LUXURY INDIAN OCEAN EXPÉRIENCES
On our sister island
Reunionese Creole was only recognised as a French regional dialect in 2000 . “ And yet it is a mother tongue or , rather a co-mother tongue alongside French ,” says Fabrice Georger , a lecturer at the University of Reunion . Creole has since been added to the island ’ s educational programmes : a certificate for secondary school teachers and of a Creole-language degree were introduced in 2002 . Our sister island now has 430 primary school teachers and 31 secondary school teachers qualified or certified to teach Creole , as well as 35 bilingual kindergarten classes . There were around ten in 2009 . “ It ’ s a step forward , but it ’ s still not enough ,” maintains Fabrice . In an interview with France Culture , Francky Lauret , one of the first associate professors of Creole , insisted that “ it is crucial for Creole not to be placed in opposition to French .” The idea is to promote a healthy form of bilingualism .
“ Creole has taken a long time to overcome its humble origins ”
In 2020 , the academic council for regional languages and cultures set out the common spelling to be used in schools . But Reunionese Creole ’ s official spelling has yet to be established . The Office de la langue créole , founded in 2006 , continues to make proposals to formalise the language . While the association is doing remarkable work to promote recognition of Creole , it is not a public institution . “ Creating a public office would make it possible to develop an official language policy , such as those that exist for Basque , Catalan and Breton ,” explains Fabrice . Paradoxically , these regional languages are disappearing , whereas Reunionese Creole is alive and well . “ Local elected officials supported the creation of those languages ’ public offices . What ’ s missing in Reunion is political will ,” he adds . This gives weight to Professor Carpooran ’ s belief in the power of grassroots demand .
Elsewhere in the region , plans are taking shape to promote Creole languages in its various forms . On 21 February 2019 , to mark International Mother Language Day , Reunion hosted teachers from the Seychelles – which has an international institute of Creole – and Mauritius . There is talk of offering university modules in regional Creole . “ To be at peace with our identity , we must make a stand for all of the region ’ s creoles and remain open to the world ,” concludes Fabrice Georger .
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