This book offers a selection of papers dealing with second language acquisition, foreign language teaching and creole linguistics inspired by the scientific legacy of Mauritian-born scholar Georges Daniel Véronique (Port-Louis, 1948). An important part of the book is devoted to the description of learner varieties with a focus on sociolinguistic factors, such as the learner situation – from asylum seekers to Erasmus students –, the degree of familiarity with the target language – having or not previous knowledge about a genetically related language –, the degree of literacy, and the type of instruction. Linguistic complexity, case marking, the use of self-positioning pronouns, verbal morphology and aspectual values are among the linguistic phenomena analyzed by the authors having contributed to this part of the volume. Another part of this volume deals with language didactics and addresses the questions of whether manipulating specific constructions from a usage-based perspective and a focus-on-form approach do indeed aid beginner learners to acquire complex forms in L2 German and nominal forms in L2 Polish, respectively. It also explores how some educational policies in Sweden have affected both the offer of French as a Foreign Language and its demand by students. The contributions to creole studies present diachronic analyses targeting the /z/ plural marking in Réunion creole, Fa d’Ambô and spoken French, and a set of NPs found in two speeches pronounced in 1835 on the island of Agaléga by a coconut oil producer whose features are similar to Mauritian creole. Linguistic, social and historical factors are at the center of these contributions.

An overview of the socio-historical development of some one hundred different pidgins and creoles.

A clear and concise introduction to the study of how new languages come into being.

For review see: Daniel J. Crowley, in New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids, vol. 70, no. 1 & 2 (1996); p. 188-190.

This first volume of Holm's major survey of pidgins and creoles provides an up-to-date and readable introduction to a field of study that has become established only in the past few decades. Written for both students and general readers with a basic knowledge of linguistics, the book's original perspective will also attract specialists in the field seeking a broad overview of the linguistic relationships among these languages. Creolized, or restructured versions of English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Portugese, and other languages arose during European colonial expansion. These resulted in such creoles as Jamaican, Haitian, Papiamentu, and some one hundred others, as well as such semi-creoles as Afrikaans, non-standard Brazilian Portugese, Papiamentu, and American Black English. Scholars have tended to work on particular language varieties in relative isolation, making comparative research into the genesis, development, and structure of creoles difficult. In writing this book, Holm draws on broad studies of many languages to make clear how far-reaching creoles'similarities are and to challenge current linguistic theories on creoles and pidgins. The emphasis of this volume is largely empirical rather than descriptive. Its core is a comparative study of creoles based on European languages in Africa and the Caribbean that demonstrates the striking similarities among the languages in terms of their lexical semantics, phonology, and syntax. A forthcoming volume provides a socio-historic overview of variety development and text examples, with translations, of the restructured languages.

This book collects a selection of fifteen papers presented at three meetings of the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics in 1996 and 1997. The focus is on papers which approach issues in creole studies with novel perspectives, address understudied pidgin and creole varieties, or compellingly argue for controversial positions. The papers demonstrate how pidgins and creoles shed light on issues such as verb movement, contact-induced language change and its gradations, discourse management via tense-aspect particles, language genesis, substratal transfer, and Universal Grammar, and cover a wide range of contact languages, ranging from English- and French-based creoles through Portuguese creoles of Africa and Asia, Sango, Popular Brazilian Portuguese, West African Pidgin Englishes, and Hawaiian Creole English.

Creolization of Language and Culture is the first English edition of Robert Chaudenson's landmark text Des îles, des hommes, des langues, which has also been fully revised. . With reference to the main varieties of creole French, Chaudenson argues against the traditional account of creole genesis for a more sophisticated paradigm which takes full account of the peculiar linguistic and social factors at play in colonial societies. This is an accessible book which makes an important contribution to the study of pidgin and creole language varieties, as well as to the development of contemporary European languages outside Europe. Key features include: Analysis of current debates on the development of creoles Discussion of many aspects of human culture including music, medicine, cooking, magic and folklore Translation of all French sources from which Chaudenson quotes extensively