UNIT I: Introduction to creoles (Jim)

Week 1

Mon: Formal properties of pidgin languages

Wed: Elaborated pidgins and the creolization process

Fri: Formal properties of creole languages

Week 2

(Mon: Holiday)

Wed: Social aspects of the creolization process and the post-creole continuum

UNIT 2: French-based creoles (Angela)

Fri: French-based creoles in the Americas: history and current status

Week 3

Mon: French-based creoles of the Indian Ocean
Description of the creole of Martinique:
Pronunciation, graphic representationand word formation

Wed: Word-formation and articles

Fri: Verbs: tense and aspect markers

Week 4

Mon: Irregular verbs

Wed: Interrogative and negative forms
Taped sample (Q and A): Suzanne + Lucille Bosqui

Fri: Adjectives
Proverbs

Week 5

Mon: Direct and indirect objects
Demonstrative and indefinite pronouns

Wed: Exclamative forms; Conjunctions and adverbs of time
Song: Syé bwa

Fri: Complex sentences


Week 6

Mon: Complex sentences

UNIT 3: Origins of creoles (Jim)

Summary of general features of creoles with examples from Martinique

Wed: The puzzle of creole genesis

Fri: La Rue cases-nègres (film by Euzhan Palcy in French and creole)

Week 7

Mon: Universalist theory

Wed: Bickerton's Bio-program

Fri: Monogenesis

UNIT 4: Sociolinguistics of creoles (Angela)

Week 8

Mon: Bilingualism, diglossia, and the post-creole continuum
Epilinguistics
Wed: French vs. creole: school, the media, literature
Fri: Transition from oral to written literature
Guest lecturer: Delphine Perret, SFSU

Week 9

Mon: Man Chomil by Georges Mauvois
Literary representation of the Martiniquais interlect.

UNIT 5: STUDENT REPORTS

Wed: Student report: Guadeloupe
Fri: Student report: Haiti

Week 10

Mon: Student report: Louisiana
Wed: Student report: Mauritius
Fri: Samples of the creoles of Dominica and French Guyana
Conclusions and evaluation