The University of the West Indies Faculty of Humanities and Education Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics RESEARCH NOTES Showcasing Research News from the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at the St Augustine Campus Issue 7 | 2019 - 2023 ISSN 2519-5123 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 1 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Contents 1 Editorial Note 3 Staff Publications 18 Conferences 24 Postgraduates 30 Undergraduate Research 52 To Dance and Sing in the Heavens 53 International Creole Month 2019 54 Spanish Language Day / Día del Idioma Español 56 Workshops 64 DMLL Projects 66 The Students We Never Met 67 Outreach DMLL Vision The Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics of The University of the West Indies, St Augustine is a nationally and regionally renowned department engaged in teaching and research in academic writing, linguistics, modern languages and their Romance literatures. We seek to develop in students the ability to analyse and interrogate languages and literatures for a multiplicity of purposes while facilitating cognitive and affective student learning that may be applied nationally, regionally and internationally. Research Notes is published by the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics. Editorial Committee Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Faculty of Humanities and Education The University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus Trinidad and Tobago Phone: +1(868) 662-2002 Ext. 83280 / 83027 / 84235 Email: mll.fhe@sta.uwi.edu Website: https://sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dmll/ Romulo Guedez Fernandez, Co-Editor Nicole Roberts, Co-Editor Committee Janique Dennis-Prescott R. Sandra Evans Jo-Anne S. Ferreira Ronald Francis Eric Maitrejean Cover page: A section of the artwork titled Blissful Solace (Acrylic 36” x 30”) by artist and UWI graduate, Shalini Singh ISSN 2519-5123 Editorial Note W e are delighted to report a plethora of good news in this seventh edition of DMLL Research Notes, covering the academic years from 2019–2020 to 2022–2023. This issue highlights the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics' (DMLL) vibrant research, teaching, and outreach activities. Over this period, the department was led by three Heads: Dr Nicole Roberts (2019–2020), Professor Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw (2020–2022, now Dean of the Faculty), and Eric Maitrejean (2022–2023, continuing to the present). We express our gratitude to them for their leadership during these challenging years. In 2019–2020, Dr Roberts assumed the headship of the DMLL in an acting capacity following Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira from 2018 to 2019, and following two previous terms as Head of Department. The year began quietly. However, it proved to be tremendously difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the general shutdown of the country and The UWI. After a few years, and reflecting on the experience of the pandemic, Dr Roberts, now Director the Centre for Language Learning, made some encouraging remarks: “I was especially proud of our efforts during the pandemic, which prompted us to re-evaluate various important aspects of our work. For example, a DMLL Risk Assessment committee was created, which produced suggestions impacting UWI policy. Additionally, the immediate transition to online teaching in March 2020 necessitated staff training on platforms such as myeLearning, Zoom and Blackboard, as well as participation in workshops on effective online teaching methods. Assessment, whether online or in person, also received valuable attention through training initiatives. The resilience demonstrated by both administrative and academic staff during this time was commendable, as was the continued engagement of students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.” We take pride in showcasing the three books, a co-edited journal issue, eleven book chapters, eighteen journal articles and projects undertaken by our dedicated staff members (see pages 3–17). Their contributions significantly enrich the field of linguistics, and modern languages and literatures. Over these years, staff in the DMLL produced three books, a co-edited journal issue, eleven book chapters, and eighteen journal articles. Additionally, one postgraduate student completed her MPhil, and ten students completed their MA degrees. We celebrate our recent graduates’ outstanding research achievements over these four academic years in the areas of Linguistics and Spanish (pages 24–29) and undergraduate students who produced excellent projects in Linguistics and Caribbean Studies (see pages 30-51). https://sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dmll/ Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 2 Over the course of these four academic years, the DMLL hosted and participated in several exciting events. These include the Society for Caribbean Linguistics (SCL) Virtual Caribbean Language Festival in 2020 (see page 18), the DMLL Research Week focusing on Language and Social Justice in the Caribbean in 2021 (see page 19), and the SCL’s 24th Biennial Conference "New Frontiers in Caribbean Language Research" commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SCL in 2022 (see pages 20–22), which we proudly hosted as SCL was established at St Augustine 50 years ago in 1972. Congratulations to Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira, who won the 2019 Edition of the “Name ExoWorlds” competition with her creative submissions for a new star and its exoplanet, Dingolay and Ramajay. This achievement underscores the significance of Caribbean languages and cultural heritage. Learn more about this event on page 52. The DMLL actively promoted language awareness and appreciation through various events. We commemorated International Creole Month in 2019 with a special tribute to the 19th century public intellectual and French Creole linguist John Jacob Thomas (see page 53). Additionally, in 2023, highlighting the DMLL’s commitment to promoting languages and cultures, we celebrated the Día del Idioma Español (UN Spanish Language Day) with a continuous reading of Don Quixote (see pages 54– 55). The DMLL hosted a series of workshops and webinars covering a variety of topics. These included the Speech -Language Pathology (SLP) Workshop & Webinar Series during the period 2021–2023 (see page 56), the ESL Professional Development Workshop for Early Childhood Teachers in 2022 (see page 57), and in 2023, the UWI-UTT Collaborative Outreach Programme on Translanguaging in our Classrooms, emphasising that “every teacher is a language teacher”. This initiative included workshops for primary and secondary school teachers as well as activities for secondary school students showcasing the DMLL undergraduate programmes (pages 58–60). Finally, in 2023, workshops on Integrating Content and Language for primary school teachers aimed at promoting bilingual education (see page 61). In terms of supporting migrants in Trinidad and Tobago, the DMLL remains committed to offering English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher training workshops and teaching practicum exercises. These aim to equip volunteers with the skills necessary to provide Basic General English language instruction to Venezuelan refugees and asylum seekers. The DMLL delivered a number of workshops and ESL classes for the period 2019–2020 in partnership with other national and international institutions. In this issue of DMLL Research Notes, we also report on the ESL initiatives to support primary school teachers and migrant children, as well as the UWI Language Teaching and Learning Project, fostering collaborative efforts to support both national and migrant children in acquiring a second language (see pages 62–63). Additionally, in 2023, the DMLL, in partnership with the Centre for Language Learning (CLL), played a key role in developing and administering an English as a Second Language Proficiency Test for Spanish- speaking migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago. The development and administration of this special project are detailed on pages 64–65. The French and Spanish Sections actively participated in career fairs at various secondary schools across Trinidad and Tobago, promoting the benefits of studying foreign languages and showcasing The UWI's Foreign Language programmes (see page 67). Looking back on the year 2022–2023, the DMLL continued to engage with innovative themes in our research work, specifically in two key areas: language and linguistics. The research in foreign languages and linguistics, in turn, impacts teaching and learning in the Department. Over these years, staff in the DMLL produced three books, a co-edited journal issue, eleven book chapters, and eighteen journal articles. Additionally, one postgraduate student completed her MPhil, and ten students completed their MA degrees. We look forward to the return of both the Minor in Brazilian Studies and the postgraduate programmes in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), two programmes that were particularly hard hit during the COVID-19 years. We are immensely proud of the academic staff, the ATSS, and students who have contributed to these successes. This issue of DMLL Research Notes provides a glimpse into the DMLL’s accomplishments and dedication to academic excellence, cultural awareness, and community engagement during this period. We encourage you to read the full report. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 3 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Staff Publications: Books Contact Languages and Music Edited by Hollington, Andrea., Joseph T. Farquharson and Byron M. Jones Jr. Language and music are connected in many ways. As social and cultural practices, they have been intertwined in multiple ways. Musical and linguistic practices are often intertwined to express distinct and complex identities, attitudes, ideologies, social roles and political views. Spaces characterised by migration, contact, multilingualism, and colonial inequalities are particularly interesting for the study of the intersections between language and music. This volume is the first book-length account of contact languages and music. It offers a stimulating collection of contributions on different territories, multiple musical genres and topics, and various methodological approaches. The chapters address myriad topics such as nationality, ethnicity, identity, gender, migration and diaspora. Hollington, Andrea., Joseph T. Farquharson and Byron M. Jones Jr., editors, Creole Language and Music. UWI Press, 2022. Stick No Bills Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw In the opening story, sharply observed details of a walk through a St Lucian coastal town to an ageing uncle’s house, chance encounters that trigger memories, a cell phone call from home in Trinidad, the way an incident – like refusing a lift on the way to the house – becomes part of the enlivening narrative of the day, all cover with the myriad details of pulsing life what is really a story about mourning the death of the character’s mother. In this, and a sequence of stories that chart the playful delights of childhood family holidays with uncles, aunts and cousins and the break-up of those connections through deaths and the passage of time, there is a fine balance between recording the feelings of desolation and the pleasures of reconstructing the joys of the past through art and memory. As well as the stories written as “I” and “she”, Stick No Bills confirms Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw’s lethal talent for inventing characters – like the journalist who has been pursuing a famous writer at a literary conference in Haiti, or the would-be writer who is finding a workshop less than rewarding – who have only a partial awareness of their ability to deceive themselves, or see the painful humour of their situations. The collection, through its organisation of individual stories into an artfully constructed whole, offers a richly consoling passage through griefs of various kinds towards a sense of continuance and human resilience. Walcott-Hackshaw, Elizabeth, Stick No Bills. Peepal Tree Press, 2020. El Rayo Silencioso Óscar Bazán Rodríguez León es un profesor de literatura retirado tras la muerte de su hija, Alba. Para exorcizar de algún modo su memoria, y llevado por su obsesión y guía paranormal, escribe un libro sobre el proceso de la muerte que alcanza un éxito impredecible, y le da fama de especialista en los temas esotéricos. Ricardo, un amigo al que no ve desde hace muchos años a causa de una disputa, le convence para que le ayude con un problema relacionado con su hija, Esther. Originario de Trinidad, el amigo de León ha decidido enviar a su hija a estudiar y conocer la isla, pero el comportamiento extraño y brutal de Esther ha despertado su alarma. Los cuidadores de la chica hablan de una criatura sobrenatural llamada Soucouyant. Al llegar a la isla, León intuye una aparente posesión diabólica de la niña, pero no hay nada claro, solo pinceladas de algún tipo de mal interior que lleva a Esther a comportarse y a hablar con una crueldad impropia. El Rayo Silencioso es una novela dirigida a un público adulto que busque una historia de misterio/terror con un estilo muy cuidado, cuya trama está construida con un tipo de suspense que se encamina hacia la sutileza y el sufrimiento interior de los personajes, hasta convertirlo en un estudio íntimo de la culpa y de los desarreglos psicológicos que esta produce. Bazán Rodríguez, Óscar. El rayo silencioso. Editorial Esqueleto Negro, 2023. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Co-edited Journal Issue Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 4 Portuguese Literary and Cultural Studies (PLCS) 32: “Luso- American Literatures and Cultures Today" Tagus Press, the publishing arm of the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, published Luso- American Literatures and Cultures Today (PLCS 32), a groundbreaking transnational approach to the contemporary Lusodiasporic cultures of North America and the Caribbean. This issue is dedicated primarily to the Luso-American literatures and cultures from across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, incorporating perspectives from both within and beyond the current set of canonical reference points. Articles on the cultures of southeastern New England are joined by others that focus on Montreal, Barbados, and Curaçao. This issue also features literary contributions from urban centres such as Toronto, San Francisco and Vancouver, as well as authors whose work can be said to be in transit between North America and disparate points in the Lusophone Atlantic (continental Portugal, the Azores, Cabo Verde). Note: Prof Chris Larkosh (RIP) visited the Department and its Portuguese and Brazilian Studies programme in January 2017 (see Research Notes Issue No 4). Larkosh, Christopher with Emanuel da Silva, Maggie L. N. Felisberto and Jo-Anne S. Ferreira, editors, Tagus Press, September 2019. https://www.umassd.edu/portuguese-studies-center/news/publication-of-luso-american-literatures- and-cultures-today.html O n 1 August 2012, the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (DMLL) was born, when the former Department of Liberal Arts (DLA), a Department that had 9 disciplines, made the decision to split into two departments. The ethos behind DMLL is to better serve the nation, region and global community through languages, linguistics and literatures. Of course, The UWI has been teaching languages and linguistics since long before 2012. As early as 1975, the St Augustine campus was home to the Department of Language and Linguistics, and was succeeded by the DLA which grouped three departments together. The DLA was founded in 1996. People from all over the world—Brazil, Colombia, France, Guyana, Jamaica, Mauritius, St Lucia, Venezuela and the UK, among many others—have come together to form our family of academic and administrative personnel that keep the DMLL ticking and our students learning. For us, serving the national, regional, and global communities means keeping in touch with the needs and wants of these communities. With our outreach programmes and research, we have worked with and helped the nation’s teachers, immigrant communities, the Deaf and hard of hearing communities, taught and documented endangered vernacular and heritage languages, and shared neighbouring cultures through A Alma Brasileira concerts and LusoFestas. When the COVID-19 Pandemic forced the St Augustine campus to close physically to students, we embraced the technology of our times to deliver our courses fully online, so we could keep meeting our students where they are, both literally and metaphorically. Determined to remain active, we have continued to host virtual webinars, open days, forums, and recently, a research week, ‘Language and Social Justice in the Caribbean’, featuring work from national, regional and international academics as well as DMLL students. As we start moving towards a new, post-pandemic future, we are looking forward to new challenges, greater achievements, and fresh faces. Hundreds of graduates have walked our halls in the last decade—will you join them? The Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Our History https://www.umassd.edu/portuguese-studies-center/news/publication-of-luso-american-literatures-and-cultures-today.html https://www.umassd.edu/portuguese-studies-center/news/publication-of-luso-american-literatures-and-cultures-today.html Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Staff Publications: Book Chapters 5 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Aprendientes autónomos de español en un contexto del Caribe angloparlante: Estudio fenomenológico en Trinidad y Tobago Diego Mideros, Nicole Roberts, Paola Palma and Natalia Cardona Villa Mideros, Diego, Nicole Roberts, Paola Palma and Natalia Cardona Villa. “Aprendientes autónomos de español en un contexto del Caribe angloparlante: Estudio fenomenológico en Trinidad y Tobago. / Autonomous learners of Spanish in an Anglophone Caribbean context: A phenomenological study in Trinidad and Tobago.” Navigating Foreign Language Learner Autonomy, edited by Christian Ludwig, Maria Giovanna Tassinari and Jo Mynard. Candlin and Mynard, 2020, pp. 429–459 (Spanish), pp. 421–428 (English short version). Solving problems, signalling potential in Writing Programme Administration at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago Tyrone Ali Writing Programme Administration (WPA) is the cornerstone for the vision, structure and implementation of any tertiary academic writing or composition programme. This becomes a truism in the case of the St. Augustine Campus of The University of the West Indies (UWISTA), whose academic writing programme has experienced two major waves of transition over the past twelve years. The initial related to a modernisation of its aims, pedagogy, assessment practices, and quest for harmonisation with its sister campuses. The other was itself two-pronged; first, the focus on a phased adoption of a blended learning technique characterised by currency of educational technology and, second, an adaptation to the noticeable shift in written communicative competencies of the incoming student body. Though it all, WPA has not been a simple nor all-time rewarding endeavour; rather, it has been a continuous exercise with myriad problems that are grappled with, predicated on the promise and potential of the programme. This paper addresses the principal problems, promise and potential of UWISTA’s academic writing programme in relation to the WPA philosophy, mission, history and future goals evident there. Ali, Tyrone. “Solving Problems, Signalling Potential in Writing Programme Administration at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago.” Creole Composition: Academic Writing and Rhetoric in the Anglophone Caribbean, edited by Vivette V. Milson-Whyte, Raymond Oenbring and Brianne Jacquette. Parlour Press, 2019, pp. 250–267. A comparative study on teacher perception of the use of an English-Lexifier Creole as contributing to student failure in the CXC English language examination Tyrone Ali and Nicole Ajodha The English-based Creole in Trinidad has been seen as a language of low status for decades by some educators, parents and students. Although the Ministry of Education mandated that this substrate be used in the instructional process in classrooms, it was done so in a marginal way whereby it was ‘tolerated’ (Youssef, 2002) until the students’ Caribbean Standard English was at an acceptable level. Teachers at Don Martina Central Secondary School (DMCSS) express concerns about the usage of Creole in both students’ speech and writing in the classroom, and some see it as a major reason for poor results at the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) English Language. This study seeks to provide a comparative insight into these perceptions held by teachers of English Language and teachers of other disciplines, with a view to addressing related concerns. The mixed method study was informed through the use of non-participant observation, structured group interviews and questionnaires. Data was transcribed, coded and categorised, then presented qualitatively and quantitatively. The study also offers recommendations to assist in the instructional process as well as in curriculum planning that may be of interest to all stakeholders inclusive of the Ministry of Education, the secondary school system, school administrators, language and non-language teachers, the home and, most importantly, the secondary school student. Ali, Tyrone and Nicole Ajodha. A Comparative Study on Teacher Perception of the Use of an English-Lexifier Creole as Contributing to Student Failure in The CXC English Language Examination. Negotiating Crosswinds: Trans-linguality, Trans-culturality and Trans-identification in the Greater Caribbean, edited by Nicholas Faraclas, Ronald Severing, Christa Weijer, Elisabeth Echteld, Wim Rutgers. University of Curaçao, 2020, pp. 89–106. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 6 Staff Publications: Book Chapters Re-reading historical forces, religion and culture in Mayra Santos-Febres’ Fe en disfraz Nicole Roberts This article explores the dimensions of the gothic and historical themes in Santos-Febres’ Fe en disfraz / Faith in Disguise. In it, Santos-Febres discusses alterity in a variety of ways, specifically through commentary on pagan rituals, race and identity linked to the novel’s main character Fe Verdejo (a Black scholar who disguises as a slave). The author makes a close reading and analysis of the short novel. She argues that it is only through an analysis of the intersection between an imaginary past and a tenuous present, through the unravelling of Fe’s life story, that the reader is able to understand history/historical forces. This understanding in turn forces an understanding of the present, thus foregrounding the centrality of the writer in Caribbean society. Roberts, Nicole. “Re-reading historical forces, religion and culture in Mayra Santos-Febres’ Fe en disfraz.” Regional Discourses on Society and History: Shaping the Caribbean, edited by Jerome Teelucksingh and Shane Pantin. Peter Lang, 2020, pp. 215–223. DOI: 10.3726/b16393 Examining the use of specific reading comprehension strategies among struggling Caribbean readers: A mixed methods inquiry Tyrone Ali and Margaret Babwah This study investigated the use of the Question-Answer Relationship to Pictures (P-QAR) and Question- Answer Relationship (QAR) strategies with selected readers who operate at frustration level in a primary Standard Three class in an Anglophone Caribbean school. The aim of the study was to describe the students’ use of, and benefit from, these strategies during reading comprehension. The research provided insight into the features of the aforementioned strategies that were reflected in “In the Book” or literal type questions to “Think and Search” or inferential type questions. Student-generated questioning was included which helped to transform the reader from being a passive observer to an active participant. A sequential exploratory mixed method approach was used, including a semi-structured interview, an open-ended interview, a journal component and a post-test. Quantitative data were based on descriptive statistics, using central measures of tendency. Eighteen sessions were conducted over a four and one-half week period. Qualitative and quantitative data were compared to confirm that there was a greater degree of success with the P-QAR technique than with the QAR technique. Findings were analysed and used to generate recommendations to all stakeholders. Ali, Tyrone and Margaret Babwah. “Examining the use of specific reading comprehension strategies among struggling Caribbean readers: A mixed methods inquiry.” Masking as quintessential authenticity: Healing, intersectionality and interstices in the languages, literatures and cultures of the Dutch Caribbean and beyond, edited by Nicholas Faraclas, Ronald Severing, Christa Weijer, Elisabeth. Echteld, Wim Rutgers and Sally Delgado. University of Curaçao/University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, 2021, pp. 235–258. False identity and failed existence: Unveiling Afro-Saxon masculinity in Paule Marshall’s Barbados and Olive Senior’s The View from the Terrace’ Tyrone Ali Imperialism was, from its commencement, a racially and sexually gendered reality and the power differential among masculinities emerged in the master/ slave relationship that characterised Empire. Hegemonic masculinity generated by the white conquistador birthed a resultant subordinate masculine identity that came to signify the non-White man – initially slave and, later, the free African labourer – in the New World. The subjectification of this non-White man, this Other, proved to be fundamental to the constitution of masculinity along racialised and sexualised frames, complementing how related ideologies functioned in a primarily economic enterprise underpinned by greed as the catalyst for the Conquistador’s actions. The impact? Almost indelible gender identity ramifications on the enslaved African and his offspring across the Caribbean diaspora. This chapter seeks to explore Empire-resultant and Empire-resistant constructions of masculine identity in Olive Senior’s The View from the Terrace and Paule Marshall’s Barbados. The overarching aim is to underscore that, in the postcolonial Caribbean, as the Afro-Saxon’s proclivity for all things White crumbles, the Afro-Creole man’s own emerging, defining and robust sense of self and masculine identity becomes visible. Ali, Tyrone. “False Identity and Failed Existence: Unveiling Afro-Saxon Masculinity in Paule Marshall’s Barbados and Olive Senior’s The View from the Terrace.” Gender Visibility and Erasure: Advances in Gender Research Book Series, vol. 33, Demos. Emerald Publishing, 2022, pp. 71–87. