Letter to the Editor - ‘Creole language must be put in realistic perspective’ |11 February 2016

May I refer to the letter from Mr Barry Laine, MCIM, FInst SMM, MCMI, MBSCH published in the February 9 issue of Seychelles NATION. I’m glad Mr Laine recognises the Global Dimension of Founding President James R. Mancham and the leadership qualities of our current President James Alix Michel.

But the most important point concerning Mr Laine‘s letter is the question of the Creole language.  We are indeed blessed to have benefited from our historical association with the United Kingdom and France. English is certainly the most important international language of business and politics. The French language is reputed for having a special cultural dimension. How lucky for us Seychellois to have been able to benefit by our awareness and knowledge of these two great languages.

I must say I entirely agree with Mr Laine that we should put the Creole language in realistic perspective. We will always speak our colourful Creole.  We will always sing our many romantic Creole songs but in my view it is misusing the spirit of nationalism to get our children to learn a Creole grammar when they could spend the precious time in keeping up with computer age. There are certainly very few reference books written in Creole and if today, with Creole having been a compulsory language in schools over the last twenty years, we were to invite a dozen or so educated Seychellois who haven’t learned the proper Creole grammar to take a dictation in Creole, we would end up discovering the same words written in different ways.

I would suggest that instead of spending time to learn a Creole grammar, we should spend that time to learn SAVOIR FAIRE and SAVOIR VIVRE.

Like Mr Mancham says “We must aim to get to Monaco not Bamako!”

Timothe Volcère

Les Canelles