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By Ulf Björnholm , Environment & Sustainable Development Specialist for Swedish Government, Blogger & FORCV correspondent in CV

Blog: A CAPE VERDE BLOG: Big thoughts from a small island
Link: bjornholm-ottosson.blogspot.com

Blog: A CAPE VERDE BLOG: Big thoughts from a small island

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Praia, CV 03/19/07- Which main feature distinguishes humans from other advanced animals? Some would say the ability to make fire, some perhaps that we know how to use tools, others yet that humans might have some kind of “souls” which animals wouldn’t.

I would say – language; the ability to speak and communicate.

Just a few days ago, our two-year-old started to use a new expression from his quickly growing Portuguese vocabulary: “não pode”. Consider the power of those few words: “You may not”. And consider the difficulty if you couldn’t utter or understand them. Of course, little children have other ways of communication to express their will, but before they start talking it’s on a pretty basic level (after all, “uääääää” can mean a million things, sometimes confusing even the most ambitious of parents).

Seeing my little boy’s language skill develop as rapidly as it does makes me almost speechless (no pun intended). As we are both learning Portuguese for the moment, it is interesting to compare our abilities. And while it takes at least five repetitions for me to recall a new word in Portuguese, he will remember immediately. What is more; he somehow manages to learn THREE languages at one time. Depending on who is talking to him, he understands and uses either Portuguese/Kriulo (with Cape Verdeans), Finnish (with his mother) or Swedish (with me). Not that he realizes that it is in fact three languages – he simply adapts to the circumstance that different people call things differently. Sometimes he will even say the same thing in all three languages just to make sure that he is understood.

The desire to learn a language is surely one of the most powerful driving forces we have as human beings. According to the Harvard professor Steven Pinker, language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution like web-spinning in spiders or sonar in bats. In several books, he has convincingly explained how evolution has led to our brains being genetically pre-programmed, just waiting to be filled with grammar and vocabulary at a very early stage in life.

And it makes sense, since language is an absolute precondition for our species to live and prosper on this planet. For one thing, it is by far the most efficient way to get something you want. If you cannot communicate what you want, chances are quite slim that you will get it. If you can’t tell people off, there is a big risk that they won’t stop. Therefore, children who learn languages early on will have an enormous payoff, even affecting their chances of survival. And the more languages we pick up as children, the better linguists we become as adults.

We can all relate to the lack of language skills, being unable to express ourselves properly or to understand what people are saying. It can be very frustrating. A good example of this was when our new car broke down in Cape Verde some months ago (see previous blog “My relationship with Toyota”). The local Toyota representative refused to accept the warranty, and it took a lot of time and effort to resolve the issue. I am convinced that this was mainly due to the fact that I didn’t speak Portuguese or Kriolu very well. With only basic knowledge of a language, it is almost impossible to explain and negotiate a case, put forward demands and claim rights. Language means power.

As another example, I have been working many years as an environmental negotiator, and one of the first things I realized was how important it was to use the diplomatic language. Regardless which language-base you use (English was mine), there is a set of fairly strict rules to apply – most of them unwritten – based on courtesy, formality and repetition. This skill is absolutely necessary in order to build agreements between constituencies with different cultures, traditions and priorities, since it creates trust and minimizes fear and disbelief. Diplomats who mastered this language got a lot of things done, whereas those who didn’t failed miserably. Again, language equals power.

But language is not only necessary to get what we want. I would claim that without a language, we would hardly know or understand anything. Imagine life without words and sentences. Try to form a concrete thought without a language. You can’t. And even if you could, what good would it be if you couldn’t share and communicate it with anyone? Without language, the world would be a complete blur of confusing and inexplicable impressions, without any possibility to differentiate or understand them. Probably it would be a very scary place. Understanding is about distinguishing and identifying, which simply can’t be done in any detail without a language.

