The committee for Konmite pou Etid Kweyol (KEK) or Committee for the Study of Creole said they are planning to establish a National Creole Policy for the adoption of the native language in Dominica. KEK Chairman, Raymond Lawrence, said the language policy will provide a roadmap for the adoption of the native tongue in the country.
According to Lawrence, Creole or Kweyol will be usable in churches, schools, courts, media, and online if the proposed policy is approved by the government. “After this policy is drafted, we hope that Cabinet will approve and adopt it so that the country can use that policy as a guide for the future development of the language,” he said.
Since the establishment of KEK in 1981, the organization has gone on to publish books on Kweyol oral traditions, proverbs and riddles, Kweyol-English dictionary, and celebrated various weekdays and special Kweyol celebrations to boost the integration of the language in the wider Dominican society. A literacy class is also set up to teach people the Kweyol language at designated centres.
During the announcement of the proposed National Creole Policy at Alliance Francaise, Lawrence led the launching of two new KEK publications. The first book teaches the essentials of Kweyol language to enable learners to comprehend basic vocabulary and spellings, while the second publication is a magazine to commemorate the 42 years of KEK existence in Dominica.
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