Dennis Craig's Contributions to Applied Creolistics

Abstract

The most important area of applied creolistics is concerned with the role of creole languages in formal education. Dennis Craig was a leader in this field. Throughout his distinguished career, he worked both at the local level to improve the education of speakers of creole languages in the Caribbean and at the international level to promote research on educational issues as an integral part of creolistics. Craig critically assessed the various teaching methodologies used to teach creole speakers and suggested practical, but theoretically grounded, alternatives. In contrast to most other creolists, Craig also went beyond pronouncements and academic papers to produce useful teaching materials and run workshops for teachers. His work had wider implications for speakers of creoles outside the Caribbean region and for speakers of marginalized vernaculars, such as African American English. This chapter reviews Craig's contributions to applied creolistics in these four areas: promotion, analysis of methodologies, practical solutions and wider implications. It is written from my own point of view, as someone from outside the Caribbean who has been a long-time admirer of Craig's work and of his steadfast commitment.