lolowiec
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- Joined
- Sep 23, 2020
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- Student or Learner
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- Polish
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- Poland
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Here is a fragment of my English essay. It hasn't been corrected by my teacher yet. 
Over the years, on the one hand, some English-based pidgins evolved to well-established creole languages that are generally used in the Caribbean area these days. On the other hand, decreolization took place; people who spoke a creole started using ''proper'' English as another (non-native) language, and then next generations of ex-slaves acquired English as a first language. Today, English is an official language in many Caribbean countries while an English-based creole also remains spoken. Such a phenomenon is called creole continuum (William 1965, pp. 10-18). An example of such a situation would be Jamaica; English is used in official settings while the Jamaican language, also known as Jamaican Patois, is used informally (Jorgensen 2019). In Jamaica, Jamaican English is an acrolect, i.e. the prestige language (of social mobility), while Jamaican Patois is a basilect, i.e. the least prestigious variety, sometimes considered just as improper speech or incorrect English. It is also worth pointing out that the two languages are often mixed; people use Patois macaronics while speaking English, and vice versa. The term mesolect is used to refer to intermediate points in the continuum when neither ''pure'' English nor ''pure'' Jamaican Patois is spoken (ibid.). Other examples of post-creole continuums in the Caribbean would be Bahamian English and Bahamianese in the Bahamas, Barbadian English and Bajan in Barbados, or Belizean English and Belize Kriol in Belize. In some cases, contemporary English-based creoles are genetically close to standard English in many aspects; for instance, there are researchers who consider Bajan a dialect of English, and some others claim that it is an autonomic language (Braña-Straw 2015, p. 2).
Over the years, on the one hand, some English-based pidgins evolved to well-established creole languages that are generally used in the Caribbean area these days. On the other hand, decreolization took place; people who spoke a creole started using ''proper'' English as another (non-native) language, and then next generations of ex-slaves acquired English as a first language. Today, English is an official language in many Caribbean countries while an English-based creole also remains spoken. Such a phenomenon is called creole continuum (William 1965, pp. 10-18). An example of such a situation would be Jamaica; English is used in official settings while the Jamaican language, also known as Jamaican Patois, is used informally (Jorgensen 2019). In Jamaica, Jamaican English is an acrolect, i.e. the prestige language (of social mobility), while Jamaican Patois is a basilect, i.e. the least prestigious variety, sometimes considered just as improper speech or incorrect English. It is also worth pointing out that the two languages are often mixed; people use Patois macaronics while speaking English, and vice versa. The term mesolect is used to refer to intermediate points in the continuum when neither ''pure'' English nor ''pure'' Jamaican Patois is spoken (ibid.). Other examples of post-creole continuums in the Caribbean would be Bahamian English and Bahamianese in the Bahamas, Barbadian English and Bajan in Barbados, or Belizean English and Belize Kriol in Belize. In some cases, contemporary English-based creoles are genetically close to standard English in many aspects; for instance, there are researchers who consider Bajan a dialect of English, and some others claim that it is an autonomic language (Braña-Straw 2015, p. 2).
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