What's Guyana Language, Really?

Everyone keep saying English Language is Guyana's national language but we hardly find "English" being use among us. Everywhere we go people don't try to talk properly & when visitors from other foreign countries come to visit, same way we talk and I think we need to correct this if we are to make Guyana improve & proud. What's your views on this?

Well I agree with you.
As you know I speak english and not creolese. I just type so.

I think we, Guyanese, need to speak fluent english.

Just a bit additional part, Yes around friends and families you can speak creolese.

lolz.. i agree..

I don't think there's anything wrong with Creolese because it's part of our culture, but it's also important to be able to speak fluent English as well. Despite the fact that Creolese is broken down English, it's still difficult for other people (who don't speak Creolese) to understand if they try to communicate with someone that speaks it.

It's weird, I naturally speak Creolese with people I'm comfortable around but if I'm not comfortable with you I can't lol, I speak proper. Lol and if I wanna say something to someone and I don't want other people around me to understand I speak it .

I agree with Christina. Creolese is part of our culture and nothings wrong with that. I mean, every country does have their little slangs that they use and so does Guyana. People do speak English there and then they use their little creolese in between. Nothings wrong with that.

I dont usually speak it but when I'm in school my accent comes out sometimes and it freaks me out lmao.

I don't think anything wrong with the way we speak, as for me i do both depending on the ppl am around. Say i'm around my neighbours n frenz i speak like them but if someone's over then i have to speak properly so that they can understand me.

abe dese ah speak broken english Creolese nuttin nah wrang wit dah

Guyanasexygyal1 wrote:

abe dese ah speak broken english Creolese nuttin nah wrang wit dah

Lmaoo yup yup!!

oH lawd LOL

well in guyana they should use and teach english as a foreighnn language becose our home language is creolise

-andy- wrote:

well in guyana they should use and teach english as a foreighnn language becose our home language is creolise

Well creolese isn't really it's own language, it's a dialect of English.

Flame_Angel wrote:

-andy- wrote:

well in guyana they should use and teach english as a foreighnn language becose our home language is creolise

Well creolese isn't really it's own language, it's a dialect of English.

Christina Andy is right. Creolese in on our home page.

Beverly89 wrote:

Flame_Angel wrote:

-andy- wrote:

well in guyana they should use and teach english as a foreighnn language becose our home language is creolise

Well creolese isn't really it's own language, it's a dialect of English.

Christina Andy is right. Creolese in on our home page.

home page?? http://www.guyana.org/features/guyanastory/chapter61.html this? I took a linguistics course and they were talking about creolese. The instructor said it was a dialect not a language because many of the words in it are based on English.

I guess it depends on your definition of language then I dunno.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyanese_Creolese

Dialect: Linguistics. a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its use by a group of speakers who are set off from others geographically or socially.

Lolz andy got that from me....and he knows it...

For MOST of us, Creolese is our first language....and we grow up wid it....i guess......thats why they shud teach english not as a supplementary language subject in skools but as a foreign language

What's wrong with creolese? It may not be "standard" english but it is understandable amongst people who speak it and yes it is a dialect. Anyways, Guyanese English IS understandable, at least I have never encountered a visiter from a foreign country who has had difficultly understanding how Guyanese people speak (provided they are not talking with a raw raw creolese accent). Yes English is spoken formally in Guyana and to "foreigners", and then there is creolese which is spoken between Guyanese, I guess it is more or less understandable depending on what part of the country you are from. Sorry if that doesn't make any sense what I wrote lol.. but to me there is nothing wrong with how Guyanese people speak and I don't think we should change a damn thing about how we speak either... how we speak as Guyanese is distinctive, and its what makes us who we are.

Those are kind words for Guyana in general however the official language remains English. Creolese has become norm and imbedded on how most of us speak but that doesn't mean we should adapt it as a language. It's acceptable because everyone who lives here understands it.
I don't agree that we should automatically switch to speaking properly for the sake of impressing foreigners. They visit the tropical countries for the diversity, they don't expect perfect english.

I agree, I don't think we should adapt any certain way of speaking just because it is deemed more acceptable and understandable for foreigners. That includes making people who speak creolese speak "proper" English or making people who speak "proper" english speak creolese. Of course how you speak is going to reflect on what part of Guyana you are from. If you look at every country in the world there is not one standard way of speaking. Within every country there are varying dialects/accents, and then there is always usually one or two "standard" languages or ways of speaking which is considered to be more acceptable or advantageous to those in a professional working environment.

i agree wit Mrs. Pharaoh

Ivory Angel wrote:

Those are kind words for Guyana in general however the official language remains English. Creolese has become norm and imbedded on how most of us speak but that doesn't mean we should adapt it as a language. It's acceptable because everyone who lives here understands it.
I don't agree that we should automatically switch to speaking properly for the sake of impressing foreigners. They visit the tropical countries for the diversity, they don't expect perfect english.

Eh eh Ivory Angel.. how u wonda wha happen to me and I deh right here