You might have heard people saying that to learn Haitian Creole the “best” way, you should know a bit about Haitian history and culture. Is that true and if it is, why is that? To put it simply, we believe a language is closely connected to the culture of the people who use it. This is especially true in the case of idioms and expressions that you can’t understand unless you study the culture of the language.
In this article, we’ll explore the connection between Haitian Creole and Haitian culture, and why you can’t learn one without the other, so to speak. You’ll be surprised at some of the facts in this guide!
Why Does Haitian Creole Depend on the Haitian Culture and History?
Think about it – every language has a history and culture that are virtually identical to that of the people speaking it. Every language has evolved over time under the influence of certain people, granting it uniqueness and value. The same holds true for Haitian Creole. Some of the cultural and historical elements that are quintessential to Haitian Creole are:
- The phonetical character of the language, which has been historically implemented through a mixture of other languages;
- The slavery period and the slave revolution built Haitian Creole to be impactful, practical, and straightforward;
- The local geographical conditions led to certain attitudes and perspectives on the world, which influenced the development of Haitian Creole;
These are just some of the things that have influenced the evolution of Haitian Creole into what is today. These things apply to other languages in one way or another, too. The Haitian culture is tenacious, vivacious, colorful, and emotional, which has also made Haitian Creole a similarly impactful language.
Are Idioms a Necessary Part of Learning Haitian Creole?
Every language has idioms, including Haitian Creole. They are the most relevant elements of infusion between a language and a culture. You should agree that every country/people/language has its own idioms. Even though the meanings of two idioms from two languages are identical, the formulation is different.
Take the idiom “It’s raining cats and dogs” from English. Many languages have idioms that convey the same meaning, but they are formulated differently. The same meaning in French is conveyed through the idiom “Il pleut comme une vache qui pisse”, which loosely translates to “It’s raining like a pissing cow”.
The same idiom in Haitian Creole is “Chyen ap bwe nan ren”, which means “Dogs are drinking in their noses”. You won’t know these idioms unless you understand the Haitian culture and history. The same goes for every other language, and trust us, there are many idioms in every language.
Idioms are not necessary to learn a language but they’ll add the icing on the cake. You can be an independent speaker without the idioms but you won’t be as flexible and native when using the language. If you really want to immerse yourself in the language and culture, idioms are a requirement!
How Can I Start Learning the Haitian Culture?
If you need resources to start learning more about Haitian Culture, we have them! Creole Tutors offers high-quality language courses for Haitian Creole, with great emphasis on culture and history. But you can find additional resources online that will tell you a great deal about Haitian Creole and its culture.
Do you want a tutor to point out the way and help you learn Haitian Creole faster? Then Creole Tutors is the best choice for you. We have a great deal of native Haitian tutors with a lot of experience in teaching students. Choose one-on-one studying sessions or group activities to increase your efficiency when learning the language!