Consider that we would have had no language at all. I don’t think we can even start to imagine what our lives would look like. A couple of weeks ago we could read in the papers about a woman who spent 19 years completely alone in a remote forest in Cambodia. What I found most intriguing about this story was that she spoke no language at all, and I can’t help wondering what this meant to her ability to understand herself and the surrounding world. As could be expected, the reports describe the woman as generally confused and terrified. Her comprehension will no doubt increase considerably however, if and when she learns a language.
Putting all of this into a Cape Verdean perspective, I realize two things.

First, the importance of preserving and developing the local language, Kriolu, as a corner stone of Cape Verdean culture and national identity. Optimally, Kriolu should be developed and become the formal language, to be used also in Cape Verdean law, governmental decisions etc.

Secondly, it seems to be a good idea to encourage more Cape Verdeans to learn other foreign languages (besides Portuguese). Tourists and investors alike, most of them will inevitably feel more comfortable in a country where they can communicate more easily.

Schools apparently have an important role in teaching 3rd and 4th languages. But I am also told that over half of Cape Verde’s population live abroad; many of them must necessarily speak English or French. Perhaps I am too bold, but what if all exile Cape Verdeans made a commitment to teach their foreign language to family and friends when they come home for visits, or that they sponsor foreign language classes in Cape Verde so that the rest of the family can learn their new language while they are away? I would think that this be one of the most efficient, cheapest and quickest ways to boost tourism and economic development in Cape Verde.

I, for my part, have started to give some simple English lessons to our guard, so that one day he might find a better job, perhaps as a guide. It’s a small step, but it’s something. Moreover, I will make an effort to learn Kriolu, just like my son, so as to better understand the Cape Verdean culture – as well as my son! N kre papia Kriolu...


Link: maps-inc.org/eng/banquet/2007/

Your desire to learn Kriolu, which would be a really good investiment, would materialize a lot sooner once you purchase that book I suggested you buy, Pa Nu Papia Kriolu by Manuel Gonsalves, Professor of Kriolu at the University of Boston and other New England colleges. I can assure you that after you buy this book which, by the way, comes with a DVD, in three months time, you'd be able to read and understand the following with no particular extra effort: Si nhu Kre prendi papia Kriolu propi, pa nhu podi intendi kultura di Kabu Verdi midjor, nton, nhu debi kumpra kel livro kin sugeri pa nho: Pa Nu papia Kriolu di autoria di Manuel Gonsalves. Senhor Gonsalves eh um di kes midjor Prusor di Kriolu na Merka, dje tem mas di vinti anu ta inxina Merkanus prendi papia y skrebi na Kriolu Kauberdianu. Na kel libru li, eh uza omesmu tekinika di insinu ki ta uza na seh aula di Kriolu na Universidadis di Boston. Purtanto, bu ka tem nada a prendi, so ganha, ora ki bu kumpra ki livru li. Ka bu fika ta norostia, kumpral oji propi.

I think that animals have their own languages and that species barriers prevent us from understanding the way they communicate.
I think that the latin language example is quite interesting. It is a language that is born in one hill of roma in the latinium, and with the willing of some mans, first spread it to the whole city, then to the whole country(italy), then to spain, france, portugal and romenia, and then to south america. the most striking thing, is even when we are reaching uniformity of the languages something happens to make them diverge again. Latin was the common language for spain, france and italy and even with this common starting point, today the three countries speak three different languages still based in latin but different.
the same phenomenon hapenned with the germanic languages (germany, netherlands, england, scandinavia...)

I am very interested in knowing what people think on uniformisation of the languages in the world, english seems to be heading to be the unique world language in the world, maybe in some 50 or 100 years? Do you think it is good?

Check out the article UK must embrace 'modern' English, report warns
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Since we as human beings are lucky enough to be ale to learn at least 3-4 languages or more without too much effort (in particular if you do it as a kid), I think the most positive development would be to do both; learn your native language(s) well, and the add 1-2 or more foreign languages in school, as early on as possible.