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Staff Publications: Book Chapters 7 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Escape to safety: Seeking shelter from domestic violence—The case of Madinah House (1999–2019) Amina Ibrahim-Ali and Nura Amina Ali Madinah House, a temporary shelter, was founded in 1999 in Trinidad to respond to the needs of battered women and their children who, having escaped their abuse, were forced to deal with practical issues such as housing and safety. In 2019, after having housed more than 1,200 clients and their children, the shelter was closed due to insufficient funding to manage its daily expenses and to complete outstanding repair work on its building. This chapter provided information on the day-to-day operations of Madinah House, and, in so doing, contributed to an under-researched area related to gender-based violence in the Caribbean, i.e. safe houses. The two authors, former board members, followed a narrative approach in examining individual client files, journals and letters and conducting interviews with former shelter managers. Findings documented the 20-year contribution of Madinah House and deepened the understanding of the circumstances of battered women, and the key interventions which afford them support. Ibrahim-Ali, Amina and Nura Amina Ali. “Escape to Safety: Seeking Shelter from Domestic Violence—The Case of Madinah House (1999–2019).” Domestic Violence in the Anglophone Caribbean, edited by Ann Marie Bissessar, Camille L. Huggins. Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88476-5_10 “Dennery Segment ka mennen”: Exploring the dominance of Creole languages in St Lucian popular music Ronald T. Francis and R. Sandra Evans This paper explores Creole language use in St. Lucia. By focusing on Dennery Segment, a recent musical genre developed on the island, the authors shed light on a new music phenomenon and investigate the roles language plays by employing Bourdieu’s theory of practice, in particular the concepts of linguistic habitus and linguistic market. The authors illustrate and discuss the use of Kwéyòl and SLCE (St Lucian Creolised English) in Dennery Segment and analyse language use in different socio-cultural domains commonly found in the lyrics. Furthermore, the chapter sheds light on the national, regional and international influences and resonances of the music genre. Francis, Ronald T. and R. Sandra Evans. “’Dennery Segment ka mennen’: Exploring the Dominance of Creole Languages in St Lucian Popular Music.” Contact Languages and Music, edited by Andrea Hollington, Joseph T. Farquharson and Byron M. Jones Jr. UWI Press, 2022, pp. 37–63. Prison talk: Power, communication, culture and community among incarcerated Trinidadian men Tyrone Ali and Danielle Watson Male prisons are rich environments for the creation, adoption, development and perpetuation of particular linguistic repertoires. This study aims to identify and describe instances of ‘re-semanticising’ or the re-assignment of new meanings to old linguistic terms and structures within the specific speech constructions of male adult prisoners in Trinidad. Underpinned by qualitative enquiry, the study generated a bank of words and expressions used contextually in prisoners’ quest to attain, maintain and retain power and dominance over those perceived as less powerful, be they other prisoners or prison authorities inside the prison community. A comparative analysis has been undertaken to ascertain the difference in meanings, if any, to similar constructions within varieties of Standard Trinidadian English used by mainstream society. Ali, Tyrone and Danielle Watson. “Prison Talk: Power, Communication, Culture and Community among Incarcerated Trinidadian Men.” Caribbean Cosmopolitanisms and Caribbean Sciences: Inclusive approaches to the study of the languages, literatures and cultures of the Greater Caribbean and beyond, edited by Nicholas Faraclas, Ronald Severing, Sally Delgado, Elisabeth Echteld, and Wim Rutgers. University of Curaçao, 2022, pp.153–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88476-5_10 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 8 Staff Publications: Book Chapters Wi Ful a Patan: A quantitative approach to language use in Jamaican popular music Byron M. Jones Jr Within the Jamaican society, there have been language debates that focused on the preferences of use and the acceptable domains that society dictates for language, whether Jamaican Creole or Jamaican Standard English. These talks have often been limited to specific domains; education, religion and, most recently, music. When there were talks about language in music, international success or the lack of it has been used as the explanation why artistes should operate in English rather than Jamaican Creole. This and other comments that have been made about the use of language in music, along with the deliberate effort of language control in this domain have created a platform for this paper. The paper seeks to explore the language use practices in Jamaican popular music and to examine the factors that influence such practices. The paper uses the Corpus of Popular Jamaican Music (COPJAM), which comprises transcribed lyrics of one thousand (1,000) songs, covering the period 1962 to 2012, as its chief source of data. The data from this corpus will be analysed using specific statistical techniques such as basic frequency distribution and logistic regression to determine the relationship that exists between specific extra-linguistic (social and music specific) factors and language use. This interaction will be explored in an effort to detail, if they exist, patterns of language use. Jones Jr., Byron M. “Wi Ful a Patan: A Quantitative Approach to Language Use in Jamaican Popular Music.” In Contact Languages and Music, edited by Andrea Hollington, Joseph T. Farquharson and Byron M. Jones Jr. UWI Press, 2022, pp. 89–102. Coloniality, the conquistador and the Caribbean: Exploring Euro-centric sexuality on Afro-Caribbean masculinities in David Dabydeen’s Turner Tyrone Ali Although not an absolute for all Afro-Caribbean men, prevailing sexual and gendered behaviours have become part of the negative legacy of Empire’s erosion and emasculation of many. Colonisation placed an obligation on the Afro-Caribbean man to either acquiesce to the way of life and values of the coloniser, underpinned by denigration and self-denial, or revolt against it and therefore run the risk of being killed. Evocation of this is found in David Dabydeen’s Turner that projects an understanding of how the white conquistador figure engaged in focused and spirited physiological plunder of the enslaved African, leaving behind a severely traumatised Caribbean psyche. The poem underscores the recurring journey motif of the African slave ships, and reeks of human sexuality in brusque terms, predicated on the notion of conquest, rape and unequal power relations. Such relationships became a crucial theme as they emerged and (d)evolved over time, resulting in a lasting impact upon Caribbean manhood and male sexuality. Ali, Tyrone. “Coloniality, the Conquistador and the Caribbean: Exploring Euro-Centric Sexuality on Afro-Caribbean Masculinities in David Dabydeen’s Turner.” The Hook of Desire: Slavery and David Dabydeen’s Turner, edited by Lynne Macedo. Hansib Publications, 2023, pp. 238-–50. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 9 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 https://sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dmll/writing-centre https://sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dmll/writing-centre Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 10 Staff Publications: Journal Articles Assessing the value and effectiveness of study abroad and exchange programmes in foreign language degree programs: A case study Nicole Roberts As study abroad efforts take on increased importance globally, it is vital that we use the resources of the academy to research the impact and effectiveness of these programmes. This paper assesses aspects of the varied exchange (EXC) programmes and study abroad (SA) programmes which exist at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus (Trinidad and Tobago). Data were collected from among students in the French and Spanish degree programmes. The study sought to assess the academic benefit of the programmes while at the same time assess the value-added aspects of the programmes. Overall, it was found that the impact of these international experiences on student learning has not to date been assessed with an aim to making interventions in the varied programmes. As some previous research indicates, to simply send students to a location abroad for academic study is not sufficient toward facilitating the larger goal of creating effective global citizenship. Findings from this research lend empirical support to the notion that study abroad and exchange programmes at all levels facilitate the creation of global citizens. Roberts, Nicole. “Assessing the Value and Effectiveness of Study Abroad and Exchange Programs in Foreign Language Degree Programs: A Case Study.” International Journal of Educational Excellence, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019, pp. 15–28. https://documento.uagm.edu/cupey/ijee/ijee_roberts_5_1_15_28.pdf Pré-littérature ou littérature-monde : une étude des oeuvres de Chamoiseau Savrina Chinien Chinien, Savrina. “Pré-littérature ou littérature-monde : une étude des oeuvres de Chamoiseau.” Interculturel, no. 25, Lecce (Italy), Alliance Française de Lecce, 2020, pp. 147–166. https://sites.google.com/view/alliancefrlecce/publications/interculturel?authuser=0 “To me, I no man yet!”: Indo-Trinidadian manhood in Samuel Selvon’s A Brighter Sun and V. S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr. Biswas Tyrone Ali The search for manhood transgresses race, ethnicity, culture and social class and the Indo-Trinidadian male protagonists in Samuel Selvon’s A Brighter Sun and V.S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr. Biswas bears testimony to this. Noted anthropologist Michael Kimmel avers that masculinity is elusive and is characterised by the flight from the feminine. When it comes to canonical characterisations of the Indo-Caribbean male, however, Kimmel’s dictum takes an interesting turn that points to masculinity and femininity appearing as flip sides of the same coins through a journey that encompasses love, intimacy and sexuality depictive of a heteronormative stance. In the representation of the Indo-Trinidadian male, Selvon’s Tiger and V.S. Naipaul’s Mr. Biswas are crafted as almost passive masculine figures who are in a continuous search for manhood, a search that integrates all dimensions of traditional masculinity culminating in their eventual reward being androgynous male figures. These are the masculine identities the reader encounters in the pages of these literary imaginaries and the journey allows the reader to feel the tensions, trials and triumphs each protagonist feels in his quest to attain manhood and eventually declare himself a man. Indeed, these novels are potent works to explore these dimensions as supported by Baksh when she says, “Caribbean literature has been a fruitful site for explorations of Indo-Caribbean masculinities. Perhaps the most well-known examples are…Samuel Selvon’s A Brighter Sun and V.S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr. Biswas” (94). Ali, Tyrone. “To me, I no man yet!”: Indo-Trinidadian Manhood in Samuel Selvon’s A Brighter Sun and V. S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr Biswas.” Journal of West Indian Literature, vol. 28, no. 2, Nov. 2020, pp.113–127. https://www.jwilonline.org/downloads/vol-28-no-2-november-2020/ L’empreinte à Chamoiseau Savrina Chinien Chinien, Savrina. “L’empreinte à Chamoiseau.” Interculturel, no. 27, Lecce (Italy), Alliance Française de Lecce, 2021, pp. 87–119. https://sites.google.com/view/alliancefrlecce/publications/interculturel?authuser=0 https://documento.uagm.edu/cupey/ijee/ijee_roberts_5_1_15_28.pdf https://sites.google.com/view/alliancefrlecce/publications/interculturel?authuser=0 https://www.jwilonline.org/downloads/vol-28-no-2-november-2020/ https://sites.google.com/view/alliancefrlecce/publications/interculturel?authuser=0 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Staff Publications: Journal Articles 11 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 ‘Ou ni right-la pou remain silans’ The case for a standard Kwéyòl translation of the pre-trial right to silence R. Sandra Evans Although in recent years researchers have intensified focus on the communication of the pre-trial right to silence or police caution to native and non-native speakers of English, most of this research has been concerned with linguistic complexity, comprehension, and comprehensibility issues. Relatively few studies have focused attention on the role played by the deliverer of the caution in the communicative equation (Cotterill 2000), particularly in situations where the caution has to be interpreted or translated by its deliverer. Drawing on a sociolinguistic variation approach, this study investigates the communication of the police caution to Creole speakers, who remain nearly invisible in the research to date. It uses the categories of literal and free translation as tools to analyse spontaneous translations of the caution from English to French-lexicon Creole (Kwéyòl) produced by (n = 25) police officers in St. Lucia. The results show considerable variability in these translations, which may have negative consequences for the accused. This study seeks to draw attention to these consequences by underscoring some of the inaccuracies that may occur in translating or interpreting a caution written in English to Kwéyòl, and make a case for policy that would use the language of the accused in situations of language variation. The study argues that such a policy, which standardises the Kwéyòl version of the caution, would not only obviate the potential for variability, but would also minimise misunderstandings, which could compromise the legal rights of the suspect. Evans, R. Sandra. “‘Ou ni right-la pou remain silans’ The case for a standard Kwéyòl translation of the pre-trial right to silence.” Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages, vol. 36, no. 1, Mar. 2021, pp. 175–200. https://doi.org/10.1075/jpcl.00072.eva Desenvolvimento do Português como Língua de Herança em Trinidad e Tobago: Aquisição e Aprendizagem Maria Jandyra Cavalcanti-Cunha and Jo-Anne S. Ferreira Neste artigo, damos uma visão geral das tentativas de manter e reavivar a língua portuguesa entre os descendentes lusitanos e brasileiros em Trinidad e Tobago. A imigração portuguesa aconteceu principalmente na segunda metade do século XIX e, em anos mais recentes já na virada do século XXI, indivíduos e famílias brasileiras chegaram ao país. No cenário de quase apagamento da cultura lusa entre os descendentes de portugueses, os brasileiros trouxeram um novo ímpeto e força para o possível reavivamento da língua portuguesa. Cavalcanti Cunha, Maria Jandyra and Jo-Anne S. Ferreira. “Desenvolvimento do Português como Língua de Herança em Trinidad e Tobago: Aquisição e Aprendizage.” Revista FSA (Faculdade Santo Agostinho), Teresina, vol. 18, no. 4, Apr. 2021, pp. 159–171. http://dx.doi.org/10.12819/2021.18.4.9 A Description of Trinidadian English Pronunciation Jo-Anne S. Ferreira and Kathy-Ann Drayton Heitmeier This paper aims to offer a brief overview of the phonetics and phonology of one variety of Caribbean English, that is, Trinidadian English. Varieties of English in the English-official Caribbean are often erroneously classified with Caribbean English Creole varieties, and often not accorded their place among other English varieties around the world. This is despite the relative age of Caribbean English varieties, starting from 1623 in St Kitts, and is no doubt also due to their co-existence with Caribbean English Creole varieties. Indeed, Caribbean English Creole languages have been fairly well analysed and described, and reasonably well- documented, almost to the counter-neglect of English varieties in the Caribbean. The focus on English Creole(s) occurred in response to the historical and ongoing lack of recognition of these languages, while English varieties are often benchmarked against metropolitan varieties in an exonormative way, and treated as if they are mere historical imitations of British English with increasing influence from the USA. As a result, Caribbean Englishes, with their standard and non- standard dialects, remain either generally underdescribed or even wrongly described at every linguistic level, including phonology. This general dearth of descriptions of Caribbean Englishes, and the even greater lack of comparative studies has had a severe and serious impact on self-understanding and issues of identity, and on aspects of applied linguistics, including the teaching of English pronunciation to speakers of other languages. It is ironic that Caribbean Englishes differ most obviously from other varieties of English at the phonological level but is the area that is least described. Ferreira, Jo-Anne S. and Kathy-Ann Drayton Heitmeier. “A Description of Trinidadian English Pronunciation.” Society for Caribbean Linguistics (SCL) Occasional Paper 41, Dec. 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/2139/56299 https://doi.org/10.1075/jpcl.00072.eva http://dx.doi.org/10.12819/2021.18.4.9 https://hdl.handle.net/2139/56299 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 12 Staff Publications: Journal Articles Monitoring lesson-planning dynamics in pre-service teacher teams: A retrospective study Amina Ibrahim-Ali and Romulo Guedez Fernandez This study was conducted at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago. It originated from the Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DipTESOL) practicum in June-July 2017. Teacher trainees (n=14) in seven teams or dyads were tasked with lesson planning and delivery for groups of adult refugee learners (n=57) of mixed literacy levels. The impetus for the study came from clinical observation sessions which showed that individual members of two teams functioned in an auxiliary capacity although “collaboratively constructed” lessons had been sent forward for review. This led two teacher educators to question the extent to which members of teaching teams had shared the responsibility of lesson planning. They probed two aspects of co-instructional planning (individual input and team collaboration) which impacted on trainee assessment and lesson delivery, but which remained unaccounted for in the field. A mixed methods approach in a two-phase process was used. Using a proxy measure in phase one, the teacher educators examined 172 lesson plans and 158 supporting documents submitted on Edmodo, an online networking forum, and experimented with basic metadata (author, created, modified by, and last modified date) to extract patterns reflecting individual input and team collaboration. In phase two, the former teacher trainees were invited to validate these results and to contribute qualitatively to the findings through verbal reports and email exchanges. Eleven of the fourteen teacher trainees, representing each of the seven dyads, responded. The study revealed the patterns of individual input and team collaboration which emerged during lesson-planning in the aforementioned context, and proposes that these patterns may help to guide practicum contexts where pre-service teachers are assessed in teams. Ibrahim-Ali, Amina and Romulo Guedez Fernandez. “Monitoring Lesson-Planning Dynamics in Pre-Service Teacher Teams: A Retrospective Study.” Caribbean Curriculum, Volume 28, Dec 2021, pp. 64–96. https://journals.sta.uwi.edu/ojs/index.php/cc/article/view/7779 Creole in Education in Trinidad & Tobago Jo-Anne S. Ferreira and Nnamdi Hodge Once the language of wider communication of the island of Trinidad, French-lexicon Creole was firstly the vernacular language of the majority, then the lingua franca of the increasingly multilingual population, and is now an endangered minority language, remembered mainly in words, sayings and songs. Its endangered and minority status has been recognised since the 1930s, but it was only in the late 1970s that efforts at linguo-cultural preservation began, with the language being formally taught at the Extra-Mural Unit of the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine (a university outreach centre). In the 1990s, French Creole, mainly the St Lucian variety taught by Martiniquans, was introduced into the Linguistics curriculum of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. In 2001, a university-led outreach to Paramin focused on the Trinidadian variety. Now, all classes outside of the University focus on the national variety through the efforts of one teacher. Though there is little or no hope of seeing French Creole return to its previous majority, vernacular status, language advocates, practitioners and students see the importance of teaching the language in various educational, cultural and social contexts for memory, history, nationhood and the preservation of regional connections and commonalities. . Ferreira, Jo-Anne S. and Nnamdi Hodge. “Creole in Education in Trinidad & Tobago.” Kréolistika: Revue des mondes creoles (CRILLASH) No. 1, March 2021, pp. 275–286. Tomás Sosa Wangüemert—Nineteenth Century Cuban Tobacco Pioneer in Trinidad Jo-Anne S. Ferreira Tomás Sosa Wangüemert (1858–1925) emigrated from Camagüey, Cuba to Siparia, Trinidad in the late nineteenth century (c. 1889), contracted by the then Government of Trinidad to cultivate tobacco and develop the industry. Born in Spain of Spanish (Sosa) and Flemish (van Ghemert/Wangüemert) origin, Sosa left his homeland of Isla de La Palma, Canary Islands at an early age, and spent two decades cultivating tobacco in Cuba prior to emigrating to Trinidad, where he spent over three decades. This paper traces the story of this tobacco pioneer and his contribution to the tobacco industry in Trinidad in the nineteenth century. Ferreira, Jo-Anne S. “Tomás Sosa Wangüemert—Nineteenth Century Cuban Tobacco Pioneer in Trinidad.” Caribbean Quarterly (CQ), vol. 68, no. 4, 2022, pp. 506–535 . https://doi.org/10.1080/00086495.2022.2139514 https://journals.sta.uwi.edu/ojs/index.php/cc/article/view/7779 https://doi.org/10.1080/00086495.2022.2139514 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Staff Publications: Journal Articles 13 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Appropriateness versus naturalness in the Jamaican Creole Bible translation project Byron M. Jones Jr In May 2007, the Bible Society of the West Indies (BSWI) announced its translation of the New Testament into Jamaican Creole. This paper examines the perceived weak point of the project, the issue of the “crudity” or “vulgarity” of the Jamaican language in the area of sexuality, which renders it unsuitable for the holy Scriptures. The project designed a set of focus-group instruments to test acceptability in the area of sexual terminology. Findings indicated that focus- group participants generally preferred the uses of English-like forms rather than the more natural Jamaican Creole ones when dealing with sexual concepts. They preferred prignant over briid or get beli, and vorjin over uman we neva tek man yet, and so on. The challenge to the project was how to manage the association of Jamaican sexual terms with vulgarity while remaining faithful to the language. The paper concludes with an account of how this was managed. Jones Jr., Byron M. “Appropriateness versus Naturalness in the Jamaican Creole Bible Translation Project.” The Bible Translator, vol. 73, no. 1, 2022, pp. 39–52. Quality assurance and control in Jamaican Dancehall music Byron M. Jones Jr Dancehall music, from its inception in the 80s, has had the attention of all and sundry, because of the unique traits it brought to the industry. Its riddim composition was more digital, the tempo was faster and artistes introduced alternative styles of delivery. However, the genre’s introduction of topics of sex and violence drew the attention, and even the ire, of many, because its lyrical content was unfiltered and explicit. Nevertheless, Dancehall ballooned into a global phenomenon, giving musicians access to markets Reggae did not. How was this possible? How could a music this rough and rugged have this much success? The answer lies with the unofficial ‘gatekeepers’ of the industry, agents who indirectly mediated and regulated the Quality Assurance and Control (QAC) of the genre. This paper aims to identify a few of these agents and describes their footprint of QAC in Dancehall music. It also describes the shift in QAC and the effects of such a shift in Jamaican Dancehall music, and the factors which contribute to and enable these changes. Jones Jr., Byron M. “Quality Assurance and Control in Jamaican Dancehall Music.” Interviewing the Caribbean, vol. 7, no. 2, 2022, pp. 132–139. Rethinking the learning of reading comprehension and writing skills of university students in the teaching of Spanish: An exploratory study Nicole Roberts Writing well in a foreign language (FL) is no easy feat because it demands a higher level of skill and competency. Oftentimes students cite continuous errors in writing as a challenge and indicate that the discouraging impact of continuously making mistakes and the very real struggle to figure out which words to use for correct expression impacts their motivation. This article reflects on the move to a blended programme of study for Reading Comprehension and Writing Spanish among final year university students. The study’s central purpose is to address students’ lack of motivation in reading and writing in the foreign language and to propose some solutions to increasing reading and writing ability among the students through the asynchronous module. Key objectives for the study include a close reflection on the tasks assigned to the students and the level of motivation among students in performing the reading/writing assignments. The study is an exploratory one as it seeks to determine possible best practice in reading comprehension and writing classes at the university level. Undoubtedly, the 21st century learner must be critical in ICT as globally, current trends in education demand the integration of ICT in all curricula, an idea much reinforced following the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the study found the asynchronous module to be quite effective in teaching reading comprehension as well as in the practice of writing. However, interactivity is key to student motivation and