A Glimpse of the Dominica French Creole in the Primary School

The Ministry of Education recognizes the importance of preserving the Kwéyòl language in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Our Mother Tongue (Kwéyòl) lends itself to the beauty and uniqueness of Dominica’s rich cultural heritage. All pedagogical concepts of the language unravel itself beautifully in the National Creole Curriculum Guide, which was piloted at fourteen Primary Schools on island from September 2019 to June 2022. This Guide, the first of its kind, aims to ensure that all primary school students and first time learners who study Kwéyòl will be able to: discover the similarities and differences between the English language and the Creole language; apply linguistic knowledge to understand and communicate, using basic lexicon and syntax of Creole; foster pupils’ appreciation of the Kwéyòl language and of learning languages in general; and develop pupils’ awareness of and respect for fundamental values that are common to all human societies.