Dear Editor,
Are you a Bahamian? Yes? I am going to be presumptuous and assume that you are a Bahamian. And so, if you are a Bahamian, then what schools did you attend? Well, in the old days there were schools that were in existence that are not here anymore.
If you are old enough, you would remember that in private and government schools you were not presented with the option of learning a second language other than your native language of English. To my way of thinking, that was a colossal mistake. Editor, I am quite certain that you regret not being compelled to learn a second language in school (if you are of that era). In today's Bahamian society it is definitely a distinct advantage in having knowledge of a second language. Being fluent and literate in a second language would, no doubt, assist you in our tourism sector, our banking sector (two of the largest sectors of the economy), the immigration department, our diplomatic corp, business trade ventures and others.
And so, with all of these benefits associated with literacy in a second language, you would think that the government of The Bahamas would make it mandatory that second languages be taught in our schools beginning with immersion courses at the tender age of four. In previous letters to you I have made calls for the government to cause to come to fruition a state of affairs in this country whereby Mandarin, German, Japanese, French, Spanish and Creole would form an integral part of the curriculum of different schools throughout the country. That has not manifested as yet. That, I'm afraid, is unfortunate.
The language of Creole is especially near and dear to my heart because of the number of Haitians that we have in this country. Figures have been bandied about that range from 50,000 to 100,000 legal and illegal Haitians who live in The Bahamas. I'm not sure how true that is, but it could almost sound credible. And so, given these (unconfirmed) numbers, it is my humble opinion that it would behoove Bahamians to almost consider it their obligation to learn the language that these Haitians speak. After all, they (Haitians) come over here in droves and boatloads not knowing how to maneuver their way through the difficult nuances of the English language. And, notwithstanding this predicament, they are expected to survive in this cold, harsh and unforgiving world (in The Bahamas).
Bahamians would benefit by helping these unfortunate people integrate themselves within our society as easily as they can so as to avoid situations like the rise of environmentally undesirable shantytowns. Obviously there are other ways in which Bahamians can benefit from learning Creole, but I will not delve into that right now.
I must admit, Editor, that I don't know how to read, write or speak Creole. And I deeply regret that I was not given the opportunity to learn it while I was in school. But not all Bahamians feel this way. They feel that if the Haitians come here, then it is incumbent upon them to learn the language in order for them to become upwardly mobile within our society. These Bahamians have a point, to a certain extent. But I also feel that it is also our responsibility to learn their language. In my humble opinion, we should be willing to assist our fellow CARICOM state and its citizens in causing officially documented Haitian nationals to legally immigrate to The Bahamas so as to alleviate some of the misfortune that they (Haitians) experience in their own country. However, I do not condone illegal migration to this country. I cannot stress that enough.
What I also do not condone and do not encourage is ridiculing Haitians who speak with an obvious "broken English" accent. Their attempts to sound authentically Bahamian (to me) are laudable, but laughable to a grouping of residents who do not find their efforts promising. But, Editor, to me, it all boils down to this: Some of these Haitians did not go to school to learn English, and yet they are speaking it and understanding it. How many languages are Bahamians speaking and understanding?

- Marvin G. Lightbourn

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