IN THIS ISSUE (No.3)

 

REPORTS

 

 

USA


From:

Katherine Fischer
1008 Dewey Ave
Evanston, IL 60202 USA

[The Caribbean Academic Program (CAP) at Evanston Township High School was described in the last issue of this newsletter. (See also FORTHCOMING PUBLICATION on page 9.) The figures given below may illustrate the positive affect of the program. They show how a large proportion of the students have moved up into classes at a higher academic level since being in the program.]

“The following are figures for 51 students who were in the CAP program for all or part of the 1991 and 1992 school years. They reflect placements for the 1992 and 1993 school years. (There are a few students for whom information is not available.)

“Of these students, 14, or roughly 27%, were initially in for 2-level courses; the remaining 73% were in 1-level courses [the lowest level]; none were initially in honors courses.

Placement of CAP Students 1992-93

Level
Number
Percent
1-level
7
14%
2-level
28
55%
Honors
14
27%
Advanced Placement
2
4%

“Of 37 students initially eligible for 1-level [in 1991-92], 7 remain in that track [in 1992-93]. Of 14 students initially eligible for 2-level, 6 remain in that track. The remaining students – 75% – have moved ahead at least one level. 12 students, or 24%, have moved ahead two or more levels. 31% of the total students are and/or will be enrolled in at least one honors class.”

 

From:

Albert Valdman
Creole Institute, Indiana University
Ballantine Hall 602
Bloomington, IN 47405 USA

[The Creole Institute is a research oriented unit, dealing mainly with French-based creoles, especially Haitian Creole.]

“[O]ur pedagogical role is limited to the teaching of Haitian Creole [HC] as a foreign language. However, between 1979 and 1983, we did hold summer institutes for the training of bilingual education teachers involved in the education of Haitian children in the main US Haitian diaspora communities. Many of our graduates are still active in the Boston, Miami, and New York City areas. At present we are engaged in two research projects in French-based creoles: (1) the preparation of a bilingual English - HC dictionary; (2) a historical and general dictionary for Louisiana Creole.” [See PUBLICATIONS below.]

 

Seychelles


From:

M.T. Choppy
Kreol Institute
Anse aux Pins
Mahé, SEYCHELLES

“In Seychelles, Creole is used as a medium of instruction and also taught as a language in schools. For some teaching materials, contact L. Barbé, Creole Section, National Institute of Pedagogy, Seychelles.”

 

Australia


From:

Margaret Dean (formerly Allan)
PO Box 718
Katherine, NT 0851 AUSTRALIA


“In Term 3 1991, I taught a 10 x 2 hours/week introductory course in Kriol at Katherine’s Northern Territory Open College. Most of the seven participants are involved with Kriol speakers in their line of work or community involvement, plus one is involved in the tourism industry.”

 

From:

Rob Amery
Faculty of Education
Northern Territory University
PO Box 40416
Casuarina, NT 0811 AUSTRALIA

“I am involved in language revival/resur-rection work in the Wunga languages of the Adelaide region. I am particularly interested in J.D. Powell’s (1973) work, ‘Raising Pidgins for Fun or Profit’, and the application of these ideas and methods in the Australian context (Sandefur 1983; Thieberger, forthcoming). Sandefur refers to ‘relexification’ whilst Thieberger refers to ‘language recreation’, but they both draw on Powell's original idea of constructing what he calls an artificial pidgin to facilitate acquisition of a language in situations of severe language loss.

“I have not used these methods (sometimes referred to as the Quileute approach) but I’m particularly interested in their application and outcomes.


“Also acquisition of languages in an additive sense (eg Jamaican Creole in Britain) is potentially very interesting in terms of language resurrection, revival and maintenance of traditional Aboriginal languages.”

 

REFERENCES


Powell, Jay. 1973. Raising pidgins for fun and profit: a new departure in
language teaching. Paper presented at the Pacific Northwest Conference onForeign Languages, Rosario Resort, Washington.

Sandefur, John. 1983. The Quileute approach to language revival programs.The Aboriginal Child at School 11/5, 3-16.

Thieberger, Nicholas. forthcoming article. In Can Aboriginal languages survive? ed. by P. McConvell and R. Amery.

 

 

Papua New Guinea


from:

Beverley Sundgren
Christian Brethren Churches
Anguganak Via Wewak, ESP
PAPUA NEW GUINEA


“The Kisim Save Tok Pisin Literacy programme has been operating since 1970. SIL, Lutherans, Christian Brethren, and Catholic Mission personnel involved and interested in literacy met and commissioned Ruth and Wally Sim (my colleagues) and me to produce the Kisim Save [literally ‘get knowledge’] series of four primers using an eclectic method – phones, syllable drill, lots of meaningful and relevant story material. After the completion of Kisim Save Buk 1-4, I wrote a Teachers’ Guide which has a training section of 50 pages at the front followed by 74 lessons each presented on a double page layout with instruction on left and related chalkboard work on right. Reading, writing and numeracy are included in the programme.


“I train teachers in 3-4 week sessions and then they go to remote villages to teach. It has proven effective. Christian Books Melanesia publish the Teachers’ Guide (retail K4.00 [approximately US$4.00]) and the pupil’s kitset (retail K2.00). Each self-sealing plastic bag contains 4 readers teaching all phonemes, grammatical things, etc, a pre-reading activity book; 3 exercise books and two pencils. Our aim is to sell at cost to enable as many as possible to learn to read."

