
words from the
other languages that went into its creation, including vocabulary
taken from various African languages.
More recent borrowings have
also come from English, Spanish and
other languages.
Haitian Creole grammar differs substantially from
that of French
and that of English. Creole languages typically begin with very
simple, flexible grammar rules that evolve over time into more
detailed, complex systems that often bear little resemblance to the
languages that went into them. The Haitian Creole language is no
exception to this rule. Haitian Creole nouns show the effects of the
original simplification - there is no gender, and plurals are very
regular. Likewise, adjectives and articles do not change form to
match the nouns they modify. However, the use of articles shows some
of the unique features of the Haitian Creole language: there is an
indefinite article, which is used in front of the noun it modifies,
and a definite article, which comes after the noun it modifies and
changes form based on the sounds in that noun. Haitian Creole
pronouns have both long and short forms. In addition to functioning
as the subject of a sentence, pronouns can be placed after nouns to
indicate possession. Haitian Creole verbs are not conjugated, but
there are a series of particles that are placed in front of verbs to
indicate the tense. The typical word
order in most Haitian Creole
sentences is Subject-Verb-Object.
Although learning
Haitian Creole is considered
easy, regular and
structured practice is still necessary to learn to speak the language
well.
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