BELIZE CREOLE: A STUDY OP THE CREOLIZED ENGLISH SPOKEN IN THE CITY OP BELIZE, IN ITS CULTURAL AND SOCIAL SETTING
BELIZE CREOLE: A STUDY OP THE CREOLIZED ENGLISH SPOKEN IN THE CITY OP BELIZE, IN ITS CULTURAL AND SOCIAL SETTING
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Date
1973-09
Authors
Young, Colville Norbert
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Abstract
The speech of (a) three civil servants, children of manual workers
(b) three civil servants, children of clerical workers (c) three manual
workers and (d) four teachers is sampled in in-group and inter-group
informal conversations, and an interview with the investigator in the
course of which they express opinions on language use in Belize and tell
stories in Creole.
Their speech is analysed based on the maintenance of STD English
forms vs. their replacement by non-STD forms. Three phonological and three
grammatical variables provide indices to the code-switching behaviour
observed.
Groups (b) and (d) demonstrate the facility of clean switching
between interview usage (STD) and the Creole usage of story-telling and
in-group or inter-group conversation. The other two groups, (c) in
particular, show continuum behaviour to a much greater extent. The
Creole forms of all groups demonstrate a high degree of homogeneity. The
results of a lexical test also support the findings with regard to Creole
homogeneity for all informants. It is suggested that this homogeneity is
The speech of (a) three civil servants, children of manual workers
(b) three civil servants, children of clerical workers (c) three manual
workers and (d) four teachers is sampled in in-group and inter-group
informal conversations, and an interview with the investigator in the
course of which they express opinions on language use in Belize and tell
stories in Creole.
Their speech is analysed based on the maintenance of STD English
forms vs. their replacement by non-STD forms. Three phonological and three
grammatical variables provide indices to the code-switching behaviour
observed.
Groups (b) and (d) demonstrate the facility of clean switching
between interview usage (STD) and the Creole usage of story-telling and
in-group or inter-group conversation. The other two groups, (c) in
particular, show continuum behaviour to a much greater extent. The
Creole forms of all groups demonstrate a high degree of homogeneity. The
results of a lexical test also support the findings with regard to Creole
homogeneity for all informants. It is suggested that this homogeneity is
partly related to social and historical factors.
A grammar of the Creole end of the English/Creole continuum is
presented. Finally, aspects of education in Belize are considered.
Description
Thesis submitted for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in the University of York.
Department of Language
September, 1973
Keywords
BELIZE,, CREOLE,, STUDY,, CREOLIZED,, ENGLISH,, SPOKEN,, CITY,, BELIZE,, CULTURAL,, SOCIAL,, SETTING,