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Let’s learn about Haitian Creole! We’ve gathered some background information and interesting facts about the language. Check out our newest children’s books available in Haitian Creole.
Where is Haitian Creole spoken?
Haitian Creole is a French-based Creole language spoken by over 10 million people worldwide. Haitian Creole became one of the official languages of Haiti in 1987, with over 95% of Haitians speaking it. There are also Haitian Creole speakers in other Caribbean islands, French Guiana, France, Canada, and the United States.
Haitian Creole in the United States
Haitian Creole is the 6th most popular native language of K-12 English language learners in the US, according to the US Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition. There are large Haitian communities in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts.
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Interesting Facts About Haitian Creole
Haitian Creole is a blend of French, Taino, and other West African languages. It developed in the 17th century from interactions between French settlers and enslaved Africans in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (now called Haiti).
The Haitian Creole alphabet has no q or x. Plurals are formed by adding the word yo after a noun. There is no subject-verb agreement, no grammatical gender, and no true verb tenses.
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Haitian Creole Books – Bilingual Children’s Books
If you interact with children who speak Haitian Creole or are learning the language, you may want suggestions on some fun and engaging bilingual children’s books. Language Lizard offers many books with English and Haitian Creole text that will appeal to readers of all ages. There are also Haitian Creole book sets, a Bilingual Talking Dictionary, and more!
Are you interested in learning about other languages as well? Check out our Language Spotlight series on world languages, including Kinyarwanda, Tigrinya, Hmong, Cherokee, Hindi, Dari, Pashto, and Ukrainian.