DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH STUDIES
Academic Year 2015-2016
Tutor:
Module Code/Title:
Dr. A. M. Auleear Owodally
auleearo@uom.ac.mu
403 7904
ENG 3102 (5) - CONTACT LANGUAGES IN CONTEXT
Module Level:
Courses:
3
BA (Joint) Humanities
Credit Rating:
Core or Elective:
Duration:
3
Elective
Semester 1
Course Outline
This course aims to consider some of the linguistic phenomena that occur when languages some into
contact. The focus of the module will be extreme cases of languages in contact: contact languages.
Taking a historical and social approach, this module will look at issues that arise when contact
languages cohabit with other languages in specific contexts.
Learning objectives
The aims of this module are to:
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Familiarize students with some of the concepts and terminology used to describe
phenomena resulting from languages in contact;
Explore, analytically and critically, articles that describe contact language situations in
context;
Focus on Mauritius and Haiti as two case studies of contact languages in particular contexts.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the semester, you will be expected to:



Be familiar with some of the technical terms used to describe languages in contact and
contact languages;
Read, understand and critically respond to a selection of research articles on Mauritius and
Haiti;
Be able to reflect on local sociolinguistic phenomena.
Course structure
The course will consist of:

Lectures
o
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Students will be expected to read the set materials for each week before coming to
class, so that lectures can be as interactive as possible.
Seminar Presentation
Reading Reports
Assessment
The continuous assessment will weigh 30% and the end-of-Semester 1 exam 70%.
Seminar Presentation (marks over 50 x 2)
Each group (4 people) will make TWO 10-minute presentations (Weeks 7 and 14).
Find below guidelines which might help:





From your reading of the literature for this part of the module, select a topic that you would
like to think through in more depth;
From your topic, narrow down to an argument so that you can start your presentation with:
“In this paper, we focus on…(topic)……Drawing upon our reading of …..(2-3 relevant readings)……..,
we argue that……”;
The introduction to the short paper should be submitted in two weeks prior to the
presentation for feedback;
The paper will not be longer than 2 pages (one and a half line spacing, Calibri 11).
You are strongly advised to refer to the guidelines for ‘Presentation – General’ found on the
Linguistics
Corner
of
the
Departmental
website:
http://www.uom.ac.mu/fssh/index.php/linguisticcornereng
Class Test (marks over 100)
Assignment (marks over 200)
“speakers, both as members of social groups and as individual agents, can and use language
creatively to express and negotiate their complex, shifting identities” (Garrett, 2004: 48). Use this
quotation as a starting point to write a 1200 word essay on speakers of contact languages in context.


