Linguists call for embrace of Bajan English in schools as “coucou, saltfish” enter Oxford English Dictionary

Literacy and language specialists insisted on Friday that students would perform better in school if Barbadian dialect were used as a foundation for teaching, arguing that cultural pride and academic achievement are closely linked.

Their comments came as Barbados faces a growing literacy crisis affecting students at multiple levels. Despite historically high literacy rates, recent analyses reveal troubling declines in reading and comprehension.

Last year the National Task Force on Literacy Education warned that many students are underperforming in English, with data from the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination showing 20 per cent scoring below 50 per cent and 13 per cent below 40 per cent, while some students scored zero per cent in assessments. Experts stress that these trends highlight urgent challenges in early literacy development and underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve English proficiency and overall academic outcomes across primary and secondary schools.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY on Friday as the Oxford English Dictionary’s (OED) September 2025 update added 12 Caribbean words and phrases — literacy specialist Shawntelle Morgan and secretary of the Society for Caribbean Linguistics Dr Ronald Francis said it was time for Barbados to take Barbadian dialect seriously in the classroom, especially in wake of the literacy issues.

The OED, long regarded as the definitive authority on the English language, has now embraced terms such as “bobolee”, “broughtupsy”, “bulla”, “buss up shut”, “carry-go-bring-come”, “cou-cou”, “cou-cou stick”, “pholourie”, “saltfish”, “Jamaican Creole”, “tantie” and the expression “to cry long water”.

Dr Francis said the inclusion demonstrates that the world is beginning to recognise the Caribbean’s linguistic legacy.

“I think it just goes to show that the Caribbean had a meaningful contribution to make,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that these things are new to us, and it doesn’t mean that they were not valuable before they were added to the Oxford English Dictionary. But international recognition shows that we have a contribution to make, that Caribbean languages are rich and diverse.”

He stressed that the region should not wait for outside approval to appreciate the worth of its own speech, pointing to centuries of post-colonial attitudes that downgraded Creole and dialect. English has always been diverse, shaped by the communities who speak it, and the Caribbean must assert its place on the map.

Dr Francis noted that colonial policies deliberately suppressed native languages in some territories. Citing 19th-century efforts in Trinidad to erase French Creole in favour of English, he described this as part of a wider attempt to anglicise the region.

“So our indigenous languages or our autochthonous languages have always existed in the Caribbean,” he said. “The idea now that they cannot be used or that children cannot be taught in their own language is really a postcolonial remnant that we have to fight.”

He argued that the evidence is clear: “It has been shown that children do considerably better when they learn in a language that they understand. To teach somebody in English who is a native Bajan speaker, a speaker of Bajan dialect, would be the same as teaching somebody in English who is a native speaker of Spanish. That person would not understand what you’re doing.”

Dr Francis pointed to programmes in Haiti where science and mathematics are taught in Haitian Creole, leading to dramatic improvements in student performance.

“Many linguists would agree that we might have better rates or more success if we teach in a language that people understand,” he added.

Morgan echoed the point, noting that students thrive when dialect is valued in education.

“Best practice actually shows that students who are comfortable and master their target language do better than at learning a second language.

And the second language for our learners will then be standard English. And their original language will be their first language,” she explained.

She advocated a dual-language strategy, where dialect serves as the teaching foundation while students also master standard English: “Yes, we should use Bajan for mother tongue education. It has been shown that children do considerably better when they learn in a language that they understand. You can draw connections between local words and standard English equivalents. And most importantly, you want students to understand that they can code switch. And that is actually a skill and a strength, and not a weakness,” she said.

Morgan added that when students see their culture respected, “it validates them. They feel that their voices are valued and that can actually increase student engagement and even the student’s self-esteem”. Too many, she argued, struggle because “the language of the classroom feels distant from the language of home. And using local language as a bridge could help learners connect what they already know to what they need to learn”.

At the same time, she stressed that Standard English must remain central.

“There is a need and always will be a need for competence in standard English — for global communication, professional advancement, exams, life,” she said. The challenge, therefore, is to balance the use of dialect as a teaching tool while ensuring mastery of standard English.

Code-switching, she argued, is key. Encouraging students to move between dialect and standard English allows them to see flexibility as astrength rather than a limitation. She also said learning becomes more engaging when dialect is included.

“Learning can be fun, it should be, and it doesn’t always have to be rigid,” she added, noting that using Bajan expressions in vocabulary lessons makes them livelier and more relatable.

Morgan pushed back against concerns that dialect might hold students back. “Best practise actually shows that students who are comfortable and master their target language do better than at learning a second language,” she said, emphasising that standard English effectively functions as a second language for many Caribbean children.

She also added that the OED’s recognition was more than symbolic, its inclusion affirms the Caribbean’s role not just as consumers of culture but as producers of language, art, and thought.

It signals that Caribbean speech patterns and cultural expressions are not less than or what we call broken English. But they’re really legitimate and meaningful parts of the English language with their own history, creativity and even flavour.”

The dozen new entries themselves carry rich cultural meaning. “Bobolee” refers to an effigy beaten on Good Friday, while “broughtupsy” describes good manners and upbringing. A “bulla” is a Jamaican cake made with flour and molasses; “buss up shut” is a flaky fried bread resembling a torn shirt; and “carry-go-bring-come” refers to a gossipmonger. “Cou-cou”, Barbados’ national dish, is made with cornmeal and okra, stirred with a “coucou stick”. “Pholourie” are spiced fried flour balls served with chutney. “Saltfish” has been used since the 16th century, “tantie” is a respectful term for an older woman, and “to cry long water” means to weep profusely or insincerely. (SZB)