overall success as much as the use of socially-relevant topics in the global and regional contexts. Roberts, Nicole. “Rethinking the Learning of Reading Comprehension and Writing Skills of University Students in the Teaching of Spanish: An Exploratory Study.” International Journal of Educational Excellence, vol. 8, no. 2, 2022, pp. 61–73. https://documento.uagm.edu/cupey/ijee/ijee_roberts_8_2_61_73.pdf https://documento.uagm.edu/cupey/ijee/ijee_roberts_8_2_61_73.pdf Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 14 Staff Publications: Journal Articles Birthing and burying a dragon: Shaping Afro-Caribbean sexual and masculine identities in Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance Tyrone Ali An emerging Afro-centric counter-hegemonic masculine figure was the profound birth of Empire’s erosion claiming a heroism that was instrumental in creating an imperative of resistance. Colonisation placed an obligation on the Afro-Caribbean man to either acquiesce to the way of life and values of the coloniser, underpinned by denigration and self-denial, or revolt against it and therefore run the risk of being ostracised. Evocation of this is found in Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance which represents the dominant Afro-Caribbean urban male as a socially constructed being and, in terms of love, intimacy and sexuality, openly manifested as the quintessential sexual figure, as he rebels against the established order in an effort to propel his own construction of masculine identity. As he masterfully choreographs the Carnival dance of his finely-sketched characters, Lovelace discloses the conundrums of the lower strata Afro-Caribbean man. For the majority of boys and men on Calvary Hill, the tool they rely on to assert their masculine identities is encompassed in a rhythm of abandon and surrender as they adopt a hypermasculine approach to sex and sexuality in an effort to prove themselves as men. The novel reeks of human sexuality in brusque terms as there is played a game between the hunter and the hunted, predicated on the notion of conquest. This paper traces the process of conversion of sexual and masculine identities and the birth and burial of counter-hegemonic masculinities. Ali, Tyrone. “Birthing and burying a dragon: Shaping Afro-Caribbean sexual and masculine identities in Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance.” Postcolonial Text, vol.17, no.1, 2022, pp. 1–19. https://www.postcolonial.org/index.php/pct/article/view/2657/2535 I support U and U support We at UWI: Examining the symbiotic staff-student support services of the Academic Literacies Programme at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Tyrone Ali Against the backdrop of ever-increasing physiological and sociological ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became necessary for the Academic Literacies Programme (ALP), at The UWI, St. Augustine Campus (The UWISTA), to recalibrate its student support mechanisms. The existing pre-pandemic system was recalibrated to maximise the highest probability for student success and simultaneous staff development through an eight-pronged support system. This encompassed the enhanced utilisation of the exciting capabilities of the e-Learning portal; the transformation of the services of The Writing Centre into an energised virtual forum; continuous academic advising; small -group grammar and writing workshops; increased opportunities for non-credit practice writing; additional consultations; special one-on-one tutorials for academically at-risk students; and, the amplification of the student voice. In so doing, the ALP’s staff grew in related competencies as well, encouraged by the positive synergies of an appreciative student body, resulting in a newfound symbiotic relationship between staff development and student learning. Ali, Tyrone. “I Support U and U Support We at UWI: Examining the Symbiotic Staff-Student Support Services of the Academic Literacies Programme at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.” The Quality Education Forum. Student Support Systems and Student Success in Higher Education, no. 26, Nov. 2022, pp. 146–167. https://journals.sta.uwi.edu/qef https://www.postcolonial.org/index.php/pct/article/view/2657/2535 https://journals.sta.uwi.edu/qef https://scl-online.net/index.htm Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Staff Publications: Journal Articles 15 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Interrogating national instructional strategies and teacher attitudes toward reading comprehension in selected schools in Grenada Tyrone Ali and Charmaine Christopher Reading comprehension is the core element of the reading process. The aim of this study was to examine the use of nationally-endorsed instructional strategies in, and current teacher attitudes and beliefs towards, reading comprehension instruction in a Grade Four classroom in Grenada. Participants included five teachers and their respective classes, totalling 136 students. Multiple methods were used such as non- participant classroom observations, document review, and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that little explicit reading comprehension instruction occurred as teachers mainly engaged students in activities that provided information on the content of text, activities that assessed this content, and drills. Instructional strategies utilised lacked components of the gradual release of responsibility model that literacy researchers have recommended which can favourably impact educational theory practice (Pearson & Galagher, 1983: Donaldson, 2011). Nevertheless, teachers held strong favourable attitudes towards reading comprehension instruction as they recognise its value and importance, and also believe they can effectively deliver related instruction. Yet, they seemingly lacked knowledge about current available instructional strategies and approaches. Recommendations include the urgent need for curriculum intervention, at various levels and for different stakeholders, and renewal in the form of quality, relevant and interesting reading comprehension instructional strategies, materials, practices and approaches. Ali, Tyrone and Charmaine Christopher. “Interrogating National Instructional Strategies and Teacher Attitudes Toward Reading Comprehension in Selected Schools in Grenada.” Caribbean Curriculum, vol. 29, 2022, pp. 100–127. https://journals.sta.uwi.edu/ojs/index.php/cc/index Don’t worry; it’s a Koudmen: Collaborative networking among St. Lucian women in academe R. Sandra Evans, Terencia Joseph, Christine H. Descartes and Talia Esnard The importance of networking, collaborative relationships, and mentoring as a valuable asset for early career academics is well-documented in the literature. However, there is still a lack of empirical attention on the nature and value of collaborative networks that are rooted in a common identity, shared cultural practices and experiences, not typically used as assets in the creation of networks and mentoring structures in academe. Using social capital theory and community cultural wealth as theoretical frames, this paper introduces the concept of Koudmen, a traditional cooperative form, practised throughout the Caribbean as a socio- cultural framework to advance an understanding of collaborative networking and mentoring, as well as to advance our career progression. It establishes that there is precedent and currency in transferring the practice from its original context to academia, where marginalised groups often strive to navigate a highly isolationist and competitive context. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach to draw from our individual and shared experiences on the concepts and practice of a Koudmen, we applied these notions to the processes and structures of our own collaborative academic network. Through dialogic interviews, we explored the challenges and breakthroughs of a small network of four Caribbean women academics who originated from the same geographical space and have been transplanted in another country. Our reversion to the familiarity of the Koudmen offers a safe space for co-bonding and mentoring as we navigate the experiences of alienation, desire for and necessity to collaborate as young professionals in the competitive arena of academia. . Evans, R, Sandra, Terencia Joseph, Christine H. Descartes and Talia Esnard. “Don’t worry; it’s a Koudmen: Collaborative networking among St. Lucian women in academe.” Caribbean Quarterly, vol. 68, no. 3, 2022, pp. 402–422. https://journals.sta.uwi.edu/ojs/index.php/cc/index Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 16 Madinah House - More than just a shelter Ibrahim-Ali, Amina and Nura Amina Ali Madinah House in Trinidad operated as a shelter from domestic abuse for 20 years. Upon its closure, former board members, Dr Amina Ibrahim-Ali from The University of West Indies and Nura Amina Ali, formerly of the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, undertook a systematic investigation, documenting the day-to-day running of this Caribbean safehouse, as well as revealing more about the challenges faced in establishing a shelter for women. The research offers guidance on policy development for domestic violence and serves as a blueprint for the establishment of shelters for victims of gender-based violence. Ibrahim-Ali, Amina and Nura Amina Ali. “Madinah House – More Than Just a Shelter.” Research Outreach, issue 135, 2023, pp. 18–21. https://researchoutreach.org/articles/madinah-house-more-just-shelter/ and https:// cdn.researchoutreach.org/Flipbooks/RO135/index.html Promoting safety, security, and human rights: Empowering migrant children through education in Trinidad and Tobago Romulo Guedez Fernandez, Aarti Persad, Dev Pooma and Nicha Selvon-Ramkissoon Migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago encounter significant challenges, particularly when it comes to accessing education. The National Child Policy of Trinidad and Tobago (2019), while acknowledging the large migrant and refugee population, noted that “pending legislative reform, children in this context are unable to access public education unless a student permit is obtained, which is normally contingent on their parents obtaining work permits.” Limited options are therefore available to them, as they are not granted student permits to enrol in public or government-assisted primary schools. Recognising the vulnerability of these children, we aimed to empower primary school teachers by developing a comprehensive curriculum built on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and translanguaging pedagogy principles that support the education of Spanish-speaking migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago. Our collaborative projects involve academic staff from the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and the University of The West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus, and the support from the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Catholic Board of Education Management (CEBM) and Living Water Community (LWC). Guedez Fernandez, Romulo, Aarti Persad, Dev Pooma and Nicha Selvon-Ramkissoon. “Promoting Safety, Security and Human Rights: Empowering Migrant Children through Education in Trinidad and Tobago.” Spotlight on Crime and Public Safety, vol. 3, no. 3, Jun. 2023, pp. 6–7. https://utt.edu.tt/press-releases/icps-newsletter-june-2023/ Tomás Emeterio del Sacramento Sosa y Wangüemert: Un Veguero Isleño en Cuba, un pionero del tabaco y patriarca en la isla de Trinidad Jo-Anne S. Ferreira Nacido en las Islas Canarias de origen español y portugués (Sosa) y flamenco (van Ghemert/ Wangüemert), Tomás Sosa Wangüemert (1859-1925) dejó su tierra natal de la isla de La Palma a una edad temprana y emigró a Cuba, donde pasó dos décadas cultivando tabaco. A finales del siglo xix (c. 1889), fue contratado por el Gobierno de Trinidad para cultivar tabaco y desarrollar la industria en Siparia, en aquella isla, donde se estableció y permaneció más de tres décadas. Este artículo traza la historia de este pionero del tabaco y su contribución a la industria tabacalera en Trinidad en el siglo XIX hasta principios del siglo XX. Ferreira, Jo-Anne S. “Tomás Emeterio del Sacramento Sosa y Wangüemert: Un veguero isleño en Cuba, un pionero del tabaco y patriarca en la isla de Trinidad.” Revista de Historia Canaria, no. 205, 2023, pp. 51–86. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.histcan.2023.205.03 Staff Publications: Journal Articles Periodicals https://researchoutreach.org/articles/madinah-house-more-just-shelter/ https://cdn.researchoutreach.org/Flipbooks/RO135/index.html https://cdn.researchoutreach.org/Flipbooks/RO135/index.html https://utt.edu.tt/press-releases/icps-newsletter-june-2023/ https://doi.org/10.25145/j.histcan.2023.205.03 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 17 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Other Publications and Projects Other Publications Preparing for the ‘Next Normal’ (How ready is the remote synchronous classroom?) Ibrahim-Ali, Amina. UWISpace, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. March 2022. English for Medical Purposes Ibrahim-Ali, Amina and Shelley Santos Marshall. UWISpace, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. August 2022. Backstory: Caribbean Mother Tongues Ferreira, Jo-Anne S. Caribbean Beat, issue 176. May/June 2023 pp. 32–34. Creative Writing Lucas y el nombre del mar (Short Story) Bazán Rodríguez, Óscar. En sentido figurado, issue 15, no. 3, 2022, pp. 57–60. Las líneas de la memoria (Short Story) Bazán Rodríguez, Óscar. Windumanoth, no. 15, 2022, pp. 69–80. Una copa en el paraíso (Short Story) Bazán Rodríguez, Óscar. Revista Almiar, 2023, no. 126. Hay que compartir (Short Story) Bazán Rodríguez, Óscar. En sentido figurado, issue16, no. 2, 2023, pp. 59–69. Projects Digital Atlas of the Toponyms of Trinidad and Tobago (DATTT). 2019–2023 Ferreira, Jo-Anne S. https:// hdl.handle.net/2139/46635 Newspaper articles Saluting the students on World Teachers’ Day Ibrahim-Ali, Amina. Daily Express, Letters to the Editor, 10 October 2022, Trinidad and Tobago Newsday ,11 October 2022, and The Trinidad Guardian, 13 October 2022. Spare a thought for the Venezuelan woman Ibrahim-Ali, Amina and Romulo Guedez Fernandez. Trinidad Express Newspapers, Letters to the Editor, 8 March 2023. and Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, Opinion, 8 March 2023, p. 19. Ramadan: A month of Comparisons Ibrahim-Ali, Amina. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, Commentary, 18 April 2023, and The Trinidad Guardian, 18 April 2023. Sparing a thought for all Muslims Ibrahim-Ali, Amina. Trinidad Daily Express, Opinion, 18 April 2023. The 10th edition of the SIGN conference series will be held at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, from Monday 9 until Thursday 12 December 2024, with pre-conference sessions on the morning of Monday 9 December when people can brush up on their International Sign and learn some national signs. You can find more information about timings here. Want to submit an abstract? You can find details about how to do this here, including deadlines, which languages you can use for the abstract, and (if you live in the Caribbean) how to get help with preparing the abstract. From Tuesday 3 until Saturday 7 December there will be training for deaf people in the Caribbean on topics such as research skills, sign language teaching, curriculum design and policy/advocacy. More information about this, including how to apply, is coming soon here. See UWI Today, “Communication during Covid-19: Why are the needs of the Deaf not being heard?”10 May 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/53832 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54275 https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-176/caribbean-mother-tongues-backstory https://margencero.es/margencero/copa-en-el-paraiso-oscar-bazan/?fbclid=IwAR2YPRwPgXSD_t5F6yVEt3JKPseop10wc6SvhCQeyd5BFsOZHdtDiLpmgvQ https://hdl.handle.net/2139/46635 https://hdl.handle.net/2139/46635 https://trinidadexpress.com/opinion/letters/saluting-students-on-world-teachers-day/article_db55bba6-48f3-11ed-bea1-f3801ef64554.html https://newsday.co.tt/2022/10/11/saluting-the-students/ https://newsday.co.tt/2022/10/11/saluting-the-students/ https://trinidadexpress.com/opinion/letters/spare-a-thought-for-the-venezuelan-woman/article_8f8d60c0-bd51-11ed-8cfe-efa0b1fbb7e3.html https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369063385_Sparing_a_thought_for_the_Venezuelan_woman_on_International_Women's_Day#fullTextFileContent https://newsday.co.tt/2023/04/18/ramadan-a-month-of-comparisons/ https://newsday.co.tt/2023/04/18/ramadan-a-month-of-comparisons/ https://sites.google.com/view/sign10/home/ https://sites.google.com/view/sign10/home/call-for-papers https://sites.google.com/view/sign10/home/training https://sta.uwi.edu/uwiToday/archive/may_2020/article4.asp Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 18 Conferences T he Society for Caribbean Linguistics (SCL) held a Virtual Festival celebrating Caribbean languages from 6 to 7 August 2020. The event was held in lieu of the SCL T&T 2020 Biennial Conference, cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SCL Virtual Language Festival 2020 6-7 August 2020 The SCL Virtual Caribbean Language Festival featured performances and presentations from among the SCL membership. The Festival was live streamed on the SCL Facebook page and the playlist is available for viewing on SCL's YouTube channel: https://rb.gy/iq2qx3 The Festival opened with a Welcome and Introduction from the SCL President, Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira. Prof Emerita Lise Winer (PhD Linguistics, UWI, St Augustine) our distinguished alumna, was a plenary speaker, and our DMLL Honorary Research Fellow, Dr Joseph Farquharson, was a discussant. Featured was a special Festival video "Sign Languages across the Caribbean" by Dr Ben Braithwaite and team. For more information visit https://scl-online.net/ Conferences/special/ virtuallanguagefest.htm https://www.google.com/url?q=https://rb.gy/iq2qx3&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1702157375540459&usg=AOvVaw2L5BEehseh5ZLy7R2VETHN https://scl-online.net/Conferences/special/virtuallanguagefest.htm https://scl-online.net/Conferences/special/virtuallanguagefest.htm https://scl-online.net/Conferences/special/virtuallanguagefest.htm Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Conferences 19 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 19 - 21 April 2021 T he Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics hosted its Annual Research Week virtually on 19 - 21 April 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day. The theme, Language and Social Justice in the Caribbean was the topic of discussion by guest speakers Professor Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, Professor Emeritus Hubert Devonish and Dr Clara Mohammed-Foucault. Language and Social Justice in the Caribbean explored the relationship between academic disciplines related to language and issues of social justice in the Caribbean context. The event highlighted the work of the DMLL, including those working in French, French Creole, Linguistics, Portuguese, Spanish, TESOL, TTSL, and more. The audience included undergraduate and postgraduate students, and the wider public interested in these disciplines. The discussion about the relationship between language and the creation of more just societies included topics such as Caribbean languages, Creoles, Indigenous languages, sign languages, transformative research, community-based research, language rights, migration, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, media, disability, education, and legal justice. Day 1 The politics of voice or how to create dangerously Prof Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw The frontiers of literature Dr Clara Mohammed-Foucault Race, trauma and female resistance in Fe en Disfraz by Mayra Santos-Febres Dr Nicole Roberts Day 2 Language as a human right Paola Palma Rojas The revitalisation of Trinidadian Patois (French Creole) through its implementation into the education system in Trinidad Jake Victor Salloum Acculturation experiences of Spanish immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago: The importance of the English language in their stay in Trinidad Jewel Crawford A case study on attitudes of Trinidadians towards Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago over the last year Sapphire Sookram Day 2 - continued Online English language teaching support for asylum seekers and refugees in T&T: Lessons learned Romulo Guedez Fernandez Day 3 Sign Language documentation and description in the Caribbean: Challenges, opportunities, and implications for the fulfilment of human rights Kristian Ali Sign language ideologies and its impact on the teaching strategies used in Sign Language instruction in Trinidad Victoria Mohammed, Kyle Ng and Jessie Sooknarine Emergent system of online teaching and learning affects the linguistic access of deaf students in Trinidad and Tobago Noor-ud-din Mohammed Funding language reparations for the victims of slavery and colonialism: The role of the Charter on Language Policy and Language Rights in the Creole-speaking Caribbean Professor Hubert Devonish Videos Day 1: https://youtu.be/VmuEWKqiuJI?si=mw-B1EmgF2bIaFvn Day 2: https://youtu.be/cdlNEp7vWUo?si=J1YhgirBBCTuOO6o http://caribbeanlanguagepolicy.weebly.com/charter.html http://caribbeanlanguagepolicy.weebly.com/charter.html http://caribbeanlanguagepolicy.weebly.com/charter.html https://youtu.be/VmuEWKqiuJI?si=mw-B1EmgF2bIaFvn https://youtu.be/cdlNEp7vWUo?si=J1YhgirBBCTuOO6o Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 20 Conferences Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Conferences 21 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 New Frontiers in Caribbean Language Research T he research, interests and publications of members of the Society for Caribbean Linguistics (SCL) have always addressed both theoretical and applied linguistics, with a special concern for the role and development of Caribbean languages in education. The Society had its beginnings in the 1968 Creole Linguistics Conference at The UWI, Mona, and was later formally established in July of 1972 right here at the St Augustine campus of The UWI to promote the study of language and linguistics in and of the Caribbean, and to involve interested parties from all across the globe. SCL held its Inaugural Biennial Conference in Guyana in 1976, and has held conferences in Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominica, French Guiana, Jamaica, St Lucia, Sint Maarten, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Linguistic rights, reform and reparations in the Creole-speaking Caribbean: Connecting the dots Jo-Anne S. Ferreira UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) notes that 40% of the global population does not access education in a language they understand. While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic education, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding in the classroom. In this paper, I will look at the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (Barcelona 1996) and the Charter on Language Policy and Language Rights in the Creole-speaking Caribbean and issues of linguistic rights and educational reform in the Caribbean. Considering that these issues are a direct result of historical and colonial language policies and more, reparations, as "compensation for war damage owed by the aggressor", as per one definition, enter into the picture. I will attempt to connect the dots and discuss ways in which Caribbean linguists and language activists can and must be part of the reparations movement and discussions, for the sake of the advancement of our people and our future. The SCL’s 24th Biennial Conference, the first virtual SCL scholarly conference and the Society’s 50th Anniversary Celebration was hosted by the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (DMLL), and managed by a small Local Organising Committee (LOC) comprising Patrice Clarke, Jo- Anne Ferreira and Ronald Francis. St Augustine previously hosted the 6th and 14th SCL Biennial Conferences, in 1986 and 2002, respectively, the former with the American Dialect Society. For the 23rd Biennial (2020), SCL had hoped to have the conference (physically) hosted by the DMLL at UWI, St Augustine, but the pandemic intervened (see page 18 above). A Special Feature of the 24th Biennial Conference and Golden Jubilee was the Presidents’ Panel, where past presidents, Prof Lawrence Carrington, Prof Barbara Lalla, Presidential Plenary See UWI Today “Society for Caribbean Linguistics celebrates 50th anniversary at Biennial Conference.” September 2022. Prof Ian Robertson and Prof Lise Winer (UWI alumna), walked down memory lane and looked to the future together. The new Dean, Prof Elizabeth Walcott- Hackshaw, was delighted to open this conference, held in memory of Christiaan Hendrik 'Hein' Eersel. As SCL President and Co- Chair of the LOC, Dr Ferreira welcomed all to the conference, and especially thanked her predecessors and the LOC. The new Head of DMLL, Eric Maitrejean closed the conference. The SCL President for 2018-2022 ended by sharing one of her favourite quotes: “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”— Nelson Henderson. https://culturalrights.net/descargas/drets_culturals389.pdf http://caribbeanlanguagepolicy.weebly.com/charter.html http://caribbeanlanguagepolicy.weebly.com/charter.html https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/september_2022/article12.asp Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 22 Conferences The collaborative process for integrating CLIL in the National Primary School Curriculum of Trinidad and Tobago Romulo Guedez Fernandez, Natalie Bhawanie, and Tisha Lares-Sagam The use of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach to teaching both content and language has been a growing trend in many countries. CLIL is a content-driven approach in which content is taught through an additional/second language. Despite its successful use in the classroom and popularity in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, research on the implementation of the CLIL approach in the English-official Caribbean has been limited. In the classroom context, CLIL supports the learning of content while facilitating proficiency in the target language. In Trinidad and Tobago, three main speech varieties co-exist: Tobagonian English Creole (TobEC), Trinidadian English Creole (TrinEC) and Trinidad and Tobago English (TTE). As such, the National Primary School Curriculum (NPSC) recognises both TrinEC and TobEC, and notes that “the language children bring to the classroom - their first language, is