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November 26, 2010: lecture on creole languages at “Dynamique du Langage” (DDL) research center in Lyon, France.
“The emergence of creole languages : some myths we should no longer promote”, is the title of the conference to be given by linguist Saliloko Mufwene, from the University of Chicago, as part of the DDL center’s seminaries.
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, S. Mufwene has studied extensively the development of creole languages and also African-American vernacular English.
He will set out to deconstruct myths and general beliefs surrounding the emergence and development of creole languages. Included in the hypothesises which he regards as incorrect and reflections of XIXth century preconceived ideas, we find the following in particular :
– Creole languages are among the most simple, or least complex, languages on Earth;
– We cannot classify creole languages genetically because they do not lend themselves to comparative method;
– Creole languages have retained from european languages merely their lexicons whereas grammars have been chosen or inherited from substratic languages or universals of second language acquisition;
– Creole languages have developed from pidgins, which had no grammar;
– Creole languages have been shaped by children, using their privileged access to Chomsky’s universal grammar;
etc.
November 26th, 10am – noon
Room Ennat Léger,
Institut des Sciences de l’Homme
14 avenue Berthelot
7ème arrondissement
LYON