globalization, urbanization, and language in caribbean development: the assimilation of st. lucia
;Aonghas St-Hilaire
managed care2003Vol. 77pp. 65-84
235
st-hilaire2003nwigglobalization,
Abstract
Discusses the trend toward Anglicization in St. Lucia, and the increasing demise of the Kwéyòl language in the historically Kweyol-speaking rural districts, related to perceived opportunities for economic advancement. Author explains how this influence of Anglicization spread from the, more English-focused, capital Castries to the rural areas of the islands. He places this perception of English for economic possibilities (of children), partly also fueled by US impact, alongside the gains of cultural nationalism including Kwéyòl promotion in the past 3 decades, such as increasing use of the language on the radio and festivals. Kwéyòl is also seen as a part of an St. Lucian identity. He points out how, nonetheless, the government or parents do not really invest in it, and favor knowledge of English among children.