a tool for building their awareness of the target language” (NPSC, 11). The CLIL approach encourages the use of the first language (TrinEC or TobEC) as a tool in learning contextualised content and developing the necessary competencies in an additional/second language variety (TTE). The implementation of CLIL involves a collaborative approach in which content teachers and language teachers work together to integrate the current content of the curriculum with the appropriate language structures. Findings from a survey administered to 167 (female=153, male=14) primary school teachers in Trinidad and Tobago, revealed that 94.61% teachers perceived the need for children to develop their competence in Standard English. To address this issue and support teachers in helping learners to develop their language competence, a CLIL Supplemental Guide for the NPSC was envisioned. This presentation reports on the action research project being conducted to develop such a Guide. It focuses on the collaborative process of the integration of the CLIL approach in the NPSC which was carried out by primary school teachers (content teachers) and language teachers. The NPSC and the 4Cs framework (Content, Cognition, Communication and Culture) of CLIL were used to develop the CLIL Supplemental Guide for the Upper Primary Schools in Trinidad and Tobago. The objective for this integration is to provide teachers with the necessary guidance in their planning and implementation of CLIL lessons cross-curricular. This Guide is designed to simultaneously help increase learners’ language competence and their content knowledge in the different subject areas of the NPSC. Several examples of the integration of the CLIL in the NPSC are provided. ESL learners coming into contact with Trinidadian English Creole Amina Ibrahim-Ali and Romulo Guedez Fernandez This study, conducted during the 2016/2017 academic year at The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine campus, followed a case study research methodology and focused on ESL learner perception of Trinidadian English Creole (TrinEC). The two-phase study sought data from eleven interviews and eight focus group sessions with ESL learners (n=51) and their teachers (n=5). Data collection took place between September and December 2016, and January and August 2017. Case study evidence was transcribed and systematically analysed using a thematic approach. Findings revealed that while a few learners acknowledged the presence of a national language variety, overall, the ESL learner population had not been sensitised to this national language which they perceived as unfavourable for their learning. Their attitudes and inability to interact with the national community limited their exposure outside the classroom which may have led to their accounts of inhospitable encounters as they accessed basic services. Such encounters, and in particular those outside the University campus, disinclined ESL learners from seeking out opportunities for language use, and seemed to explain why they favoured the formal learning environment over the informal one, and why they depended heavily on the teacher-led classroom. SCL Trinidad & Tobago 2022 - 24th Biennial Conference and Golden Jubilee Abstracts from St Augustine participants Precursor of Linguistic Advocacy in the Creolophone Caribbean: A medical perspective Ian E. Robertson Advocacy has been at the centre of the application of linguistic enquiry to concerns for enhancing and enfranchising the Creole-speaking populations that are numerically dominant in Caribbean societies. In Curaçao and Aruba, in Jamaica, in Haiti, in Guyana, increasing advocacy has brought into sharp focus the need for a greater consciousness. At the core of these endeavours is the necessity to give proper consideration of the use of the vernacular languages and of the vital roles they should play in everyday pursuits of effective education, and health practice. These problems of communicative ineffectiveness have been with the region from the initial establishment of the plantation economies and the importation of West African peoples in the main, to the present time. This paper presents the social, psychological and linguistic considerations of a medical practitioner in the Dutch colony of Essequibo towards the end of the eighteenth century. The paper presents the evidence provided in support of the development of appropriate policies and practices for the region. The sociopsychological concerns of the doctor and his reflections on the handicap presented to the proper practice of medicine, especially in the treatment of the enslaved peoples, provide significant grounds for reflection among present day advocates of the vernacular speakers. The paper provides the links to the critical dimensions of language advocacy for Caribbean states through time. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 23 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Academic Literacies Programme Register on myeLearning Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 24 Postgraduates 2019 Reah Warner-Mayers MA Spanish, with Distinction Lessons learnt from Negrismo to Négritude: Representations of Blackness in Trópico Negro by Manuel del Cabral and Caribe Africano en Despertar by Blas Jiménez Supervisor: Dr Nicole Roberts This work interrogates representations of Blackness in poetry of the Dominican Republic, within the literary traditions of Négritude and Negrismo, using the anthologies Tropico Negro by Manuel del Cabral and Caribe africano en despertar by Blas Jiménez. It aims to contribute to the existing research on Afro-Caribbean poetry. In their poetry, the white del Cabral and black Jiménez examine the theme of Afro-Dominican identity through fundamentally different lenses. The constitution of black identity is examined from both the black experience and the white imaginary, with each poet articulating different dimensions of the black experience, each influenced by his own background and ideology. This paper first explores the nebulous parameters of racial and ethnic definition in the Dominican Republic, and the significance of categorisations such as negro, mulato, cocolo, indio and haitiano. It then analyses power dynamics and the construction and negotiation of black identity within a postcolonial context of Euro-dominant discourse, Trujillismo and North American influence. Race and ethnicity remain pivotal in maintaining political and social hierarchies, and economic exploitation is presented as a fact of black identity. It also examines representations of black sexuality in the Caribbean, revealing tropes of sexual objectification and celebration at different turns. Finally, it addresses the possibility of reclaiming voice, agency and self- affirmation among Afro-Dominicans. It concludes by assessing the contribution of both del Cabral and Jiménez to the twentieth century Dominican canon and the possibility of asserting a positive Afro-Caribbean identity. Keisha Andrea Knight MA Spanish, with Distinction Women in Colombian Narcoliterature Supervisor: Dr Anne-Marie Pouchet The aim of this thesis is to explore how Colombian narcoliterature perpetuates the idea that women are inferior to men. In Jorge Franco’s Rosario Tijeras and Gustavo Bolívar’s Sin tetas no hay paraíso, both protagonists are women who do not subscribe to traditional roles. By the novels’ ends, they both meet an untimely death. The female characters of Leopardo al sol, however, perform key roles in the home. At the end of the novel, each one survives. This outcome reflects a desire to maintain one of the tenets of patriarchy, which dictates that women must have traditional roles. Women can indeed have agency, but they must do so without becoming a threat to the men in their environment. 2020 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Postgraduates 25 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 2020 Johannah Faith Gomez MA Spanish, with Distinction Journey to the top: The characterisation of the Afro- Puerto Rican woman in Las Negras by Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro and Pez de vidrio by Mayra Santos-Febres Supervisor: Dr Nicole Roberts The field of Afro-Hispanic feminist literature has been a fertile ground for numerous studies and debates. This thesis will serve to advance these discussions, making particular reference to select works of two contemporary Afro-Puerto Rican writers: Las Negras by Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro and Pez de vidrio by Mayra Santos-Febres. For centuries, the voices of both blacks and women alike have been muted by imperial and patriarchal representations in literature. Pivotal to this study is the unique literary approach of each author as it relates to the portrayal of the social standing of the Afro- Puerto Rican woman. The two works vary significantly with regard to their temporal narrative setting, but eclipse each other thematically, consequently allowing for rich and varied perspectives of black women’s gruelling journey to recognition and equitable treatment in Puerto Rico. First, the paper explores the crippling political and socio-cultural hindrances that Afro-Puerto Rican women have had to face in their society. Next, through a close textual analysis of both works, it analyses the confining societal expectations imposed on these women, as well as the tools that the female protagonists use for self-preservation and empowerment, such as sexuality and violence. Finally, it examines the subversive nature of each text and how the language used in each one contributes to the empowerment of the Afro-Puerto Rican woman. This study uses the framework of post-colonial feminist theory. Its findings offer fresh perspectives on the evolving field of Afro- Hispanic women studies. Karon Henry MA English Language - TESOL Teacher Talk Guide: Features of teacher talk that promote negotiation Supervisor: Dr Amina Ibrahim-Ali This research uses Speech Act Theory to examine features of teacher talk (TT) which promote negotiation in four English as a Second Language (ESL) university classrooms. Negotiation is fixed in constructivist learning theory in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and focuses on student interaction, motivation, communicative purpose and their desire to communicate. This study uses a grounded theory methodology within a qualitative system of inquiry to explore its objectives. In order to gather features of teacher talk, purposeful sampling was conducted between May and June 2018 during observation of classes 1 (n=12) and 2 (n=10) and initial and focused coding took place. This was followed by theoretical sampling and theoretical coding between July and August when classes 3 ( n=5) and 4 (n=4) were observed. Student perceptions of features of TT features were obtained through questionnaires (n=14) and interviews (n=5). Initial coding showed that students perceived that the following TT features were useful to their learning process: clarifications, comprehension checks, turn taking, praise and instructions. Theoretical coding confirmed findings. Using representative, expressive and directive speech acts (Green 4, Smith 1) the TT features found were connected to interactive negotiation proposed by Breen and Littlejohn 2000. Findings provide a guide of TT features which may prove useful to teacher-trainees aspiring to negotiated classrooms. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 26 Postgraduates 2020 Kesica Brewster MPhil Linguistics Tracking Reference in Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language: TTSL Supervisor: Dr Benjamin Braithwaite The aim of this study is two-fold. Firstly, it investigates and subsequently documents the use of referential elements in Trinidad & Tobago Sign Language (TTSL) elicited narratives for the introduction, maintenance and reintroduction of third person characters. Secondly, it compares the frequency and use of these types of referring expressions across four groups of signers of differing ages of acquisition. The informants are eight TTSL signers (three male and five female) between the ages of 19 and 35. Participants were grouped into four age of acquisition cohorts: 0-3; 4-7; 8-12 and 12+ years. These ages coincided with first- time school entry/first-time exposure to TTSL. Data were taken from the TTSL corpus (six videos) as well as a supplemental data collection drive was undergone to collect native signer narratives (two videos). The 24-page picture book story – Frog, Where are you? – by Mercer Mayer was the main elicitation task. Participants were asked to view the picture-book and retell the story in TTSL. Data were transcribed and coded using Microsoft Word and the EUDICO linguistic annotation programme ELAN. Results show that six main types of referring expressions are used in TTSL for the introduction, maintenance and reintroduction of third person characters. These are: nominal lexical signs, nominal fingerspelling signs, depicting signs, pronominal pointing signs, null pronouns and fragment buoys. Of these, the most commonly used types were depicting signs, null pronouns and fragment buoys. These three types of referring expressions were used mainly for the maintenance of character salience throughout the narratives. Age of acquisition comparison results show that native and early learners maintained referent salience throughout with higher numbers of the three main types of referring expressions, whilst later learners lent more to the reintroduction of characters in their narrative retells. Johnathan Martin MA Spanish Out of the closet and into the spotlight: Examining issues of trauma, discrimination and identity faced by queer characters in selected novels by Manuel Puig, Mayra Santos- Febres and Osvaldo Bazán Supervisor: Dr Nicole Roberts This study investigates how the queer characters in El Beso de la Mujer Araña by Manuel Puig, Sirena Selena Vestida de Pena by Mayra Santos-Febres and Y un día Nico se Fue by Osvaldo Bazán navigate and deal with issues of trauma, discrimination and the construction and struggle for identity because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identities. 2021 Academic Literacies Programme WW101 - Writing Workshops Merging - The science of writing with the practice of writing Why WW101? • Master the science in the art of writing: Learn the components and practices of sound writing • Enhance readability: Improve clarity, coherence and expression in your writing • Audience-appropriate voice: Write succinctly with an academic tone • Invest in your academic development: Boost your academic credibility. Take the next step • Book interactive review sessions: Hone your skills with personalised feedback. • Attend WW101 sessions starting February 2024. Invest in your academic success. Write with confidence. Call us +1 (868) 662-2002 Ext. 82486 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Postgraduates 27 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 2021 Aryanna Gayadeen MA English Language - TESOL Factors that influence Pragmatic Competence among ESL learners in Trinidad Supervisor: Dr Keisha Evans-Dixon The acquisition of English as second language (ESL) entails the development of pragmatic competence. ESL learning in the target language country allows learners to be immersed into a culturally rich English-speaking society, which provides a platform and learning tool for social interaction and language acquisition. Relatively little is known about factors that influence the development of pragmatic competence among ESL learners in informal communicative settings outside of the classroom. This socio-cultural case study examines what influences the development of pragmatic competence in spoken discourse among (n=18) ESL learners in informal social contexts in Trinidad, with a focus on how learners who are culturally immersed in the target country use formulaic language to communicate with English speakers in daily activities and the factors that may contribute to pragmatic competence during informal interactions. The study also attempts to understand the extent to which pragmatic competence influences linguistic knowledge. Semi -structured interviews, participant observations and focus groups are the three elicitation instruments to obtain data which were then analysed using content analysis. The findings identifies motivation, social interaction and personality as influential factors in the development of pragmatics, with motivation and personality as the determinants of the extent of social interaction. Moreover, it is found that pragmatic competence is enhanced by a higher aptitude of linguistic knowledge. The results of this research has implications for second language educators to understand the disparity between the teaching content and its functional abilities in external authentic communicative settings. Shivana Ramjitsingh MA English Language - TESOL Teacher Cognition and Classroom Instruction of Second Language English Pronunciation in Trinidad and Tobago Supervisor: Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira The focus on the pronunciation component of language teaching has varied throughout the years in second language education. Given its role in communicative competence, it is of interest to know how pronunciation is addressed by national teachers. This study examines the extent to which pronunciation is taught in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom, and how this teaching relates to teacher cognition (teachers’ thoughts, knowledge, and beliefs), which is shaped by their schooling, professional experiences, contextual factors, and previous teaching experiences. Data were collected by administering questionnaires and conducting classroom observations. Four ESL teachers from two different language schools in Trinidad and Tobago participated in the study and were observed teaching for between four to eight hours each. The study found the number and type of techniques used varied by teacher, as well as discrepancies between the self-reported use of techniques and actual teaching decisions and actions in the classroom. The study shows that pronunciation teaching, while not completely neglected, is primarily teacher-led in beginner and intermediate classes with a majority of controlled activities. Also, the study shows that linguistics and TESOL training had a positive impact of a wider repertoire of techniques. These findings have implications for the evolution of teacher training programmes, professional development, and even curriculum. As such, this study can benefit all stakeholders including institutions, educators, and subsequently, the ESL learners. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 28 Postgraduates 2021 Sameehah Mohammed MA English Language - TESOL ESL/EFL Teachers' knowledge of suprasegmental elements of English phonology Supervisor: Dr Benjamin Braithwaite Approaches and procedures geared towards teaching suprasegmental phonological elements, in the context of Trinidadian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context have not been extensively researched and explored. Thus, this study’s primary concern is to gauge EFL teachers’ level of awareness of sentence stress, word stress and intonation and the factors which influence their knowledge and perceptions of those elements as well as the manner in which this knowledge is manifested in the classroom. Findings suggest that previous foreign language learning experiences, type of EFL training and the environment in which the teacher is based has impacted the extent to which teachers expose their students to suprasegmental features of phonology. It is evident that teacher cognition has played an active role in the understanding and knowledge of the ESL/EFL teachers. Although many were unable to explicitly define and explain terms relating to the suprasegmental aspects of pronunciation, examples and illustrations were given based on the teachers’ linguistic intuitions. The teachers interviewed perceived stress and intonation as socially significant, in both a global and national context, as these features were viewed as directly linked to accuracy and communicating emotional meaning. However, there was a gap in the explanation and transmission of these features of phonology with regard to the practical aspect of language teaching. Marise A. Craigg MA English Language - TESOL Attitudes of English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) learners toward accents of reference and non-reference varieties of English Supervisor: Dr Renée Figuera Attitudes towards language varieties can impact learner success and this study explores learner attitudes toward accents of English, in an EFL/ESL context. Learner attitudes to accents of the two main reference varieties in English Language Teaching (ELT), General American and British English, are examined along with two other varieties: Trinidadian and Jamaican. The study occurs in the context of Trinidad and uses a combination of direct and indirect methodology, consisting of a questionnaire and a modified Verbal Guise Technique (VGT). Additionally, a VGT that incorporates semantic differential scales, was used to assess traits that measure solidarity and status. Research results are consistent with previous studies, revealing favourable learner attitudes to American accents, for both direct and indirect methodology types. British accents were considered to be unclear, and only overt attitudes were favourable. Favourable attitudes toward Jamaican accents, which were considered to be clear, were also revealed. These results are significant as they showed clarity to be an important factor in favourable learner attitudes to accents. The findings of this research are valuable in NNS contexts, as they present evidence of favourable learner attitudes toward non-dominant varieties of English. These findings open a doorway for the potential inclusion of these, and other less considered varieties, in the NNS ELT classroom and instructional materials, since favourable attitudes are a necessary precursor to language learner success. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Postgraduates 29 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 2022 Angelis Mariana Peña Ugas MA Spanish, with Distinction El neuro atípico dis-capacitado, un intruso en la sociedad. Un análisis de la sociedad frente al autismo en las novelas El jinete del silencio de Gonzalo Giner y La mujer que buceó dentro del corazón del mundo de Sabina Berman Supervisor: Dr Óscar Bazán Rodríguez La representación de personajes autistas en la literatura ha estado enfocada en las cualidades extraordinarias o dificultades atribuidas a su condición. Este trabajo de investigación busca redireccionar el foco para analizar a la sociedad cuando se enfrenta al autismo. Para esto se analizan las novelas El jinete del silencio de Gonzalo Giner y La mujer que buceó dentro del corazón del mundo de Sabina Berman. Estas obras representan a personajes principales dentro del espectro autista cuyas historias sirven para criticar a la sociedad y su papel en la perpetuación de la discapacidad. De igual manera, busca profundizar la discusión en el campo de los estudios de discapacidad, con especial atención en la diferencia neurológica como una discapacidad creada y reforzada por la sociedad. Para alcanzar esto primeramente se explora el modelo social de los estudios de discapacidad y su pertinencia en el análisis de estos textos; luego se analiza a un personaje neurológicamente diferente dentro de la sociedad española del siglo XVI, para luego dirigirnos a México del siglo XXI y conocer la experiencia de un personaje autista relatada en primera persona. Todo esto para demostrar que la tendencia de la sociedad, así como se presenta en estos textos, a normalizar, tiene muy poco que ver con la cultura, época y nivel societal y más con ideologías normalizadoras enseñadas y perpetuadas por los sistemas de poder. Este estudio utiliza el marco de los estudios críticos de discapacidad y ofrece una nueva perspectiva a la condición de Otro. We use the services of highly qualified and experienced freelance professionals to ensure that the information you entrust to us reaches the target audience with the message you want. Send us your documents by e-mail in soft copy (Word, PDF, scanned, etc.) or bring them in to us in hard copy and we will get them back to you as quickly as possible, at a cost that js competitive. The turn-over time depends on the length, nature and format of the document. Billing is based on the number of words in the source document and rates are degressive from 20,000 words onwards. A rush fee of 30% is charged on all overnight jobs over 5 pages in length or for all same-day jobs. Our translations are accepted and recognised by all national authorities and Ministries of Trinidad & Tobago. The CITB offers translation services in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, English, French, French-lexicon Creole/Patois (St Lucian Kwéyòl and Haitian Kreyòl), German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. INTERPRETING We offer professional conference interpreting services and equipment that respect international standards and best practices. 