About this manual

This manual is designed for tutors working with adult learners of Caribbean Creole heritage. It gives tutors historical and socio-cultural information on the Caribbean. Many people make value judgements about a person on the basis of how they speak English. This manual provides tutors with a framework for looking at language in non-judgemental ways, and for viewing language as a reflection of culture and history. In this context, it is hoped that the content will dispel some of the negative myths about varieties of English.
     The objectives of this manual are to:

• present information about the languages of the Caribbean, and about the history of Caribbean people;
  
  
• present information about Caribbean languages which will help to explain, and encourage tutors and learners to explore, the differences between Canadian and Caribbean varieties of English;
  
  
• provide information on specific language structures for the English-speaking Caribbean and some territories.

This manual is divided into five sections: the first section looks at the history of the Caribbean; the second section examines the story of English and how it is used in different parts of the world; the third section looks at the development of Caribbean Creole English and the presence of other varieties of English; the fourth section discusses Caribbean oral tradition and its role and influence on Caribbean identity; and, section five describes the first steps in creating a model for tutoring Caribbean Creole English speakers.