 

From:


Bob Litteral
Department of Education
Box 5587
Boroko, NCD
PAPUA NEW GUINEA

“In 1991 PNG had Vernacular Prep Schools (Pre-Grade 1) operating in at least 91 languages. Tok Pisin was 3rd in the number of students in classes from a single language. Enga and Kuanua languages had over 1800 students and Tok Pisin had over 1600. There may be more Tok Pisin students since we may not have received data from every school since Tok Pisin is so diffuse. The Enga and Kuanua numbers are fairly reliable since they were collected by provincial governments. Tok Pisin schools that were not aware of the education data base may not have sent in information.”

 

From:

Edward Wiruk
PO Box 41
Ambunti, ESP
PAPUA NEW GUINEA


[The Tok Pisin Prep-school Programwas featured in earlier issues. The following latest information comes from the 1992 Annual Report.]

“There are now 23 prep-schools in the program, an increase of 9 from the 1990 total reported in the last PACE Newsletter.There are 39 teachers, 5 of these being supervisors.


“This year we have experienced disappointments and challenges, especially with the flood and financial problems that forced most of our schools to be suspended for five months. Anyway, the classes for all 23 schools resumed on the 14th September…

“The Melanesian Tok Pisin preschool program was first started with two schools in 1985. The program moved slowly at a snail’s pace when there was opposition from other church groups. Not only that, many teachers opposed the use of Tok Pisin. They thought that the children’s learning to read and write first in Tok Pisin would interfere with their learning English. But the growing general opinion seems to be that Tok Pisin Preschool…actually helps rather than hinders learning of new concepts and ideas as well as other subjects in the English language. In fact, the popularity of the preschools is mainly due to the success of their ‘graduates’ in the community schools. The recognition and demand for this type of program grows rapidly. Parents, teachers, education authorities in the district, local community leaders and the public at large all agree to the effectiveness of the program.”


From:

The PNG Post Courier
(Thanks to Geoff Smith)


“Illiterate women of Banz in the Western Highlands will now be able to read and write in pidgin.

“This follows the launching of a literacy school at Banz…It is being sponsored by the United Nations Education and Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).”

 

 

Solomon Islands


From:

Bernie O’Donnell
Nazareth Apostolic Centre
PO Box 197
Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS

“There has recently been formed a Non-Government Organization to look after Literacy Work. This will initially handle funds from CODE (Canadian Organization for Development through Education). A name [for the organization] will be selected from a competition…There have been several names submitted with Pidgin titles.

“A co-ordinator has been selected for this NGO and he has just started work. This is Mr Jack Rekzy, who has experience as a school teacher and in non-formal education. He will initially supervise projects already operating, some of which are in Pidgin, and some in the vernacular.

“It is hoped that the new co-ordinator will be prominent in advertising literacy in the various districts and sell the idea. He himself has ideas of working in Pidgin and promoting it as something national.

“The need to have an NGO in the Solomons shows that the literacy work, with
a strong emphasis on Pidgin, especially among adults, is going ahead despite some set backs. A government survey, not officially released yet, showed some disturbing results of post-school literacy and general illiteracy in the country.

“There have been statements made that people are “hungry for literacy”, so any efforts at this time will be well rewarded.”

From:

Ernest W Lee
Solomon Islands Translation
Advisory Group
PO Box 242
Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS

“The New Testament in SI Pijin is in the final stages of preparation for printing by the Bible Society of the South Pacific. It is expected to be available for distribution in 1992. The work was finalized by the Pijin Commission of the Solomon Islands Christian Association.

“Funding has been received from CODE (Canadian Organization for Development) for producing 4 Pijin study booklets.

“Pijin literacy series with basic literacy skills book and story track book have been prepared under the direction of Janice Allen (SIL) under the auspices of SILAC. I’m not sure how soon these will be published.

“I also recently talked to Tancicious Ogamauri an RC catechist in the West Kevato area of Malaita. He has trained some people to teach Pijin literacy with apparently very good results among young Kwaio people.”

From:

John J. Roughan
Solomon Islands College of Higher
Education
PO Box G23
Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS

“A number of literacy programs are springing up and many of them are using Pijin-English, especially those going on in town…[A] recent literacy training program [the Women’s Literacy Training Group, aided by teachers of the Bishop Epalle School]…has been in operation almost two years now. The remark-able thing about it is the fact that almost a third of the 59 women are 40 years old or more. That fact underlines the hunger [for literacy] these women feel in an urban setting.”

From:

Rex Stephen Horoi
Solomon Islands College of Higher
Education
PO Box G23
Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS

“The Solomon Islands National Literacy Committee under the guidance of Lesley Mosely, who is the consultant to the committee, has been carrying out a National Survey of all the major languages in the Solomon Islands.

“Solomon Islands is a multi-lingual society with Solomons Pijin as its lingua franca, English as the official language and between 60-100 different vernaculars. The aim of the survey is to gather the necessary linguistic data upon which to design and develop an appropriate language and literacy policy for Solomon Islands. The absence of a language policy is a policy! We hope to do better when the data is available.”

 

 

Britian


From:

Philip Baker
137 Queen Alexandra Mansions
Judd Street
London, WC1H 9DL UK

“You may be interested to know that there is some adult literacy teaching of creole languages in London. The creoles concerned are Antillean (St Lucia and Dominica) and Mauritian.”

[If anyone has more information on the use of creoles in education in the UK, please write to the editor.]

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