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For the Caribbean Interpreting and Translation Bureau (CITB), contact the Bureau by e-mail to citb@sta.uwi.edu or call +1 (868) 662 2002, Ext. 83040 We are located on the third (top) floor of the Humanities building (east of the Alma Jordan Main Library): FHE Room 327, DMLL, School of Humanities Faculty of Humanities & Education The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Trinidad & Tobago Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 30 Undergraduate Research: LING 3099 This section highlights the outstanding work of our DMLL undergraduate students for the courses LING 3099 Special Project in Linguistics and HUMN 3099 Caribbean Studies Project. They have produced excellent pieces of research. We encourage them to continue to make a difference. Negative attitudes towards Venezuelan migrants and refugees: A study of hate in speech as analysed in social media Due to the rise in the popularity of social media in recent times, there has also been an increase in negative online behaviours, such as the prevalence of hate in speech. This has led to cyberbullying and serious hate crimes against both individuals and minority groups. This study investigates how language, targeted towards recent Venezuelan refugees and migrants on social media, has been used to construct hate in speech, during the specific period of the 2019 National Registration of migrants. This study aims to highlight that there is a problem of hate in speech targeted towards recent Venezuelan migrants and refugees and why laws are important to protect minority groups against hate speech. Data collection consisted of primary data from comments from videos and news articles on both YouTube and Facebook, as well as news articles from the Guardian and Newsday webpages. Secondary data were obtained from news articles from the Guardian and Newsday webpages as well as a journalist who played the role of an informant, in the context of the situation regarding the Venezuelan migrants/refugees. The data in this study were analysed using the Speech Act theory and Fairclough's (1989, 1995) model for Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The study proved that hate was constructed via categories of hate in speech which included socioeconomic status, physical/phenotypic appearance, negative attitudes/ attributes, sexualised identity, criminal accusation, social unacceptability, expulsion, spatial threat, threat to culture/ nationality, economic threat, ethnic threat and social evil threat, which were used to exclude or target Venezuelans as a social evil through the use of representatives, directives, commissives and expressives. This was performed by speech acts such as claims, reports, stating facts, assertions, informing, orders, questions, rhetorical questions, suggestions, requests, commands, predictions, expressing dislike, fear and being unwelcoming. Alyssa R. Bhimlal, Satee Manick and Korine Noyan BA English Language and Literature with Education (ELLE) Supervisor: Dr Renée Figuera "Stab Up Di Meat": A comparative analysis of censorship in Jamaican and Trinbagonian radio stations The aim of this research is to comparatively analyse the role of censorship on radio stations in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. It examines the differences in censorship on particular radio stations between the countries, while looking at the rules and contexts that govern censorship. The method by which we approached these findings was corpus-driven whereby instances of songs were collected as a body of information and run through a programme where the data were statistically assessed. Observations uncovered patterns showing that there was a domino effect that helped examine the hierarchy of censorship where items were being censored lexically. Subsequently, this study also developed a systematic template that can be used to predict the censorship patterns of lexical items according to the dependent variables of the presence of censorship in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, and their relations to the independent variables of mode and type of censorship, theme, genre, and time of airplay. Kezia Huggins BA Linguistics with a Minor in Communication Studies Aryanne Lopez BA Linguistics and French, with First Class Honours Zahirah Mohammed BA English Language and Literature with Education (ELLE) Reynaldo Rajkumar BA Linguistics with Minors in Communication Studies & Psychology Supervisor: Dr Byron Jones 2020 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: LING 3099 31 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 “The deaf way to sign”: Sign language ideologies and their impact on the teaching practices of sign language instructors in Trinidad Research on sign language ideologies and their impact on deaf communities has been steadily growing in recent years. However, the information on how sign language ideologies affect the teaching strategies adopted by sign language instructors is rather limited, particularly in relation to the Caribbean. Linguistic ideologies may be identified through an instructor's linguistic choices and pedagogical strategies. Linguists have found that there are overt and covert ways in which different kinds of sign language ideologies can be enforced by instructors both consciously and unconsciously. The main objective of this study is to identify the sign language ideologies of instructors in Trinidad that are adopted into their teaching methods, and that may have further implications on the learning experiences of students. This study uses qualitative data collection methods comprising interviews and classroom observations. Sign language ideologies of sign language naming, standardisation, purism, translanguaging and ideologies about deafness are explored in this study. Based on the framework of language ideologies, the ideologies of instructors can be identified through the interview and observation process which highlights how their teaching strategies impact what ideologies they impart to students. This study will serve as a valuable tool in the improvement of sign language education for both instructors and institutions that teach sign language by uncovering conscious or unconscious ideological biases within the field. Moreover, research from this study may be used to develop sign language curricula in Trinidad & Tobago and to inform the creation of a national policy on sign language that can promote social development. Victoria A. Mohammed BA Literatures in English and Linguistics, with First Class Honours Kyle L. Ng BA Linguistics with a Minor in French, with First Class Honours Jessie I. Sooknarine BA Linguistics, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Dr Ben Braithwaite Fahimah S. Ali BA Spanish and Linguistics, with First Class Honours The turn-taking organisation of Bay Islands sign language Supervisor: Dr Ben Braithwaite Tactile sign languages, unlike spoken or signed languages, are perceived through touch and proprioception. Although this area of linguistics has been researched globally, it has only been investigated in the Caribbean by three researchers, thus limiting the amount of published material and awareness of the modality. Bay Islands Sign Language (BISL) is an endangered, rural sign language that can be signed in both visual and tactile modalities. Since the turn- taking organisation of this language has not been researched, this project aims to identify and explain how it is established between two deaf-blind signers. Following the framework of conversation analysis adapted to tactile sign languages by previous researchers, and using ELAN as a media annotator, a case study was done on three minutes and fifty seconds of a video extract from the BISL corpus of an interaction between two deaf-blind signers; a male of fifty- eight years old and a female in her late seventies. The man has partial vision whereas the woman is completely blind; this asymmetry poses unique advantages and disadvantages to the interlocutors, compelling them to adjust and adapt their turn-taking system. This system was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively, describing and explaining the form and function of each turn-taking technique. The turn- taking organisation of BISL is similar to that of other tactile sign languages. However, it presents some differences regarding turn-yielding, nodding, and the role of co- formation in turn-seizing. This research contributes significant information to scholarly linguistic literature regarding turn- taking organisation of tactile sign languages in that it presents nodding for backchannelling and the novel turn- yielding technique of throwing the addressee’s hands. 2021 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 32 Undergraduate Research: LING 3099 Noor-ud-din Mohammed BA Communication Studies and Linguistics, with First Class Honours Deaf students’ linguistic access in online education: The case of Trinidad Supervisors: Dr Ben Braithwaite and Dr Renée Figuera Comparatively little research on linguistic access in deaf education has been carried out in the Caribbean when compared to many other areas of the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Caribbean countries attempted large-scale e-learning for the first time. This study investigates how an emergent system of e-learning that started during crisis conditions affects the linguistic access of deaf students in Trinidad & Tobago. The framework for investigation encompasses the learning management system, course materials and language and communication involved in e- learning. A phenomenological method of inquiry is employed to understand the processes of receiving and providing online deaf education in terms of those who experience it. Data are triangulated from deaf primary and secondary school students, their teachers, interpreters and parents. Deaf learners encountered unique modality-specific barriers since e-learning in the country was not prepared to convey the full range of communication available in sign language. Challenges also stemmed from institutional support issues, existing social inequalities and the unique sociolinguistic history of the national deaf community. These conditions have implications for deaf students’ language learning and academic success. These are important considerations of e-learning or blended learning practices for deaf learners that deserve further empirical scrutiny. Noor-ud-din Mohammed. “Deaf students’ linguistic access in online education: The case of Trinidad”. Deafness & Education International, vol. 23, no. 3, 2021, pp. 217-233. DOI: 10.1080/14643154.2021.1950989 Carmen Joseph BA Linguistics Lee Ann C. White BA Communication Studies and Linguistics An investigation into attitudes toward Trinidadian French Creole in the education system Supervisor: Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira In order to efficiently evaluate how language attitudes within the education system have impacted and can impact the revival of Trinidadian French Creole (TFC), the attitudes towards French Creole (FC) within The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine must be analysed thoroughly. Therefore, this research aims to analyse the importance of language attitudes, and how they affect the language revitalisation of TFC, by evaluating UWI, St. Augustine’s French-lexicon Creole courses and their contribution towards the possible revival of the language variety. This study’s analysis was achieved through the use of the grounded theory methodology because of its qualitative and systematic analysis. Purposive sampling was used as five past and present lecturers were interviewed and forty questionnaires were distributed through online platforms. These interviews were used as secondary data which produced concepts of language in education, language attitudes, language awareness, cultural teaching, cultural heritage, Creole events, field trips, and social identity, through the use of axial coding. These concepts were used in the analysis of the questionnaires, which was the primary data source it held the core phenomenon of the study. This phenomenon produced the theoretical outcome. The results from both the primary and secondary data showed that language awareness through the education of FC contributed to the cognitive development of students’ emotional perception and motivation towards the revitalisation of TFC. Therefore, the cognitive element of the students’ language attitudes played the most significant role in influencing the students’ connection to TFC and their subsequent revitalisation efforts. https://hdl.handle.net/2139/56224 2021 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14643154.2021.1950989 https://hdl.handle.net/2139/56224 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: LING 3099 33 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Celine M. Maharaj BA Linguistics Kelsey D. Subar BA Linguistics with a Minor in Spanish, with First Class Honours Dyslexia among hearing and deaf children: A comparative analysis on the morphology and syntax in their written language use Supervisor: Dr Kiara Matthews Research surrounding dyslexia posits the language disorder as one of phonological impairment. However, there is little investigation into the other paralinguistic and linguistic domains, namely, the written aspect of morphology and syntax, which is significant in the language use of children with dyslexia. Linguists and researchers who have focused on the morphosyntactic aspect of language use in dyslexic children, have concluded that the underlying issues of morphology and syntax, in their written forms, are due to difficulties in phonological skills. Hence, the problems found in other levels of language are masked as a phonological deficit, and this has resulted in the phonological deficit theory of dyslexia. For this reason, the research focuses on the effects of dyslexia on the written aspect of morphology and syntax in the language use of suspected dyslexics in two populations: hearing dyslexic children ages 7-9 in Trinidad & Tobago, and deaf dyslexic children ages 11-13 in Jamaica, as view beyond this deficit ideology, in order to look towards their creative process of word-building and syntactic generalisation. The morphosyntactic problems found can be said to be a result of their phonological deficits. However, these problems should be viewed and treated differently since they concern morphology and syntax, not phonology. Common strategies of morphological and syntactic generalisations include poor sentence constructions and morphological awareness issues from dyslexic children. The study is significant as it investigates and discovers the relationship between dyslexia and morphology and syntax, as well as the link between phonological impairment and morphological skills in suspected dyslexic children’s written language use. A span of the spectrum: A Trinidadian sample in exploring compensation within linguistic deficits With the turn of the 20th century, clinical linguists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have collaborated in identifying and characterising various language disorders associated with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), leading to a context of intervention. The unavailability of statistics on the autistic population in Trinidad & Tobago necessitates greater awareness of their linguistic behaviours as well as advocacy for quality services within the country. As such, this research is focused on investigating the morphological and pragmatic deficits within the paediatric Autistic population and their subsequent compensatory methods. Psychological and behavioural frameworks have underpinned ASD in exploring the interlink between communicative functioning and impaired social behaviour, and the relationship between ASD and language processing. Through the lens of a linguistic orientation, this research employs a case study in conducting a continuous assessment of the eight male and female subjects, aged 3–7 years, under study. The results of a discourse analysis show that the compensatory methods— whether self or clinician-induced—are characteristic of specific morphological and pragmatic deficits within expressive and receptive language domains. This research’s insight, into the lesser known morphological and pragmatic implications of autistic children within a Trinidadian population, is significant as it can help caregivers and educators better recognise linguistic patterns and behaviours in their child’s development, and ultimately allow healthcare professionals to capitalise on early intervention. Shnyia V. Hackshaw BA Linguistics with Minors in Speech-Language Pathology and Psychology, with First Class Honours Deja K. Lewis BA English Language and Literature with Education (ELLE) Supervisor: Dr Kiara Matthews 2022 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 34 Undergraduate Research: LING 3099 Arianne K. Mc Donald BA Linguistics The role of music in endangered language preservation and revitalisation in Trinidad Supervisor: Dr Byron Jones This paper looks at the cultural role that Patois (French Creole) and Trinidadian Hindustani play in the national landscape of Trinidad. These two endangered languages have a long history in the country but have faced rapid decline in recent decades. Due to a lack of research on the ability of music to preserve and revitalise endangered languages in the Caribbean, this project includes an analysis of a small compilation of songs for basic grammar points as well as interviews with two experts in the identified languages who shared their perspective on the feasibility of reservation and revitalisation via music. In the end, it was found that though foreign models of language teaching and learning via music were successful, with the available literature and music, the same could not be done in Trinidad and that a different method of revitalisation would have to be devised. Jaéda J. David BA Linguistics with a Minor in Speech-Language Pathology The use of Jamaican English Creole features in Trinibad music Supervisor: Dr Ben Braithwaite This study aims to examine the borrowings of Jamaican English Creole features by Trinidadian English Creole speakers in Trinibad music, along with the reasons the singers are likely to use the borrowings and the linguistic categories in which the borrowings are most likely to be found. The frequency of the borrowed morphosyntactic, phonological and lexicosemantic features were quantified to understand which features are most and least used. These features were further analysed to verify the appropriateness of their uses and how close they are to Jamaican English Creole features and use. It was found that salient morphosyntactic features of Jamaican English Creole were the most popular but least appropriately used by the Trinibad singers. Motives for the borrowings seem to be rooted in what the singers perceive to be Jamaican English Creole features, and them using these features to identify with the target language. Professional Development Training and Workshops for Foreign/Second Language Teachers The Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (DMLL) provides professional development courses for teachers of foreign languages (French, Portuguese and Spanish) as well as for teachers of English as a second/ foreign language. These courses are designed for teachers who are new to the profession, or have some experience but no formal training in second/foreign language teaching. The DMLL also offers courses for teachers who are seeking practical and innovative ideas for their language and culture classroom practice, as well as updating their knowledge of resources. Groups of participants may request specific content. Contact us by e-mail to mll.fhe@sta.uwi.edu or call +1 (868) 662 2002, Ext. 83280/83868/84309/82623 We are located on the third (top) floor of the Humanities building Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Faculty of Humanities & Education The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Trinidad & Tobago 2023 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 35 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Alyssa Amirah Nirvana Ali BA French with Minors in Spanish and International Relations, with First Class Honours Foreign language learners’ transition to university: Examining the challenges faced by first-year French and Spanish majors and minors at The UWI St. Augustine Campus Supervisor: Romulo Guedez Fernandez The study focuses on the challenges faced by the first-year undergraduate foreign language learners on their transition from secondary school to university. Non-linguistic or personal challenges and the linguistic or academic challenges students encountered during the transition to university level foreign language learning, in addition to the extent to which the transition period may have impacted on their foreign language learning process, are explored. Primary research, interviews and questionnaires were done while secondary research comprised consulting peer- reviewed articles and journals. The primary research embodied a sequential exploratory mixed methods design which required completing interviews before distributing questionnaires. Eleven students, both French and Spanish students, were interviewed via semi-structured interviews to provide a representative sample. Moreover, twenty-nine students were surveyed via questionnaires, that is, sixteen Spanish and thirteen French students. The data collected were quantified into graphs and tables and were further analysed to make conclusions. Findings demonstrated that the transition period was indeed challenging for both French and Spanish students transitioning from secondary school academics to that of university given the workload and the proficiency anticipated by lecturers. However, students did not allow this period to affect their academic performance by dealing with it gradually. Also, non-linguistic challenges were equally significant as linguistic challenges. Linguistic challenges recurrent in both languages are grammar, conversation and literature. Non-linguistic challenges include anxiety, transitional issues in adapting to university, increased independence and lack of confidence. Common recommendations among all students to curb challenges encountered are increased grammatical practice, better time-management and working with language assistants. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/53982 2020 Lailaa Abdul-Latif BA French and Spanish, with First Class Honours Violence, dictatorship and traumatic memory in Edwidge Danticat’s The Dew Breaker and Mario Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat Supervisor: Prof Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw This study explores Edwidge Danticat’s and Mario Vargas Llosa’s treatment of political violence, dictatorship and traumatic memory in their respective novels The Dew Breaker (2004) and The Feast of the Goat (2000). Danticat’s narrative is contextualised by the infamous dictatorship of François Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier. On the other hand, Vargas Llosa draws from historical documentation in his representation of the oppressive dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Both authors demonstrate that there is an indelible relationship between history and literature as they fictionalise history in their narratives to render significant the struggles and experiences of victims of dictatorial regimes. Furthermore, they exemplify different ways of representing a dictatorship through literature. Whereas Vargas Llosa adheres to the Latin American dictator novel genre, Danticat takes an oppositional stance to traditional discursive narratives on dictatorship. The authors demonstrate that the traumatic memory of political violence and the abuse of a tyrannical leader continues to plague victims. The characters are affected to such an extent that their trauma informs their present, thus shaping the way in which they carry out their lives. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54015 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/53982 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54015 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 36 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2020 Foreign language anxiety: A rationalisation of the anxiety gap between year 1 and year 3 Spanish undergraduate students at The UWI St. Augustine A student's emotional state can have an impact upon his/her ability to learn effectively as environments that promote stress and anxiety are likely to disrupt the brain's acquisition and retention of information. It is therefore imperative that students learn how to positively regulate their thought processes in order to benefit from any learning experience. This research was designed to gauge and rationalise a theorised gap in foreign-language anxiety (FLA) among fifty- three Year 1 (males=5, females=25) and Year 3 (males=7, females=16) Spanish undergraduate students at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. Primary research was done using questionnaires that collected a blend of quantitative and qualitative data related to the students' feelings towards both class-specific activities and their overall performance in the target language. Supplementary consultation was garnered via secondary research articles. The main findings of the study indicated that FLA principally manifested itself in the relevant students as a result of apprehension towards communication and negative evaluation which thereby debilitated overall performance. Furthermore, the year one respondents were found to possess higher levels of anxiety. This, per the research, was deduced as being linked to the idea that the third-year participants exhibited more confidence in their competence and a potentially higher level of metacognitive ability. Thus, it can be argued that the level of foreign-language anxiety experienced in year one Spanish undergraduate students, significantly decreased at year three due to several social factors. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54001 Maryam J. Mohammed BA Spanish with a Minor in Human Resource Management, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Dr Óscar Bazán Rodríguez Natalia Mannette BA Spanish with a Minor in Communication Studies, with First Class Honours African cultural identity in the Hispanic Caribbean: An examination of Negrismo through the works of Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén Supervisor: Dr Óscar Bazán Rodríguez In recent decades numerous publications of Latin American literature have encapsulated and captured the experiences and cultural identity of the Afro-Hispanic population in Latin America. The rise of Afro-Hispanic poetry and revolutionary literary movements such as Negrismo, have allowed the contemporary reader of Spanish American literature to accept and celebrate the emergence of unique Afrocentric elements and components of Hispanic literary works as being a central force in shaping modern day Caribbean literature. Given the central role Cuba played in the development of Afro-Hispanic literature, poetry, the renegotiating and integration of Afro-Caribbean and Afro- Hispanic identity in literature, this paper seeks to examine the negrista poetry of Cuban poet, Nicolás Guillén, delving into elements that highlight the Negrismo literary and cultural movement that establish concepts of Afro-Hispanic identity in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. It also aims to examine the reinterpretations of Afro-Hispanic cultural identity, “Cubanness” and the African influence present in Nicolás Guillén’s poetry. