Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2018 | Page 564

The
Submitted by Shana Jones
Read her blog at
www.RoamingAviatrix.com
Pride & Prejudice
of
St. Lucian Creole
Bonjou. Non mwen se Val. Mwen sorte de St.
Licie. Ké mon non ou? The words roll off her
tongue like the sparkling waterfalls cascading
among glistening rocks in a secluded corner
of her beloved countryside. Her name is
Valencha Charles and she comes from Grace,
a small village in St. Lucia’s southern district of
Vieux Fort. Like many others from rural parts
of the island, she grew up speaking (alongside
English) Creole, a language developed
during slavery and passed down through
the generations. A mix of mostly French and
African languages, it is the lifeblood of locals
often characterized by animated discourse and
punctuated inflection.
Val recently shared with me her experience of
speaking Creole:
SJ: Tell me about your experience speaking
Creole.
VC: I always loved speaking Creole. I learned
it at the age of 5 or 6 and grew up speaking it.
It has become a part of me. There’s a certain
“juice” to it: certain things come out better in
Creole.
SJ: Were you encouraged to speak it?
VC: We were not encouraged to speak it. I
learned on my own. My daughter knows it
but I don’t let her speak it. We would speak it
with our friends but my mother would speak
to me in English. It sounds better speaking to
children in English.
SJ: When/where is it spoken?
VC: Only with your friends. Some people think
it sounds harsh. It’s spoken in certain places. At
work and in public places, you speak English.
You may speak one [Creole] word; then you go
back to English.
SJ: Is it stigmatized?
VC: Usually people who aren’t educated speak
it a lot more. At some places, it’s prohibited to
speak Creole in the customer’s presence.
SJ: Some people only speak Creole. How are
they treated by English-speaking St. Lucians?
VC: Some would call them “country bookie”.
They think you’re ignorant and look down on
you.
SJ: Do you speak only Creole at home or mix it
with English?
VC: I speak it at home. My stepfather and I
don’t speak to my daughter in Creole; only
in English. Occasionally if I get mad, I’ll say
something in Creole.