A growing number of BYU students are studying Haitian Creole—one of the 25 languages offered as a language certificate at BYU—and discovering Haiti’s language, culture, and people.
More than a thousand miles away from BYU lies Haiti, a nation whose language and culture has found its way into the hearts of numerous BYU students. Despite Haiti’s distance, classrooms in Provo continue to draw students interested in studying Haitian Creole. Sydney Woolstenhulme (English ’28) is one of many students working towards a language certificate in Haitian Creole, and she’s found that studying this unique language offers a rewarding experience—and the opportunity to put her skills to use in the future.
A Love for the Language
Indianapolis, Indiana, may seem like an unlikely place to begin learning Haitian Creole. But as growing numbers of Haitians leave their country due to instability, more and more BYU students are meeting Haitian Creole speakers in communities around the world. For Woolstenhulme, that happened in Indiana, where she served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After returning home from serving the Haitian population in Indiana, she decided to enroll in Haitian Creole classes at BYU to continue her study of the language.
Though classes are open to any student regardless of their experience with the language, a large amount of students learn Haitian Creole while serving missions like Woolstenhulme. Associate Professor Carter Charles (History and Sociology of Religion), a native of Haiti who coordinates and teaches Haitian Creole, says most of his students take his classes because they “have come to love the people and the language, and they want to find a way to maintain that.” While the motivation to study Haitian Creole comes out of genuine interest, the language certificate is an added benefit.
Those who seek a certificate complete courses in language, culture, and literature followed by an assessment to measure their proficiency. Earning a certificate recognizes the time and commitment students put into studying the language, and it acknowledges their skills formally on résumés and transcripts.
Beyond Gaining Proficiency
Woolstenhulme says studying Haitian Creole alongside her classes as an English major has proven helpful. Because of her coursework in English, learning Haitian Creole came easier, and her experience with Haitian Creole has helped her to recognize patterns in her own language.
Woolstenhulme’s classes in both English and Haitian literature have also complemented each other. “It’s neat to see how literature from different cultures and languages are in conversation with each other,” she says. One of the things she’s enjoyed most about taking Haitian Creole classes has been reading from Haitian authors, since a lot of her coursework as an English major also involves literature. She says, “I’ve really enjoyed getting to learn about incredible authors who came from Haiti who don’t get as much credit as they probably should.”
Charles says that forming connections between language and literature is an important aspect of studying language, and that learning how to read text in other languages is a skill that is “transferable into your own language.” By studying Haitian Creole, students gain not only proficiency but skills that will help them stand out among peers in the future.
Going Forth to Serve
Woolstenhulme has also enjoyed learning more about Haitian culture and their values as a people. “They tend to put God first,” she says. “There’s a real love for God that’s present not only in the way that they act and treat other people, but also in their language. That has inspired me to try and do that more myself.”
Like other language learners, many Haitian Creole students find ways to apply their language skills in both their personal and professional lives. Some of Charles’s former students have gone into economics, some have gone into law, and some have continued to use the language simply to communicate with those they met on their missions. Aside from learning to speak Haitian Creole, many of these students take away a desire to serve and be a part of the Haitian community.
Though Woolstenhulme is unsure exactly where her studies might take her, she sees herself continuing to use the language throughout her life, and she hopes her language certificate will help her serve and connect with the Haitian people. “Whatever I do in the future, there will be ways for me to reach out to the Haitian community.”
The Future of Haitian Creole
With a growing interest in Haitian Creole on campus, Charles hopes to see more students involved. “We want to see more students sign up. We have multiple classes, multiple levels, almost every semester.” As the numbers increase, he says there could be possibilities of expanding Haitian Creole offerings in the future.
Woolstenhulme says studying Haitian Creole has broadened her understanding of Haiti’s influence on the world. “With the world being as connected as it is, and Haiti having a much larger role in that globalization than people might expect, I think it’s a worthwhile language to learn to connect with people and understand the world’s history and how we’re all connected,” she says. “It’s a beautiful language and a beautiful culture, and I would encourage anybody who’s interested to check it out.”
Learn more about Haitian Creole at BYU on the French & Italian Department website.
Students who are interested in earning a language certificate can learn more on the Center for Language Studies website.