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54005 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54001 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54005 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 37 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Jervan P. Rampersad BA Spanish with a Minor in Linguistics, with First Class Honours Investigating the emergence of linguistic form over linguistic function in the L2 classroom as a hindrance to fluency: A case study among Year 2 Spanish undergraduate students at The UWI Supervisor: Romulo Guedez Fernandez Fluency is seen as an effective gauge allowing one to determine their achieved level of proficiency and linguistic competence. The physical and psychological settings of the L2 classroom highlight the tenets of linguistic form and linguistic function, playing a pivotal role in pursuing fluency once applied to language learning in a well-balanced manner. This research investigates the emergence of linguistic form over linguistic function in the L2 classroom via analysing its potential as a hindrance in pursuing fluency among twelve (females=9, males=3) Year 2 Spanish Undergraduate students at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. Qualitative interviews utilising English and Spanish were conducted, retrieving primary research in addition to the supplementary consultation of secondary sources. The findings of the study indicated that the emergence and focus on linguistic form over linguistic function in the L2 classroom poses a general hindrance towards the effective pursuit of fluency. The general hindrance to fluency emerged through the four main areas of verbal and conceptual fluency, the alignment of interactional competence to the L2 classroom context, segmentation and input processing and lastly, the absence of SLA theory uses in the classroom context. Each area presented evidence which indicated an emphasis on linguistic form over linguistic function, empirically linked to the low levels of fluency among the sample population. In the long term, the hypothesised drawback to L2 fluency can be resolved given that a more conscious and concerted effort is taken towards pursuing foreign languages by both teachers and students. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/53994 2020 Riyad Mohammed BA French with Minors in Spanish and International Relations, with First Class Honours The contributing factors that influence the willingness to communicate in the French language among undergraduate French students of years one to three at The UWI, St. Augustine Supervisor: Mathilde Dallier A greater number of undergraduate French students are becoming more and more reluctant to speak in French classes, particularly in French conversation classes. However, certain scholars proport that a student's success in the study of a foreign language is dependent on their willingness to communicate in the target language. Therefore, the aim of this research is to understand the reasons for which students do not participate in French conversation classes, as well as to find solutions to these obstacles which thwart students’ contributions to the class’s discussions. After analysing the questionnaires and the interviews, the researcher found that the two major reasons for which students were unwilling to speak in class were: students’ fear of being judged in the classroom and the paucity of emphasis on the oral aspect of foreign languages at the secondary school level in Trinidad and Tobago, which decreases the student’s communicative competence, consequently making them less inclined to speak in class at the tertiary level. Recommendations were made based on the primary data obtained, such as online conversation classes, as well as equal emphasis on each component of the French language at the secondary school level and the pairing of the listening and oral components at the UWI, St. Augustine, so as to increase students’ communicative competence which should then increase their willingness to communicate. These recommendations should, to an extent, address the issue of the lack of willingness to communicate (WTC) in the French conversation class at the UWI St. Augustine. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54011 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/53994 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54011 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 38 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2020 UWI DMLL students’ perception on the most effective approach to foreign language learning Perceptions within the context of Foreign Language Learning (FLL) involve either teacher or student input. In a similar manner, approaches incorporated by the teacher or student impact the way in which learning takes place. The main objective of this research was to investigate the perceptions held by students of The University of the West Indies, regarding the most effective approach to Foreign Language Learning. Data were obtained through the exploration of the Sequential Exploratory Mixed Methods Design, a two-phase process that began with the qualitative phase and followed by the quantitative. The first phase encompassed a total of eight interviews, while the second phase encompassed a total of fifty questionnaires. Thereafter, analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data was done through thematic coding, and generalisation of thematic coding to a larger sample size, respectively. The major findings of the research revealed that students’ perceptions do influence their foreign language learning through a host of topic-based considerations. Moreover, through the approximation of at least ten language learning approaches and through reflections that describe the most effective language learning approach to be pluralistic in nature and not singular. Based on further analysis of the findings, it was suggested that as conventional learning modules exist, guiding and instructing how foreign language learning be taught, in similar fashion there should be more avenues of research that implement considerations of the student regarding the learning of a foreign language. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/53997 Kareem A. Tinto BA Spanish, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Romulo Guedez Fernandez Vandana H. Sammy BA Spanish with a Minor in International Relations A study on second language learning among adult learners with focus on learning strategies Supervisor: Paola Palma Rojas Retaining academic material is often considered a complex task for some adult students as it requires more effort to remember information. As such, Language Learning Strategies play an important role so that students can remember the information that they are learning for a long time. The aim of this study seeks to examine the types of Language Learning Strategies adults over the age of 25 apply when studying Spanish as a foreign language. In order to gather data on the most common learning strategy used, the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, which is divided into two classes, direct and indirect, was applied to the questionnaire distributed among the fifteen participants. The research found that the participants learning strategies are steered towards direct strategies which involved cognitive, memory and compensation. These allowed them to retain information in a faster, easier and more enjoyable manner. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54022 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/53997 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54022 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 39 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Jewel J. Crawford BA Spanish with a Minor in Brazilian Studies Is language the problem? An exploratory case study of acculturation experiences of Spanish-speaking immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago Supervisor: Paola Palma Rojas This dissertation investigates the importance of competence in the English language on the quality of life of Spanish- speaking immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago. As of recently, there has been an influx in the number of Spanish-speaking immigrants that have entered Trinidad and Tobago. This influx can be attributed to their desire to obtain relief and better living conditions. However, it is noted that language is a crucial factor as it helps to permit effective communication among persons. Therefore, this research paper seeks to identify any possible limitations which may have been encountered by the Spanish immigrants due to a lack of English proficiency and to identify the extent to which the English language impacts their acculturation experiences in the country. The results from this paper show that although language is of great importance, factors such as the attitude of the nationals and the availability of job opportunities impact the acculturation experiences of the immigrants more than language. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54034 2021 Shyan Z. Bacquain BA Spanish with a Minor in Linguistics, with First Class Honours An investigation into the impact of foreign language learning in the Caribbean aviation industry: A case study of Caribbean Airlines cabin crew Supervisor: Romulo Guedez Fernandez Over the years, the aviation industry has grown to become one of the largest industries in the world. With this tremendous growth and expansion, the industry demands that aviation personnel be proficient and competent in the English language and at least one other foreign language due to having to communicate with passengers of various linguistic backgrounds. This undergraduate research project investigates and analyses the impact of second language acquisition or foreign language learning in the Caribbean aviation context and how the acquisition of a second language is necessary and/or utilised with respect to one of the largest airlines in the Caribbean, Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL). The data were obtained from a sample of 30 CAL employees, consisting of thirty (30) flight attendants of varying ages, sex, levels of seniority and flying experience. Primary and secondary data collection methods were employed, where the primary data included an online questionnaire. The main research findings revealed that learning a foreign language as Caribbean cabin crew is an asset in the aviation industry, having several benefits associated with second language use. However, it was also indicated that cabin crew do face challenges when utilising a foreign language onboard, especially when communicating with and understanding passengers (pax) onboard. Furthermore, the majority of the respondents perceived that learning a foreign language should be a requirement in the aviation industry. The present study was mainly limited in its scope of research, time frame allotted and lack of prior research in the Caribbean aviation field. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54034 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 40 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2021 A study on the linguistic benefits of foreign language immersion programmes offered at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine A polyglot, Kato Lomb, stated that: “The traditional way of learning a language (cramming 20–30 words a day and digesting the grammar supplied by a teacher or course book) may satisfy at most one’s sense of duty, but it can hardly serve as a source of joy. Nor will it likely be successful.” This quote inspired and prompted the search to discover the difference of impact that comes with learning through immersion. The research paper explored the efficacy of the immersion programmes offered at the University and the linguistic benefits that come with it. Through interviews and questionnaires with students and lecturers from UWI, the data showed that immersion is a remarkably effective way to develop linguistic skills as students are exposed to the L2 language for an extended period and are required to use the language beyond the walls of a classroom, which proved to be a determining factor in their progress. Lecturers have also noted significant improvement in the students’ language skills upon returning. While this is the case for the majority, a few did not experience the same level of growth due to social factors and indicated that other aspects contribute to language growth apart from immersion. The study’s result is important and revealed that, though progress of this nature cannot be quantified, immersion has proven to be effective, and it will be beneficial to encourage participation among students and to open the door for further discussion to better apprehend the possibilities and challenges in obtaining definitive and purposeful data on foreign language immersion programmes. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54044 Mary F. Grant BA French and Spanish, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Eric Maitrejean Kamron J. Gayah BA French with a Minor in Brazilian Studies Masculinity, a hallucination: An exploration of Michael Kaufman’s ‘Triad of Violence’ in selected works of pro-feminist Caribbean literature Supervisor: Dr Savrina Chinien The gender socialisation of Caribbean people can be considered an institution that is both omnipresent and omnipotent as its norms have penetrated and influenced almost all other social institutions. Michael Kauffman's concept of the ‘Triad of Violence’ provides a valuable framework for understanding the complex dynamics of violence in Caribbean literature. This research aims to examine the manifestation of the Triad of Violence in Hispanophone and Anglophone Caribbean literary works by pro-feminist writers. The Triad of Violence, as proposed by Kauffman, encompasses three interconnected forms of violence: structural violence, symbolic violence, and direct violence. Structural violence refers to the systemic inequalities and power imbalances that perpetuate violence within society, while symbolic violence encompasses the cultural norms, stereotypes, and language that legitimise and normalise violence. Direct violence refers to physical acts of aggression and harm. In the context of Caribbean literature, this research sheds light on the construction and performance of Caribbean masculinity reflected in pro-feminist literature. Male characters often grapple with societal expectations and notions of power, resulting in the perpetration of violence against women, other men, and themselves. Through their narratives, authors delve into the intricacies of power dynamics, gender roles, and cultural influences that shape Caribbean masculinities. By unravelling the complexities of violence against women, other men, and oneself, this study contributes to ongoing discussions on gender, power, and social justice in the Caribbean context. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54043 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54044 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54043 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 41 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Alyssa M. Kangoo BA Spanish with a Minor in French, with First Class Honours Foreign language anxiety: A comparison of the effects of foreign language anxiety on the female and male genders amongst undergraduate French and Spanish students at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus Supervisor: Dr Oscar Bazán Rodríguez Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) is a condition, which plagues many language learners and often prevents them from achieving successful language acquisition. These effects sometimes have differing outcomes since it appears that they are dependent on numerous factors. Males seem to experience fewer effects of this condition as compared to their female counterparts. This research was developed and designed so that the effects of FLA can be analysed and assessed in the sample population of undergraduate French and Spanish students at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus. The occurrences of FLA were critically examined in each year group (years one, two and three), gender, language and further, the link between FLA, gender and performance was also explored. A quantitative method of data collection was used, namely questionnaires along with a qualitative method, that is the interview, involving a male and female third year student answering questions regarding how FLA affects them. This primary data were in addition to the secondary data, which aided in the researcher making deductions. The findings of the study explained that FLA appears to impact females more than males due to a number of factors. However, even though females experience higher levels of FLA, it does not affect their academic performances. Whilst FLA affects females more, overall, French students experience more FLA than Spanish students do. Nevertheless, FLA naturally decreases as the language learning process continues. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54047 2021 Kerrina D. Hypolite BA French and Spanish An in-depth comparison of the treatment of domestic abuse against female children in Gisèle Pineau’s L’Espérance Macadam and Wendy Guerra’s Todos se van Supervisor: Prof Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw Domestic abuse is a phenomenon that plagues Caribbean societies. Therefore, as domestic abuse is a predominant part of Caribbean culture, many Caribbean authors incorporate this topic as an integral part of their work. Hence, this thesis explores this topic in two texts by authors from both the French and Hispanic Caribbean. This study focuses specifically on domestic abuse against female children in the household in the novels L’Espérance Macadam by Gisèle Pineau and Todos se van by Wendy Guerra, which represent both Guadeloupean and Cuban societies during the 1980s. Consequently, this project analyses the different types of abuse young female victims endure in both texts, and its impact on their lives. Additionally, this dissertation seeks to examine the abusers that inflict this type of violence on young females in the home and the factors such as gender-role socialisation that influence these perpetrators’ abusive behaviours. Furthermore, this study explores witnesses’ varying reactions towards the abuse these female victims face in the home and its effect on the witnesses in both novels. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54045 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54047 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54045 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 42 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2021 A comparative study on the methodology used in traditional and online Hispanic Literature classes at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Online learning is a prominent element in the educational sector today and is declared as an alternative technique to traditional learning. One of the key methodologies between these two modes is the interactive component. Consequently, the aim of this research is a comparison of the interactive component between online classes and traditional classes. The main focus of this project explores Year 3 Hispanic Literature students’ preference of interaction between online and traditional classes as well as investigates how the use of Zoom features, such as the raise hand icon and break out rooms, have contributed to their involvement in the online classes. It also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of traditional Hispanic Literature classes versus the Zoom online platform and highlights strategies that can be used to improve the interaction in classes. Accordingly, electronic questionnaires were distributed to gather quantitative data. Based on the study’s findings, it can be concluded that online learning is more favourable to students than traditional learning. However, despite online classes being more beneficial to students, practical solutions are also mentioned to improve and generate more interaction between students and teachers. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54050 Leah A. Laulys BA Spanish with a Minor in International Relations, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Dr Adonis Díaz Fernández Bridget-Erin V. Kelly BA French with a Minor in Spanish Investigating language learner autonomy and agency at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus Supervisor: Dr Diego Mideros Research has shown that learner autonomy is a desirable goal (Benson 2), especially in the field of higher education. This study focuses on investigating learner autonomy and agency among third-year Spanish language students at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus. This study also seeks to examine and gain insight into students’ perceptions and experiences with an autonomous learning project that was done in the first semester of their second academic year, 2019-2020 at the university which was intended to promote and increase students’ autonomy. Challenges, learning strategies employed and the effect of reflective journalling to promote student autonomy are discussed. This research took on a case study approach and the data gathered were qualitative as the research instrument used was interviews. The data gathered were coded into various themes that emerged from participants’ responses and then analysed. Through the findings of the research, it was revealed that students encounter a variety of challenges while studying Spanish, that students have varying levels of autonomy and agency, and that they implement various types of learning strategies in an attempt to overcome their difficulties. It was also revealed that reflective journalling is a useful activity to promote autonomy amongst students as it fosters a sense of responsibility whereby students are able better to plan, analyse, execute and monitor their learning. The study also reveals some challenges that students encounter while completing the project. Challenges include poor time management, lack of consistency, and overload of work. Nevertheless, the researcher concludes that reflective journalling and students’ ownership and responsibility for planning and executing additional activities in their own time are promising tools to foster and facilitate students’ autonomy. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54048 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54050 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54048 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 43 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Sabrina N. Lingo BA Spanish and French, with First Class Honours Language learning in the community context: The acquisition of Spanish among Trinidadian workers in the food and restaurant industry Supervisor: Dr Renée Figuera Recent waves of Venezuelan migration have revitalised the importance of Spanish and provided an opportunity for the linguistic transformation of Trinidadian society. While most studies of second language acquisition in immigration contexts examine dominant Second Language (L2) macro- contexts, few evaluate the minority L2 context, whereby members of the host community acquire immigrant languages. Hence, this study has been designed to investigate the acquisition of Spanish by Trinidadian employees in the food industry in order to respond to this research gap. Through a multiple case study consisting of observation, interviews, questionnaires and elicitation of the four main cases, and a deductive thematic analysis approach facilitated by coding of Schumann’s acculturation factors, and pragmatic contexts, it is noted that Trinidadians’ acquisition of Spanish is limited to basic phrases and structures relating to social interactions and job tasks, due to incidental input which is task based and functional in the workplace context. This therefore suggests that the minority L2 context can promote acquisition, but this is limited by acculturation and pragmatic factors rather than individual psychological factors. Therefore, this study elucidates the elements of Spanish which are important for the food industry and the factors which impact acquisition in this setting. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54052 2021 Cheyenne C. Lee BA Spanish with a Minor in French, with First Class Honours Technology in foreign language education: A comparative examination of the impact of the transfer from a hybrid teaching-learning approach to a virtual teaching-learning approach on foreign language teachers and learners at The UWI, St. Augustine Supervisor: Dr Nicole Roberts This study examines the impact of the transfer from a hybrid teaching-learning approach to a virtual teaching-learning approach on foreign language teachers and learners at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. Using a qualitative research approach, twenty-four (24) level II and III Spanish, French and/or Portuguese students, and four (4) lecturers in the Spanish, French and Portuguese Sections shared their experiences and opinions on the transfer. This study analyses and compares the change in the teaching- learning approach, necessitated by the transfer from a hybrid system to a virtual system by assessing four main areas: student and teacher motivation, participation and communication between students and teachers, student autonomy and the role of the teacher. The results gathered from questionnaires and interviews uncover the factors that motivate and inspire communication, participation and autonomy among foreign language learners and teachers. This study explores the foreign language components that have been ameliorated and/or severed as a result of the transfer. Given that this teaching and learning approach is fairly new at the UWI, St. Augustine this research gives insight to the way in which students and teachers have adapted to the transfer. Furthermore, the results of this research give way to finding possible solutions for both blended and virtual settings. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54051 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54052 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54051 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 44 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2021 An investigation into the gender gap among foreign languages students at The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine: Male versus female attitudes towards language learning This research paper sought to explore the gender gap within the foreign languages domain from a perspective that was lacking in previous scholarship. The objectives of the study were to determine the main factors that influence male and female students to pursue foreign languages at the tertiary level as well as to identify the differences in the attitudes of male and female foreign languages students towards language learning. Data were derived using a mixed method approach of questionnaires and e-mail interviews. Thirty questionnaires were administered to foreign language students at all three levels in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at The UWI, St. Augustine. The participants for the e-mail interviews included one male and one female level III foreign language student. Statistical analysis was employed for the questionnaire data while thematic analysis was used for the e-mail interview data. The researcher found that the major factors influencing both male and female students to pursue foreign languages at the tertiary level were their love for languages as well as encouragement from their past teachers. With regard to the differences in the male and female students’ attitudes towards language apprenticeship, the findings indicated that the male foreign language students were more motivated, confident and dedicated than their female counterparts. On the other hand, the female students were found to be more anxious, stressed and demotivated. Overall, it was concluded that the male students possessed a more positive attitude towards language learning than the female students. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54056 Katherine A. Mohammed BA Spanish with Minors in French and International Relations, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Romulo Guedez Fernandez Abrianna M. S. Matthew BA Spanish and French, with First Class Honours From classroom to computer: How transitioning from in-person to online language learning impacted the motivation and performance of level 2 and 3 Spanish and French students at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Supervisor: Mathilde Dallier The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions everywhere to migrate online as they rapidly attempted to adapt content to a virtual format. This study sought to evaluate the effect of this abrupt transition on the motivation and academic performance of 2nd and 3rd year Undergraduate Spanish and French students. An online questionnaire was completed by 45 foreign language students at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago. The results thereof revealed no change in most students’ motivation and performance. Regarding the relationship between these two variables, it was found that, although linked, motivation had little to no impact on academic performance and vice-versa. Based on these findings, it is recommended that students and lecturers work together to encourage motivation in the online classroom, and that course developers consider the difficulties reported by students, so as to allow their academic performance to improve during the COVID-19 crisis and in the post-COVID transition period. Student support should also be improved. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54054 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54056 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54054 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 45 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Cathy-Jo M. Winchester BA Spanish with a Minor in Linguistics, with First Class Honours Foreign language education and the new normal: A comparative study of the teaching of Spanish in an online environment at secondary schools in Trinidad Supervisor: Dr Nicole Roberts The Coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted foreign language education across the globe, creating notable challenges for educators, as they transition to a virtual environment. As one of the key factors in the success of online teaching, teacher preparedness is of great importance. As such, this research paper investigates the extent to which the teaching of Spanish at the secondary school level in Trinidad has changed within an online environment. This study aims to contribute to the existing research on online foreign language education through a detailed examination of the difficulties faced by Spanish teachers in Trinidad within the virtual classroom. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained through interviews with ten teachers, as well as through secondary research carried out on four categories of schools on the island, each with a different administrative board. The findings illustrate that during the pandemic, educators faced challenges in developing and delivering curriculum material, assessing student learning, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. With respect to classroom management, however, teachers were better able to adjust to changes occasioned by the virtual environment. It was found that most teachers were prepared for the transition to virtual teaching, with many engaging in autonomous learning to improve their skill set. Results also indicated that personal factors such as perspectives, motivation and family life more notably impacted teacher preparedness for online teaching than the type of school to which they belonged. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54071 2021 Thalia S. Vidale BA Latin American Studies with a Minor in Brazilian Studies Examining the ‘other’: A qualitative analysis of Trinidadian perceptions and attitudes towards Venezuelan migrant women Supervisor: Dr Shelene Gomes Venezuelan migration to Trinidad and Tobago has increased since the start of the socio-economic and political crisis in Venezuela and has resulted in increased xenophobia, labour exploitation and gender-based violence against Venezuelan migrant women in Trinidad and Tobago by nationals. This project examines the perceptions and attitudes of Trinidadians towards Venezuelan migrant women. Specifically, it aims to investigate and analyse the factors that influence these views through the utilisation of social identity theory and intersectionality, thereby examining the ways in which the women are othered. Semi-structured interviews with six Trinidadian participants and three Venezuelan migrant women were conducted for this study to determine the attitudes, perceptions and influential factors. The results suggest that race, class, gender, ethnicity and colour are critical factors that influence Trinidadian perceptions and attitudes towards the migrants. In addition, stereotypes about Venezuelan migrant women, their employment and the media are also important influential factors. Altogether, it appears that Trinidadians do not share a common or fixed view of Venezuelan migrant women but tend to shift between empathetic sentiments towards the women and the propensity to exploit, alienate and/or control them. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/54071 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 46 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2022 Sharlene B. Chote BA Spanish with a Minor in International Relations, with First Class Honours An investigation of the negative impact of online language translators on UWI year 3 Spanish students’ Lectura y Composición skills Supervisor: Dr Adonis Díaz Fernández This qualitative research, which took the form of a case study, was conducted to investigate the negative impacts of online language translators on University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus year 3 Spanish students’ Lectura y Composición skills. This research is a sociocultural study which aims at obtaining students’ perceptions on how the use of online language translators negatively impact their Lectura y Composición skills and the quality of output. It also intended to identify any gaps. This study was guided by a review of previous studies and the New Literacy Studies. The participants of this study were year 3 UWI students who either majored or minored in Spanish. Data were collected via primary documentary sources in the form of an open- ended questionnaire, secondary documentary sources, such as books and scholarly articles, and primary oral sources, namely semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of this study showed that using the online language translators was detrimental to participants’ Lectura y Composición skills in a number of ways. Due to the shift to online learning, most participants grew significantly reliant on the usage of online language translators because of their easy accessibility. Furthermore, their Composición became excessively literal, with grammatical errors and an artificial tone. Foreign language anxiety and a lack of self-confidence also hampered their Lectura y Composición abilities. Despite the potential detrimental consequences of online language translators, perceptions of their quality differed. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55291 Latoya L. Frederick BA Spanish with a Minor in Linguistics, with First Class Honours A study on foreign language anxiety as a factor affecting the conversational skills of year 3 undergraduate foreign language students of Spanish at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus Supervisor: Dr Adonis Díaz Fernández This study explores and examines foreign language anxiety as a factor affecting the conversational skills of year three students of Spanish at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. This study was conducted in order to enhance the documentation of foreign language anxiety within Trinidad and Tobago. The aim of the study is to generate knowledge on foreign language anxiety being a factor affecting the conversational skills of students, with a particular focus placed on identifying and evaluating the causes and effects of the students’ foreign language anxiety when speaking in Spanish and the affective factors that contributed to its occurrence. Essentially, the data for this study were gathered using both primary and secondary sources. The primary data were obtained through the use of an online questionnaire that was administered to year three students of Spanish attending The University of The West Indies, St Augustine Campus. The primary data obtained were sorted and reviewed in a qualitative manner and then combined into themes and subthemes for analysis. After carrying out the study, it was discovered that foreign language anxiety is predominantly a negative factor hindering the oral production and conversational skills of the year three students. This study can be utilised by foreign language teachers in order to obtain an insight into the sources and affective factors that cause and contribute to the increase of a student’s foreign language anxiety and the effects that it has on them. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55295 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55291 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55295 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 47 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 2022 Tessa M. Mohammed BA Spanish and French, with First Class Honours Factors influencing communicative competence: The role of acculturation in second language acquisition among Venezuelan youth in Trinidad Supervisor: Dr Renée Figuera Few global migration studies account for acculturation and language acquisition for forced migrants. In Trinidad, persons of concern are merely tolerated, or have limited permission for employment in the host environment, without taught programmes for linguistic integration. This study is significant in focusing on the experience of language acquisition and forced migration in youth experiencing interrupted education. The COVID-19 pandemic presented further challenges of trauma and survival, which impacted this group’s language acquisition. This study looks at acculturation strategies and factors among youth (n=15 subjects), ages 15–24, in a mixed second language acquisition (SLA)/survival model based on Schumann (1986) and Maslow (1943), for analysing SLA in a survival context. The research design views the second language acquisition circumstances as non-ideal, and considers the impact of potential hardships on language acquisition, where traditional acculturation models have overlooked the community experience and youth in favour of classroom- based studies. The Middle Adolescence group (15–17) demonstrated mainstay Assimilatory behaviours, which matched high levels of communicative competence. The Late Adolescence group (18–20), who adopted Integration as their strategy, with a less noted experience of Marginalisation, demonstrated the highest productive competence of all three groups. The Early Adulthood group were diverse in their acculturation strategies including the Separation orientation, and displayed the lowest levels of productive and receptive competence in English and including Trinidadian English Creole. These results reinforce the role of age in language acquisition in community survival contexts. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55293 Ashley A. Maharaj BA Spanish with a Minor in Tourism Management, with First Class Honours An investigation into the impact of Latin pop music on second language acquisition among third-year students pursuing a BA in Spanish at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Supervisor: Dr Adonis Díaz Fernández Due to the process of globalisation, second language acquisition has become an indispensable skill. For this reason, this study explores the use of music as a language learning strategy that would benefit English-speaking students who are pursuing Spanish as an additional language. The research focuses specifically on the effectiveness of Latin pop music as a tool to enhance vocabulary acquisition/retention in addition to grammatical acquisition/accuracy, listening comprehension as well as conversational skills, and the learning experience of adult language students. Through the examination of distributed questionnaires and a quiz, the research establishes that the shared structural traits of music and language together with the repetitive structures and melody of Latin pop music positively influences vocabulary retention, acquisition and grammatical acquisition/accuracy, thus enhancing second language acquisition. It revealed that the use of Latin pop music in the classroom is effective in removing the affective filters of language acquisition as it enhances receptiveness, motivation and confidence, thus improving the learning experience of adult language students. Furthermore, Latin pop music was found to increase one’s vocabulary register, expose students to various Hispanic accents and provide practical examples which enable the students to cultivate their listening comprehension and conversational skills, hence supporting its inclusion in the Spanish language curriculum. However, the effectiveness of Latin pop music as a learning strategy to enhance listening comprehension may prove to be more effective for aural learners. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55302 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55293 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55302 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 48 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2022 Ten years later: Teachers’ perceptions of the current position of Spanish in “Outer City” primary schools ten years after its implementation This research paper observes teachers’ perception of Spanish in the primary school syllabus ten years after its initial implementation. This includes how they have adapted to the inclusion of Spanish at the primary school level, perceived challenges they face and their perceived needs to make teaching Spanish at this level more manageable. Three “outer city” schools of the St Patrick District were selected for this study based their distance from Ministry of Education centres and connected resources found in more urban areas. A total of fifteen teachers and three principals were interviewed. This study finds that, while Spanish may receive positive reception at the primary school level, there is little emphasis being placed on its maintenance, particularly in the areas of foreign language teaching training, provision of standardised physical resources and developing an equilibrium between the Spanish syllabus and the SEA workload at the upper levels. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55294 Zoë T. Sucre BA Spanish with a Minor in Theatre Arts, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Paola Palma Rojas An analysis on the type of technology used by lecturers and students in translation courses provided by tertiary level institutions in the Caribbean In this digital world, technology has been implemented in the foreign language learning environment of many universities in the Caribbean, including specifically in translation courses. This project explores the use of modern- day technological tools such as Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and Translation Technologies (CAT Tools and Machine Translation) in translation courses at three UWI campuses. Tools such as web applications, internet resources, online databases and glossaries, and translation technologies and software were considered as the main types of technology used in order to gather data from lecturers and students associated with the translation courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels of the Mona, St. Augustine and Cave Hill campuses of The University of the West Indies. Lecturers across the three campuses were interviewed, alongside their respective students, who gave feedback through online questionnaires. This study demonstrated that the use of information communication technologies is heavily integrated into the teaching of these translation courses in conjunction with traditional teaching methods. In addition, it revealed that the incorporation of technological tools, in the teaching practices of translation lecturers and the academic lives of translation students, holds many benefits and provides support to students in their translation studies by making the learning experience more efficient and comfortable. The use of these technological tools suggests new ways in which translation students can enhance their learning experience as well as ways in which they can coexist with these tools in the digital world. http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55292 Leah K. Roberts BA Spanish with a Minor in International Relations, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Paola Palma Rojas http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55294 http://hdl.handle.net/2139/55292 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 49 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 2023 Sandhya John BA Spanish with a Minor in Linguistics, with First Class Honours A case study of students’ perceptions about learning grammar as a separate component of the Spanish courses in the BA Spanish programme at The UWI, St. Augustine Supervisor: Paola Palma Rojas The role of grammar and the way it should be taught, that is separately or integrated within other language components, constitutes a perpetual debate in the field of foreign language learning and teaching. Consequently, the implicit and explicit nature of grammar instruction has been called into question owing to the existence of different theories, shifting views of the nature and role of grammar as well as varying language teaching approaches which make it difficult to pinpoint one definite grammar instruction method that fosters overall competency in a foreign language. Despite being able to provide rich and necessary data, students’ perceptions on grammar knowledge and instruction appear to be limited. Hence this study investigates students' perceptions about learning Spanish grammar as a separate component of the Spanish courses in the BA Spanish programme at UWI St. Augustine. Primary data were solicited from seventeen year III university students through the administration of questionnaires coupled with secondary sources which informed this study. The major findings revealed that the students generally have positive views of grammar and grammar instruction and are satisfied with grammar being taught separately. In fact, the preference for explicit, integrated form-focused grammar instruction was clearly expressed by the majority. These students’ perceptions may serve to guide classroom practices and decisions as well as teaching approaches. Tamia S. Cedeno BA French and Literatures in English A study of the impact of gender inequality on professional women in Trinidad Supervisor: Dr Elizabeth Jackson This paper aims to investigate and examine the impact of gender inequalities on professional women in Trinidad, particularly as it relates to the home and the workplace as equal opportunity is not only essential for social justice and the economic balance of a society, but also the well-being of women. It seeks to interrogate how various inequalities are presented and furthermore, how they impact the professional and personal lives of these women. Previous research on gender issues pertaining specifically to Trinidad has focused primarily on the high percentage of poverty as a result of the wage gap and the issue of gender-based violence. While these are prevalent problems that women face today, there are other issues that should also be investigated. Surveys were distributed amongst professional women at The University of the West Indies to analyse the unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities in the household and how invisible labour impacts the mental health and professional careers of women, to spotlight the inequalities evident in the educational system and how they translate to the workplace and finally, the study pays close attention to the limitations women face in the workplace as well as their impact. The findings indicate that gender inequality is evident in all three areas and various factors are involved. Women are responsible for a greater number of household chores that are often unrecognised and this disparity contributes to a great negative impact on their well- being and job security. Moreover, inequalities in the educational system are largely attributed to inequalities in socialisation and subject stereotyping which is also evident in the division of traditional jobs that are overrepresented by either men and women. The issue of the wage gap is also recognised and there are various forms of discrimination in the workplace which have both positive and negative effects. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 50 Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 2022 The language of love: An investigation into popular perceptions of the French language among secondary school students in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad This project explores the perspectives on the French language of secondary school students who receive instruction in the Trinidad & Tobago capital of Port-of-Spain. It concentrates on the attitudes toward, and popular conceptions of, the French language, focusing on the common romanticisation of French by young Trinidadians. This work specifically examines views on French as a European language inherently tied to success, art, and civilisation. Moreover, it examines how historical and linguistic factors combine with popular media depictions which portray the French language as a language of romance and success among students with diverse academic specialties in the most populous and culturally diverse city in Trinidad & Tobago. French is synonymous with intellectualism and artistic inspiration in popular culture, which may speak to the long-term cultural imperialism of the French Empire in a postcolonial Trinidadian context, with depictions of French as an “elevated” language, especially compared to its counterpart of Spanish. In examining the cultural forms tied to the French language, this study also reviews sociolinguistic theory to explain the distinction given to the French language, emphasising both the myths surrounding it from a cultural perspective. Contemporary cultural convictions, typically drawn from the media and Eurocentric outlooks in the place of academically supported research, perpetuate a view of French among students in Port-of-Spain as an aesthetically pleasing language and as one of love, elegance, and beauty. Bilqees Mohammed BA Spanish and French, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Eric Maitrejean The “stigma” surrounding the pursuit of foreign languages as a career and field of study in Trinidad In Trinidad, the study of foreign languages has been perceived as inferior to the study of medicine, law and engineering. This perception has been detrimental to the motivation and confidence of foreign language students over the years and has not only deteriorated their learning experience but has widened socioeconomic divisions in our society through the persistence of hierarchical thinking. It can therefore be said that there is a “stigma” surrounding foreign languages as a career and field of study. This project investigates the factors contributing to this “stigma” as well as the extent to which it is present in our society. This study also aims to fill the lacunae in existing literature on the topic of foreign languages in the Caribbean and Latin America through a detailed analysis of the perspectives and experiences of foreign language students across two levels of education - secondary and tertiary. The findings of this study authenticated the researcher’s theory that the ingrained elitist disposition of Trinidadians was at the root of the “stigma” surrounding the pursuit of foreign languages as a career and field of study - a “stigma” which was also proved to exist in Trinidadian society to a large extent. This elitist mentality generated three common misconceptions about foreign languages in Trinidad: (1) STEM careers are more “prestigious” and “lucrative” than careers in FLs, (2) Jobs for FL Majors in Trinidad are scarce, and (3) a Career in Education is the most viable employment option for FL Majors in Trinidad. Talia S. Khan BA Spanish and French, with First Class Honours Supervisor: Dr Savrina Chinien Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Undergraduate Research: HUMN 3099 51 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 2023 Quincy Watche BA French with Minors in International Relations and Gender and Development Studies Examining the didactics of Aimé Césaire's The Tragedy of King Christophe Supervisor: Dr Savrina Chinien The history of Haiti, with all its successes and failures, is indeed referential to the plight of Blacks within the postcolonial environment. So being, the Martiniquan playwright, essayist and politician Aimé Césaire describes it as “Négritude-in-action” due to its emblematic struggle for a proper decolonisation, one without impressionable aftereffects. Considered his theatrical masterpiece out of his trilogy of plays, The Tragedy of King Christophe (1963) traces the rise and fall of Haiti’s first and only king (Henri Christophe) following the island’s independence from France in 1804, and ensuing assassination of Emperor Jean- Jacques Dessalines in 1806. From 1811, King Christophe takes up the duty of statesman (Monarch) in the northern kingdom and vows to restore the stolen dignity of the Black motherland and its diaspora ironically through forced, slavish labour. Examining Césaire’s implied didactics from the play, the Francophone author gives heed, and warns of impending danger when Black leaders choose to replicate foreign forms of governance as opposed to appropriate, feasible structures. The playwright reflects wisely on the reign of King Christophe, so that Black peoples’ post-independent governance does not become a