Moreover, personally I wouldn't see a problem with English growing even further as a kind of "world language" maybe in an adapted form. Think of the enormous benefits we would see in improved communication. I don't think that it is very likely however that it will take over completely. Instead it would be (as it already is to som extent) a complement to the local language.

interesting,

how many languages do you speak?

since most if not all of the posters here can trace their linguistic roots to the latin language English, in that context makes perfect sense to me. but i wonder in a generation or three if Chinese may supplant English as the language of commerce. something tells me that by the year 2099, people will be calling this the 'Chinese century'.

Altair, I suspect that you will be right that within a foreseeable future Chinese (or, more correctly, Mandarin) will be the next "world language". But I still think that English will be very much used as well, for quite some time ahead. That's why I advocate learning at least two foreign languages, besides the native language.

To St_Antao: I speak Swedish, English, French and Portuguese. Hopefully also CV Kriolu soon. I am not counting Norwegian or Danish since they are quite close to Swedish (something like Spanish and Portuguese).

UFFEE


Thank you for your kindness.
We apprecaite very much what you have to say about languages.

It is a known fact that children can learn 3 or 4 languages.

It happens every day in other countries, for example in Senegal; children learn Wolof, English and french at the drop of a hat and also other tribal languages. There is a common border with Gambia and the interaction is good.

I agree with you that English will be around for a long time.

As a matter of fact in the USA it is said that Spanish will soon become a second language in the near future.

I am all for children learning more then one language and as in Cabo verde we find people that speak several languages.

China because of it very huge population does have merit,but I think it will take some time. Spelling and writing will have to take some time I think. I had a chance to become very good in Korean while I was over there for 1 year,but I have lost much since I don't use it.

If you don't use it you will loose it.

I am sure it will be a short time and you will have good control of criolu.

Again we are very happy to have you and your family in Cabo verde.

I will look you up the next time I come.
In the mean time.
Morabeza.

PS We remember the great kindness shown to Amilcar Cabral and PAIGC during the time of our struggle. Sweden was always there with help.
Manu Salah

uffee,

you might have great skills for languages if you can speak five languages...I can speak portuguese a little bit better than I speak english but that's not native.

I guess that english will keep going as the global language because the indians and the africans will keep talking english . Mandarin will never be a global language because this language will be spoken only in china and foreigners will have to learn it only if they have to go to china.

For sure inside the "christian world" europe/north-america/south america and places like africa or india english will stay the global language.

I think Cape Verde does a good job
of teaching foreign languages. When I
was in middle school there I took Portuguese,
French and English. Perhaps it behooves
the tourists and investors to also learn
the language of the country of their interest.
Cape Verde is already an amalgam of languages,
given its history of migration and settlement outside
the country.

criola,

there is more and more facts stating that the grammatical and the synthaxic structure of the criolo is not based on african languages.

Why? Because the reasearchers are finding that all the creoles of the world share the same gramatical and synthaxic structures although they have different origins. That's the case in hawaiian creole, mallacan, creole, taihiti creole, caraibeans creole, and capeverdean creole. There is a common basis for al of them although they are based on different languages and some are not based on african languages and share this common structuration

read these two links

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S_Antao,
I'm glad that research is always innovative and is always adding
on new findings. New findings however, do not replace other findings
or other definitions. If in fact other languages have been added to
what Creole used to mean (I would like it if you would give me some
references), it does not mean that Creole from Curacao, Guine Bissau,
etc., are not Creole languages. In fact, they have syntax in common as you pointed out, becuase they have a common origin: African languages.
the lexicon from Curacao for example, is mostly Dutch becuase of the
Dutch influence.

The pidgin that was developed between the Portuguese and Africans
gave origin to the Creole language that we speak today. I encourage
you to read Krashen, Cummins, Donaldo Macedo, DeGraff, etc.,
to understand the origins of Creole languages.