Haitian Blogs

English as a National Language of Haiti

After paying a ransom of $23 billion, what more does Haiti owe the French? Haitians were Africans enslaved by France, so there should be no real sentimental attachment to the French language, right? So would we not be the wiser to have the English language incorporated just as much in Haitian public life as the French language? Especially given our close proximity of about 600 miles from the United States, a real world power, as opposed to 5,000 miles from France, a traditional world power?

Firstly, I believe Creole should be the only national language of Haiti. It’s a living language, ever-evolving, and is spoken by every Haitian. It should be studied, perfected and understood as a language rather than a dialect.

That's in my perfect world. But in the real world, Creole is not the only national language in Haiti, French is also a national language and it has been a language used to divide Haitians in terms of class or perceived intelligence.

Furthermore we’ve begun to realize that French has not helped us reach out to the greater world; case and point, the Haitian Center for the Facilitation of Investments has decided to make English its primary language. Also, most of the developed world speaks English before it speaks French... except for France. Even Canada seems to be making a shift.

Don’t get me wrong, I think French is the most beautiful language on the planet. I would hate for Haitians to lose that influence but leaning on the side of practicality, efficiency, modernism and progress, English should be accepted into Haiti just as much, - no more, no less - as French is.

If French is a national language in Haiti, English should be too. Therefore, right now, today, Haiti should have three national languages.

I am talking about a real push to reach out globally. Just as in the United States, nearly all government offices or communications support the Spanish language. My television has an SAP button and it's getting to the point where a U.S. President can't get elected without being able to give at least one sentence in Spanish.

Those are pushes in the U.S. of reality and progress. Likewise, the Haitian government should start supporting the English language and making a push to incorporate it in general society just as much as French, equally.

Haiti should be equal parts responsible and fun - like the Acura commercial.

French is fun. French is beautiful, full of color in all its fancy. But being responsible in this day and age is speaking English. English is the language of our most powerful neighbor the United States.

And besides, we Haitians are already beginning to incorporate a lot of English words and phrases when speaking French and Creole anyways.

In either case, all I am saying is, if French is a national language, English might as well be. If we don’t want English as a national language, then we should not want French either.

We post, you decide.