OUR STORY

THE NEED FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING

Haiti has two official languages- Haitian Creole (Kreyòl) and French. Kreyòl is a language that was created through influences from several Western African languages, French, Spanish, Taino, Arabic and English. As the largest linguistic contributor is French, a francophone person with no knowledge of Kreyòl should be able to make some sense of what a Kreyòl speaker is conveying, although there are enough differences to make a large part of it unintelligible without additional training.

Many Haitians who have had elementary education are able to speak both Kreyòl and French, but the majority speaks only Kreyòl. As in most countries with a colonial history, most formal presentations, meetings and documents, including the laws of the land and administrative reports and forms are written in the colonizer’s language- French, although everyday conversation among everyone in Haiti is in Kreyòl. Some speak Spanish as many Haitians live and work in neighboring Dominican Republic.

​

In 2012, nearly 300,000 people traveled to Haiti from overseas. The overwhelming majority of these travelers came from the United States. Many are Haitian Americans, and several are non-Haitians traveling for business, charitable purposes, overseeing developmental projects and peacekeeping in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. Many speak only in the English language. Situated in the Caribbean and close in proximity to the US and Puerto Rico, Haiti is an outlier in its linguistic make up. While most travelers need assistance with translation in their lingua franca, only a few Haitians are proficient in English, though this number is currently growing.

​

International visitors stimulate the economy through their spending. A lot of this spending fuels Haitian services and manufacturing, creating gears to keep the economic engine rolling. The jobs which benefit from this spending include transportation, paramedical, nursing, teaching and translation services. From our experience, good translators are paid well, up to $50 a day. From our trips into Haiti, it is clear that this has created better living conditions and an opportunity to use and improve skills, not only in the English language, but paramedical and administrative skills, as the translators assist physicians and nurses in diagnosing disease, testing for deficiency, dental services, assisting with OB/GYN, managing triage, and other services.

​

Throughout the Caribbean and the US, English is the language of business. Proficiency in English raises prospects for a good job and better income. At this time, more than ever, it has become possible to deliver quality training in English to Haitians with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). LEP is a term used by the US Federal Government. Individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English can be limited English proficient, or "LEP." We believe these individuals, mostly young Haitians from middle school and upwards, have had exposure to English through the Internet and from interactions with the large number of foreign visitors to Haiti since 2010. Many are familiar with popular songs in English. In our experience, some have used English language videos on YouTube to make crafts that they sell to these visitors.

Many Haitians are present in the US as immigrants and this number keeps growing, as family members sponsor permanent residencies for relatives. Slightly over 50% of these reported having LEP to the federal government, making it necessary for them to avail of assistance from the government in having documents, forms and immigration-related interviews translated to them while in the US.

English, in this case taught as a ‘third language’, after Kreyòl and French, will complement these linguistic abilities and expand the students’ ability to interact and benefit from the Anglophone world around them. The case for introducing English as a third language has never been stronger.

​

The Need to Engage with Haitians

More and more Americans are becoming increasingly interested in serving alongside Haitians in helping to rebuild their country. In our experience this has resulted in a positive relationship between the peoples in both countries. The 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report avers that 79% of Haitians approve of U.S. leadership, the highest rating for any surveyed country in the Americas. American visitors who engage with Haitians in such endeavors have seen positive changes in their own lives, in how they view poverty, the spiritual life, racial reconciliation and friendships. Many have come forward to volunteer for short-term missions, and others are encouraged to do more. From healthcare, many of our volunteers have been inspired to work on water justice, sports ministries, and other humanitarian activities.

​

Our volunteers commit to a minimum of 1 hour of teaching each Saturday at a specific time, so that other life activities need not be set aside substantially to engage in the mission. We also believe that this, being a 9-month long commitment, may in fact build stronger relationships and a lasting impact in the community in Haiti with whom we hope to engage.