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You are advised to select ONE particular focus/argument for your essay.
This
focus/argument should be carefully and clearly articulated in the introduction to your essay.
You are advised to select TWO or THREE readings for this essay,
You are also advised to refer to the guidelines for ‘Assignment’ found on the Linguistics
Corner
of
the
Departmental
website:
http://www.uom.ac.mu/fssh/index.php/linguisticcornereng
Assignments will be submitted on the day of our class in Week 13 by NOON.
COURSE ORGANISATION
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Week 1: Language Contact and Contact Languages
Garrett, P. (2004). Language contact and contact languages. In Duranti, A. (ed.) A Companion
to Linguistic Anthropology. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Pp. 46 – 73.
Auckle, T. (2012). From code-switching to code-mixing in a Mauritian Creole speaking
community. In Tirvassen, R. (ed.) Langages de Jeunes, Plurilinguisme et Urbanisation. Paris,
France: L’Harmattan. Pp. 113 – 142. (Focus on pp 113 – 116)
Week 2: Contact languages in context
Milroy, J. (2007). The ideology of the standard language. In Llamas, C., Mullany, L. and
Stockwell, P. (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Sociolinguistics. London: Routledge, Taylor
and Francis. Chapter 16.
Sebba, M. (1997): Contact Languages. London: MacMillan Press. Chapter 8.
WRITING CREOLES
Week 3: Haiti
Schieffelin, B.B .and Doucet, R.C. (1994). The "Real" Haitian Creole: Ideology, Metalinguistics,
and Orthographic Choice. American Ethnologist, 21 (1), 176 – 200.
Week 4: Orthographic Choices in Mauritius: A macro-perspective
Ministry of Education and Scientific Research. (2004). Grafi-larmoni, viewed on
http://www.potomitan.info/bibliographie/harmonized.php
Mooneeram, R. (2007). The contribution of creative writing to the standardization of Mauritian
Creole. Language and Literature, 16 (3), 245-261.
Rajah-Carrim, A. (2008). Choosing a spelling system for Mauritian Creole. Journal of Pidgin and
Creole Languages, 23 (2), 193 – 226.
Week 5: Orthographic Choices in Mauritius: A micro-perspective
Rajah-Carrim, A. (2008). Choosing a spelling system for Mauritian Creole. Journal of Pidgin and
Creole Languages, 23 (2), 193 – 226.
Rajah-Carrim, A. (2009). Use and standardisation of Mauritian Creole in electronically mediated
communication. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14: 484 – 508.
Week 6: Orthographic Choices in Mauritius: Creative writing
Mooneeram, R. (2007). The contribution of creative writing to the standardization of Mauritian
Creole. Language and Literature, 16 (3), 245-261.
Week 7: First Seminar Presentations that cover Weeks 1 to 6
Week 8: Reading Week
Week 9: CLASS TEST
CREOLES IN EDUCATION
Week 10: Creoles in education
Siegel, J. (2010). Pidgins and Creoles. In N.H. Hornberger & S.L. McKay, eds. Sociolinguistics and
Language Education. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 232 – 263.
Wigglesworth, G., Billington, R., & Loakes, D. (2013). Creole Speakers and Standard Language
Education. Language and Linguistics Compass, 7(7), 388-397.
Week 11: Haiti
Hebblethwaite, B. (2012). French and underdevelopment, Haitian Creole and development.
Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages, 27 (2): 255 – 302.
Week 12: Mauritius: Pre-2012
Rajah-Carrim, A. (2007). Mauritian Creole and language attitudes in the education system of
multi-ethnic and multilingual Mauritius. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development,
28 (1), 51 – 71.
Week 13: Mauritius: Post-2012
Auleear Owodally, A. M. and Unjore, S. (2013). Kreol at school: a case study of Mauritian
Muslims' language and literacy ideologies, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural
Development, 34:3, 213-230
SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Week 14: Second Seminar presentations that cover Weeks 10 to 13
Week 15: Consultation Hours
Indicative reading list
Adone, D. (1994). The Acquisition of Mauritian Creole. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Co.
Atchia-Emmerich, B. (2005). La Situation Linguistique à l’ile Maurice. Les Développements Récents à
la Lumière d’une Enquête Empirique. Inaugural-Dissertation in der Philosophischen Fakultät 11 der
Friedrich-Alexander, Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg.
Baggioni, D. and de Robillard, D. (1990). Ile Maurice: Une Francophonie Paradoxale. Paris :
L’Harmattan.
Baker, P. (1972). A Description of Mauritian creole. London.
Carpooran, A. (2000). Langues et droits en milieu plurilingue: le cas de l'île Maurice (Doctoral
dissertation, Aix-Marseille 1).
Carpooran, A. (2005). Langue créole, recensements et législation linguistique à Maurice. Revue
française de linguistique appliquée, 10(1), 115-127.
Chaudenson, R. (2001). Creolization of Language and Culture. London: Routledge.
Craig, D. R. (1988). Creole English and education in Jamaica. In Paulston, C. B. (Ed.) International
Handbook of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. Greenwood Publishing Group, 297-312.
Craig, D. (2008). Pidgins/Creoles and Education.
In Kouwenberg, S., & Singler, J. V. (Eds.) The
Handbook of Pidgin and Creole Studies. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 593 - 614.
Hookoomsing, V.Y. (2001). Language, pluralism and development: The case of Mauritius. In: R.
Trewby & S. Fitchat, eds. Language and Development in South Africa. Making the Right Choices.
Conference Proceedings. National Institute for educational Development, Okahandja, Namibia, 1113 April 2000. Gamsberg MacMillan, Winhoek.
Hookoomsing, V.Y. (2003). Chota bharat, Mauritius: The myth and the reality. In: B. Parekh & G.
Singh, eds. Culture and economy in the Indian diaspora. Vertovec, Routledge Research in
Transanationalism. Curzon: Routledge, 13-32.
Jahangeer-Chojoo, A. (2004). La Rose et le Henné. Une Etude des Musulmans de Maurice. Mahatma
Ghandi Institute, Mauritius.
Kouwenberg, S., & Singler, J. V. (Eds.). (2008). The Handbook of Pidgin and Creole Studies. West
Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Migge, B., Léglise, I., & Bartens, A. (Eds.). (2010). Creoles in Education: An Appraisal of Current
Programs and Projects (Vol. 36). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing.
Miles, W. F. (2000). The politics of language equilibrium in a multilingual society:
Mauritius. Comparative Politics, 215-230.
Sauzier-Uchida, E. (2009). Language Choice in Multilingual Mauritius: National Unity and
Socioeconomic Advancement.
Stein, P. (1982). Connaissance et Emploi des Langues a l’ile Maurice. Helmut Buske Varlag, Hamburg.
Stein, P. (1997). The English language in Mauritius: Past and present. English World-Wide, 18
(1), 65-89.
Siegel, J. (1997). Using a pidgin language in formal education: help or hindrance? Applied
Linguistics, 18(1), 86-100.
Siegel, J. (1999). Creoles and minority dialects in education: An overview. Journal of Multilingual and
Multicultural Development, 20(6), 508-531.
Siegel, J. (2005). Literacy in pidgin and creole languages. Current Issues in Language Planning, 6(2),
143-163.
Siegel, J. (2010). Bilingual literacy in creole contexts. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural
Development, 31(4), 383-402.
Youssef, V. (2002). Issues of bilingual education in the Caribbean: The cases of Haiti, and Trinidad
and Tobago. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 5(3), 182-193.
Zephir, F. (1997). Haitian Creole language and bilingual education in the United States: Problem,
right, or resource? Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 18(3), 223-237.
J-Stor and Ebsco- Host are available to all UOM students: Make full use of the data bases!!!
You are also advised to go to the Sociolinguistics section in the library, where we have a variety of
books. You are also encouraged to visit the Reserve Section which has a rich and new collection of
books on topics of relevance to this module.