Elevating the standing of Haitian Creole

By Marleen Julien Souverain

This is part two of Haitian Creole in the digital age, where author Marleen Julien Souverain explores how digital advancements are transforming the accessibility and usage of Haitian Creole.

Awareness of language is a powerful tool. Once you understand the finer points of appropriate register, vocabulary, and style, you can begin to ask questions and express opinions.

I had the good fortune of growing up in a home where the use of Haitian Creole was cultivated with care. My father was dedicated to the study of Haitian culture and history, and my mother made it a point to speak Creole at home, even after our family had settled in the United States. At a young age, my father would get me whatever Haitian Creole materials he could get his hands on. I remember he gave me a manual called ‘Rat se pwazon’ on how to kill rats, just because it was in Haitian Creole. I was also given resources such as a Haitian Creole Bible to help me study the nuances of our language.

When I began to work as a clerk for the Haitian Consulate in 1998, I discovered the many applications of sophisticated writing in both French and Haitian Creole. This early career experience ultimately led to my training as a simultaneous phone interpreter to serve as an intermediary in medical and legal conversations. This practical experience was invaluable. I learned so much during the many situations in which Haitian Creole speakers from all walks of life were confronted with the realities of living in the US. Over the years, I have bridged the language gap in countless situations in hospitals, courts and factory assemblies. 

In contrast to major language pairs such as Spanish/English, which have a wide range of training programs and established dictionary resources, I discovered that there were hardly any programs that taught modern translation and interpreting skills to Haitians. Despite the efforts of the Haitian Creole Academy and other language advocates, Haitian Creole has been perceived as a language with predominantly oral use in everyday matters. As the workload for our linguist team grew, we developed our own glossaries for fields such as medical and legal translation. We wanted our translations of government documents or NGO communications to be as useful and efficient as possible for readers at all levels. 

At the same time, Haitians began to call for teaching materials that would help them pass on the language to the next generation. Perhaps the comparison with English school books made them realize the value of teaching specific vocabulary and practicing language arts with children. 

Based on my many years as a professional linguist, I have the following suggestions for those who share my passion for our beautiful language and want to see it thrive:

• If you are a parent or grandparent, pass on your knowledge of Haitian Creole to the children in your family. Read books, sing songs, and teach the Haitian alphabet to them.
• Support the mother-tongue program in their school, suggest the addition of Haitian Creole books to the library, and contribute what you can to make the program successful. 
• Use localized online resources in Haitian Creole and let the platforms know how much you value having social media content in your own language that gives you the option to fully participate in your online community. 
• Share the availability of translated resources with others in your community. For example, did you know that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service offers localized content in Haitian Creole about your federal taxes? 
• When you encounter a lack of translation in everyday situations, be it at your work or in the interaction with authorities, remember that you have the right to ask for Haitian Creole content that will help you and those around you make complete sense of the process at hand. Don’t be shy to request a translator or interpreter when you need help. For example, you can’t fully take part in healthcare decisions if you as a patient aren’t able to understand what is discussed and decided. Likewise, it may be risky for you to sign legal documents in a different language. The 2023 HHS Language Access Plan is designed to improve the “provision of meaningful access to language assistance services to persons with limited English proficiency (LEP)”.
• Speak up whenever you come across poorly written Haitian Creole documents. Not everyone understands the pitfalls of using online translation engines. The text may have been translated with a software tool without proper understanding of the language, and it is important for the owner of the document(s) to know about it. 

Language is a living cultural treasure. Preserving and advancing the use of Haitian Creole depends on all of our contributions – every day.

Marleen Julien Souverain has worked as a language advocate, translator, and interpreter for more than 15 years. She is passionate about preserving the rich linguistic tradition of Haitian Creole and defending language access rights. Her woman-owned company, Creole Solutions, provides language and cultural consulting services for private and public sector clients. 

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