Haitian Creole Alphabet Song

Recalling a school-girl's experience in Haiti: When Mandaly Louis-Charles was growing up in Haiti, instruction there was primarily in French, a language largely unfamiliar to most students. Children memorized their ABC's and words and phrases in French, then learned their meanings. “Back then,” remembers Mandaly, “we couldn't escape the monotonous chants of children reciting their lessons by heart, in a school with few dividing walls.” At school, children were forbidden to speak their native Haitian Creole (“Kreyòl”), so they had to memorize, without understanding, texts in a language they barely spoke. If caught speaking Kreyòl, they would be punished, sometimes severely. There has been progress since: Kreyòl is now included in the school curricula, though it is taught as a separate subject, and not integrated into the rest of the curriculum. The recently created Haitian Creole Academy works to promote the use of Haitian Creole in all sectors of society. However, most government communications, including laws and decrees, are still published in French only. (1) DeGraff, Michel, April 28, 2013 “Many Hands Make the Load Lighter”: Haitian Creole and Technology-Enhanced Active Learning Toward Quality Education for All in Haiti