tragedy, by way of the resurrection, or imitation of the old colonial system. Haiti thus valiantly serves as a catalyst for change, and as an example of what should and should not be done, when dealing with the fights, hopes and desires for black autonomy in a world of European imperialism and the implications of that struggle for the (particular) Black race. Rayne Alexa Affonso BA Spanish and Literatures in English, with First Class Honours The colonial legacy of sexual policing: Intersectionality and the heterosexual requisite of citizenship in Valmiki’s Daughter Lecturer: Dr Michelene Adams The concept of intersectionality coined by African American civil rights activist Kimberlé Crenshaw is a hallmark of Black feminist terminology. However, it is rarely applied to the Indo -Trinidadian female experience, in spite of the multiple disadvantages that persist among modern societal structures to oppress this particular subgroup. Shani Mootoo’s novel, Valmiki’s Daughter (2008), explores the restrictions that are upheld by the Indo-Trinidadian community within their familial spheres to reinforce the heterosexual requisite of citizenship founded by the colonial approach to civility and sexual policing. Her emphasis on the racial tensions between various ethnic groups in Trinidad, as well as her postulation that infidelity is maintained as a tool to fortify the hyper masculine identity, effectively conveys the intersectional traumas that face the young female protagonist. The dictates of Indo-Trinidadian womanhood and sexual policing negatively impact her self-image and force her to choose the path of a comphet marriage in order to retain her sense of belonging. Thus, Valmiki’s Daughter remains one of the first novels that apply the concept of intersectionality to the Indo- Caribbean literary canon. LITS 3502—Advanced Seminar in West Indian Literature B Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 52 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 “The significance and power of names and naming have been recognised since Adam and Eve. Words are like the surface of the sea – there is far more to them than meets the naked eye. Take nothing for granted and let’s dig deep.” This is what Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at The UWI St Augustine, had to say about her winning the “Name ExoWorlds” competition that offered the opportunity to name a host star, and its exoplanet for Trinidad and Tobago. The competition was a global project that celebrated 100 years of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Dr Ferreira’s winning entry, Dingolay (star) and Ramajay (exoplanet), was announced at 6 a.m. local time on December 17 at the IAU’s headquarters in France, in a global press release. Both dingolay and ramajay are well-known Patois (French-lexicon Creole) words often used in calypso, soca and steelpan music, perhaps most notably in the late Winston Bailey’s (the Mighty Shadow) 1988 hit song and album “Dingolay”. Ramajay means “to sing and make music” (originally referring to birds) and dingolay can be interpreted to mean “to dance”. Originally, Dingolay and Ramajay were identified as star HD 96063 and exoplanet HD 96063B respectively. While the star cannot be seen with the naked eye, it is easily visible with small telescopes and binoculars. HD96063’s mass is similar to our sun. Its radius is almost four times greater and it has an effective temperature of 5308 Kelvin (5034.85 degrees Celsius). The star has been calculated to be twice as old as our sun at 9 billion years. HD9063B was discovered in 2011 orbiting around its star at almost the same distance the Earth orbits around the sun and takes 362.5 Earth days to complete one orbit around the star. Senior Lecturer in Astronomy (now Professor) Dr Shirin Haque chaired the national committee, alongside members from local astronomy groups, to champion this competition. The Name ExoWorlds competition called on all to get creative and come up with the best name pairings that would immortalise Trinidad and Tobago’s culture amongst the stars. To Dance and Sing in the Heavens UWI, St Augustine Linguistics Lecturer Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira wins ExoWorlds competition with Dingolay and Ramajay BY OMEGA FRANCIS For Dr Ferreira, the significance of names and their alignment with culture did not go unrecognised. “The names that I chose, and that voters selected too, go deep into our linguistic history, and reflect our modern reality. This is a true win for downtrodden Caribbean and Creole languages and their speakers/users, who Dr Ferreira (centre) with UWI astronomer Dr Shirin Haque to her left and members of the IAU National Outreach Committee dingolaying with her ExoWorld prize, an Orion SkyQuest XT6 PLUS Dobsonian Reflector telescope. cross every ethnic line. Knowing etymologies, and knowing about our personal names, our place names (past and present), our words, our language and languages should be a most basic part of our national education. According to (artist and activist) Rubadiri Victor, it’s Cosmic Creole now!” She received her prize, an Orion SkyQuest XT6 PLUS Dobsonian Reflector telescope, at a ceremony to commemorate her victory and the other finalists on 21 December at UWI St Augustine’s Faculty of Science and Technology. For Dr Haque, the experience was a significant one, “This is truly a Christmas gift to the nation, and an historic moment for Trinidad and Tobago, as this is the first time ever a celestial object has been named nationally. We are proud to have our culture and lingo immortalised among the stars.” *Information taken from www.nameexoworldstt.com “The names that I chose, and that voters selected too, go deep into our linguistic history, and reflect our modern reality.” P H O T O : A R N A L D O J A M E S P H O T O : A R N A L D O J A M E S This article appeared in UWI Today on Sunday 12 January 2020, p. 7 . It is reproduced with the kind permission of UWI Today. See also The Intellectual: Art, Science and Architecture, June 2020, “The Intellectual on the move: Naming an Exoworld—Trinidad & Tobago, with Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira”, pp. 20–22. http://the-intellectual-magazine.com/index.htm https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/january_2020/article8.asp https://www.google.com/url?q=http://the-intellectual-magazine.com/index.htm&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1702157375587743&usg=AOvVaw3-WkUp9jwuhM9RJL9IYojY Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 53 Events  Film Focus on Trinidadian French Creole with Cassandra Joseph (Paramin) and Nnamdi Hodge: Sèptant Lanné Ansanm, Vwé Kafé, Boukanen, plus Linguistic Landscapes: Patois Speakers Share Their Knowledge by Hodge and Ferreira  Posters on Patois by BA Linguistics students  An ti pawòl pa chèf-la - Words from the Heads, Dr Nicole Roberts (DMLL) and Dr Louis McWilliams (DCFA)  Annou kité sé Timanmay-la Moutwé Yo Chimen-an - Let the Children Lead, with Talparo RC School  Weekes on Walcott: Excerpt from "Malcochon" by Derek Walcott, with Dr Travis Weekes (St Lucia)  Tèt mawé - Traditional Head Ties, with Madanm Nicole Taylor (Martinique)  John Jacob Thomas - 150 Years Later, an Armchair Discussion with Professors Bridget Brereton, Lawrence Carrington and Ian Robertson  Crapaulade - Krapolad, a play by BA French students, directed by Youri Velasques (Martinique) and Dylan Sahabdool  Kali - Monté la Riviè, sung by BA French students  Kassav' - Mwen di ou awa, with BA Dance students Anderson Subero and Lennan O'Garo  Jan-Lwi, Jadiniyé Fenyan-an - Jean-Louis, the Lazy Gardener, a story told by Cristo Adonis (Arima)  Pasé Koutla - Pass the Cutlass, a Traditional Song Game  Mèsi-a - Vote of Thanks MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER—ANNOU ALÉ ANSANM (AAA) TRIBUTE TO JOHN JACOB THOMAS LONNÈ ÉPI WÈSPÉ POU JOHN JACOB THOMAS T he Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (DMLL), in conjunction with the Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) celebrated the Mwa Kwéyòl Entenasyonnal – International Creole Month. The event aimed to raise awareness of Creole languages worldwide, with this event focusing on Lesser Antillean French-related Creole which continues to exist in everyday speech, place names, folk dances and music, food and much more. The event also paid tribute to the 150 th anniversary of Trinidad’s 19 th century linguist, writer and public intellectual, John Jacob Thomas’ book, The Theory and Practice of Creole Grammar (1869). Feature speakers at the event were Professor Emerita Bridget Brereton, Professor Emeritus Lawrence D. Carrington and Professor Ian Robertson. The Cocoa Research Centre partnered with the event to sell traditional Cocoa Tea, with a poster of traditional Patois cocoa terms on display (Winer 2009). The programme of the event included: Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 54 El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha por Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Auditorium | Centre for Language Learning (CLL) The UWI, St Augustine Campus Monday | 24 April 2023 | 3 - 4:30 p.m. T his event was organised by the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics and the Centre for Language Learning, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine in partnership with some embassies of Spanish-speaking countries in Trinidad and Tobago. A total of 30 readers included His Excellency Don Fernando Nogales, Ambassador of Spain to Trinidad and Tobago; His Excellency Don Victor Hugo Morales Meléndez, Ambassador of México to Trinidad and Tobago; His Excellency Don Álvaro Sánchez Cordero, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago; Valerie Laboy, U.S. Embassy, Economic and Commercial Officer; Marina Salandy-Brown, Bocas Lit Fest founder; Liz Carolina Lozano Garzón, Second Secretary in Charge of Cultural Affairs and Communications, Embassy of Colombia; Leeanna Joy Seelochan, Assistant to Ambassador, Embassy of the Dominican Republic; also among readers were UWI students, UWI alumni and public in general: Rayne Affonso, Federico Aranega, Lee Bailey, Dr Óscar Bazán Rodríguez, Sandra Castro Carmona, Davina-Farah Deonath, Jéda Douglas, Mikaela Garnette, Daniel Deon Jaggasar, Aleem Khan, Talia Khan, Fawn Theresa Mark, Alexia Mohamed, Bilqees Mohammed, Dr Diego Mideros, Daniel Ernesto José Natera-Narine, Lanaya Katelan Noel, Dianne Rampadarath, Nazireh Reis, Dr Nicole Roberts, Shania Sammy, Savannah Sandy, Lois Sealy, Rachel Teelucksingh, and Richard Tyson. Special guests: Don Álvaro Fernández Baquerín, Head of Consular and Cultural Affairs. Embassy of Spain to Trinidad and Tobago; Gisela Aijenbon, Secretary of Embassy, Head of Consular, Embassy of the Argentine Republic; Dr Lancelot Cowie, retired DMLL Senior Lecturer, Director of Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean (CENLAC) and Honorary Professor attached to the Latin American Studies Programme at the Institute of International Relations, UWI, St. Augustine; Nicole Nelson, Secretariat for the Implementation of Spanish, Ministry of Education and Professor Emeritus Gary Wayne Garcia. Professor Elizabeth Walcott- Hackshaw kindly took the time to greet the esteemed audience and share a few gracious words at the conclusion of the event. The Organisers, Dr Anne-Marie Pouchet, who delivered the Closing Remarks, and Romulo Guedez Fernandez, Coordinator, Spanish Undergraduate Programme, expressed their gratitude, and extended an invitation to the audience to gather and enjoy light refreshments. Lectura Continuada de Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 55 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Events Photos of the event can be accessed here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/198265191@N03/albums/72177720308058450 TTT News recorded the event and at the end they interviewed the Ambassador of Spain and the Dean of FHE: The UWI Welcomes Spanish At The Primary School Level 1 Spanish Language Day in Photos Día del Idioma Español en Fotos https://www.flickr.com/photos/198265191@N03/albums/72177720308058450 https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=108&v=6YxfaeWY2k4&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ttt.live%2F&source_ve_path=MTM5MTE3LDEzO https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=108&v=6YxfaeWY2k4&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ttt.live%2F&source_ve_path=MTM5MTE3LDEzO Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 56 Workshops Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Workshop & Webinar Series SLP Workshop 1 - Topics in Anatomy and Physiology of speech, language and hearing Day 1 24 June 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Day 2 25 June 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Facilitator: Dr Kiara Matthews SLP Workshop 2 - Postgraduate student supervision in Speech-Language Pathology Day 1 4 June 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Day 2 5 June 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Facilitator: Dr Kiara Matthews 2023 Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) webinars SLP postgraduate students covered topics such as Acquired Cognitive Disorders and Motor Speech Disorders, the challenges surrounding these disorders, diagnosis, and treatment, plus insightful tips on how you can support family and friends living with these disorders. 19 July 2023 - Acquired cognitive disorders Tahirah Charles, Melani Birusingh and Monique Puckerin 21 July 2023 - Motor speech disorders Aliah Lawrence-Carter, Kimberly Jack and Priya Samuel 24 July 2023 - Aphasia Shanice Harrigin, Meredith Montrichard, Renee Lewis and Salisha Baksh 26 July 2023 - Dysphagia Jevon Frank, Keneisha Barclay, Laurisa Lugo and Michael Roberts 28 July 2023 - Voice and resonance disorders Dominique Edwards, Brittney Alonzo and Tenille St. Louis 2022 Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) webinars First series of DMLL Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) webinars presented by our SLP postgraduate students from 3 June 2022 to 17 June 2022. Moderator: Dr Kiara Matthews. These insightful webinars provided the opportunity to learn more about Speech disorders, Autism, and the role of Speech-Language Pathology. 3 June 2022 - Speech sound disorders Kimberly Jack, Keneisha Barclay, Monique Puckerin, Salisha Baksh, Tenille St. Louis and Shanice Harrigin 10 June 2022 - Language disorders in children Aliah Lawrence, Tehillah Moses, Brittney Alonzo, Laurisa lugo, Melani Birusingh and Michael Roberts 17 June 2022 - Autism spectrum disorders Tahirah Charles, Priya Samuel, Renee Lewis, Meredith Montrichard, Dominique Edwards and Jevon Frank O ver the last two academic years, the Department has hosted groundbreaking speech-language pathology (SLP) workshops and webinars. These webinars, presented by the 2021-2024 MA-SLP Cohort, were orchestrated under the expert guidance of our very own Dr Kiara Matthews. In 2022, dynamic discussions on Child Language Disorders, Speech Sound Disorders, and Autism captivated audiences of 40 and more, focusing on paediatric nuances. Transitioning to 2023, the cohort delved into adult-oriented topics such as Voice Disorders, Dysphagia, Motor Speech Disorders, Acquired Cognitive Disorders, and Aphasia. These thought-provoking sessions, attracting audiences of 20 and beyond, showcased the cohort's adaptability and expertise across a broad spectrum of speech- language pathology. Members of the University community and the general public took the opportunity to be immersed in the wealth of knowledge presented in these already successful webinars, bridging theory and practice in the field. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Workshops 57 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 ESL Professional Development Workshop for Early Childhood Teachers T he online English as Second Language (ESL) activity was designed taking in consideration the importance of the use of English in early childhood bilingual education, and therefore the use of children’s first language (Spanish) as a medium of instruction. The ESL workshop focused on equipping a group of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers with the basic principles of ESL and the tools to better cater for migrant children’s English language needs. The Workshop was delivered in Spanish. However, English was also used throughout the training to demonstrate and model pedagogical activities that can be implemented in the classroom setting. In this context of in-service non-English-speaking teachers and 3–4-year-old migrant children being educated through the medium of English and Spanish, facilitators engaged four ECCE teachers and one primary school teacher in exploring strategies that (a) integrate content knowledge, first and second language activities along with early literacy, and (b) promote the development of children’s creativity. Facilitators also demonstrated through a variety of activities their appreciation for languages, values, and cultures. The ECCE teachers who participated in the workshop were engaged and expressed that the activity contributed to enhancing their professional development and raising their awareness of language. Certificates were issued by the DMLL. Two language instructors were involved in the delivery of the ESL Professional Development workshop for Early Childhood Teachers: Aarti Persad (Facilitator) and Romulo Guedez Fernandez (Facilitator/Coordinator). Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 58 • • • The Centre for Education Programmes Haphiza's Odyssey Travels Limited Sponsors Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Workshops 59 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 “Every Teacher is a Language Teacher” https://sites.google.com/view/translanguaging/home https://sta.uwi.edu/uwiToday/archive/may_2023/article13.asp Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 60 Workshops A UWI-UTT Collaborative Outreach Programme Every Teacher is a Language Teacher Translanguaging in our Classrooms Haphiza's Odyssey Travels Limited Sponsors https://sites.google.com/view/translanguaging/day-1-in-photos https://sites.google.com/view/translanguaging/day-2-in-photos https://sites.google.com/view/translanguaging/day-3-in-photos Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Workshops 61 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Integrating Content and Language: Practical Workshop for Primary School Teachers Venue: The University School, St Augustine Wednesday 30 August 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/198265191@N03/ albums/72177720311769336 O n Wednesday, 30 August 2023, 19 primary school teachers from the University School participated in a practical workshop aimed at promoting learner-centred instruction and active learning. The workshop was delivered as a Community Service initiative and facilitated by teacher trainers who demonstrated the usefulness and benefits of integrating content and language (both English and an additional language, French or Spanish) using the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) approach and Translanguaging Pedagogy. The workshop included practical sessions on teaching Mathematics and Social Studies using these methodologies. The workshop aimed to equip teachers with the essential knowledge and skills necessary to effectively integrate the teaching of content and language in their classrooms. By exploring the usefulness and benefits of integrating content and language (both the first and an additional language) and translanguaging pedagogy, this workshop aimed to stimulate children’s ability in creative thinking, problem-solving, and cultural awareness. Facilitators and participants engaged in discussions and relevant activities on how the CLIL approach and Translanguaging Pedagogy align with the goals and objectives of the National Primary School Curriculum (NPSC) set by the Ministry of Education of Trinidad and Tobago. The facilitators were Tisha Lares-Sagam, Primary school teacher, Patricia Prescott, SEA teacher at Mucurapo Boys’ RC School; and Romulo Guedez Fernandez. The Coordinators of the workshop were Dr Savrina Chinien and Romulo Guedez Fernandez. Tisha Lares-Sagam (above) demonstrating the use of CLIL and Translanguaging Pedagogy for teaching Social Studies. Patricia Prescott (below) demonstrating the use of CLIL and Translanguaging Pedagogy for teaching Mathematics. https://www.flickr.com/photos/198265191@N03/albums/72177720311769336 https://www.flickr.com/photos/198265191@N03/albums/72177720311769336 Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 62 Workshops Summary of ESL initiatives conducted by the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics to support asylum seekers and refugees in Trinidad and Tobago F or over seven years, the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (DMLL) has undertaken a number of in- person and online initiatives in support of Venezuelan refugee and asylum seekers in Trinidad and Tobago, pioneered by Dr Renée Figuera, Lecturer in Linguistics and TESOL (DMLL Research Notes, Issue 4, 2017, pp. 19-20). In the last four years, the DMLL has delivered a series of English as Second Language (ESL) teacher training workshops and teaching practicum exercises. These ESL activities have received the support of the respective Heads of DMLL, Dr Nicole Roberts, Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira, Professor Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, and more recently Mr Eric Maitrejean. They have all fostered the growth and success of these ESL initiatives. This 2019-2023 issue of DMLL Research Notes reports on the ESL activities conducted during the period October 2019 - July 2023. ESL initiatives supporting adult migrant learners The primary objective of these ESL activities is to equip and enhance the teaching skills of individuals willing to teach Basic General (survival) English to Venezuelan adult immigrants with minimal or non-existent English proficiency. Many of these individuals are volunteers committed to providing ESL classes for Venezuelan migrants. Since October 2019, a total of six cycles of ESL teacher training workshops, along with their respective teaching practicum exercises have instructed approximately 70 individuals to teach English to adult migrant learners with limited English proficiency. The ESL teaching practicum exercises offer a platform for the ESL teachers to apply what they learned in the ESL teacher training workshops, receiving constructive feedback from experienced trainers. Moreover, the ESL practicum exercises benefit the migrant learners contributing to their improvement in English skills and confidence. During the six ESL teaching practicum exercises, spanning approximately 56 different cohorts, trainees have successfully instructed an estimated 560 adult migrant learners over the past four years. The table below showcases the cycles of the ESL teacher training and teaching practicum exercises, executed in partnership with Living Water Community (LWC) and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). The facilitators who have conducted these activities include Natalie Bhawanie (NB), Dr Robertha Sandra Evans (RSE), Aryanna Gayadeen (AG), Saheeda Hosein (SH), Dr Amina Ibrahim-Ali (AIA), Aneera Maharaj (AMh), Alicia Mathura (AMt), and Romulo Guedez Fernandez (RGF) also served as a coordinator. Summary of ESL initiatives led by the DMLL to support adult migrants in Trinidad and Tobago during the period October 2019-July 2023 Note. f: female, m: male. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Workshops 63 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Summary of ESL-CLIL initiatives led by the DMLL to support primary school teachers and migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago during the period June 2021-July 2023 ESL-CLIL initiatives to support primary school teachers and migrant children From 2021 to 2023, the DMLL conducted a series of online teacher training workshops focusing on the use of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach and Translanguaging Pedagogy. These workshops aimed not only at instructing teachers on employing these methodologies when teaching migrant children but also addressed the broader context of the national classroom context and the challenges of teaching both national and migrant children the mainstream classroom. Tailored for primary and secondary school teachers, as well as a select group of early childhood educators from Living Water Community, the ESL-CLIL Train-the-Trainer and other CLIL teacher training workshops were crafted to assist educators in seamlessly integrating the CLIL approach and Translanguaging Pedagogy into the National Primary School Curriculum of the Ministry of Education of Trinidad and Tobago (NPSC). In total, seven ESL and CLIL Teacher Training workshops were delivered, engaging around 234 primary/secondary school teachers. These workshops were facilitated by a team of 11 trainers, including Natalie Bhawanie (NB), Mariette Cooper (MC), Dr Robertha Sandra Evans (RSE), Aryanna Gayadeen (AG), Aneera Maharaj (AMh), Alicia Mathura (AMt), Aarti Sharma Persad (AP), Dev Pooma (DP), Michelle Richardson (MR), Dr Nicha Selvon- Ramkissoon (NSR), and Romulo Guedez Fernandez (RGF) who also served as a coordinator. The ESL-CLIL workshops were implemented in with key partners, including the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM), Note. HF: Heroes Foundation, f: female, m: male. Living Water Community (LWC), the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF). The UWI Language Teaching and Learning Project Under the leadership of Paola Palma Rojas, the UWI Language Teaching and Learning Project undertook a second significant initiative. This project fostered collaborative online efforts among trainees to engage both national and migrant children in learning/ acquiring a second language through interactive and engaging activities in either Spanish or English. The focus of the project extended beyond language acquisition, emphasising strategies for teaching content through language (first or second language) to 139 young learners who actively participated in the activities. The table above highlights the different activities executed in collaboration with our partners. Refer to UWI Today, “Language Matters: UWI team uses a different approach to improve Standard English proficiency in primary schools.” September 2022, p. 14. Team-developed resources A Curriculum for Spanish-speaking migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago – (5-11 years old) - CLIL approach. This curriculum has been specifically crafted for use by LWC teachers. A CLIL supplemental guide for lower primary schools in Trinidad and Tobago (5-9 years old). This resource is aligned with NPSC and has been developed for use by CEBM teachers. References: UWI Today, “A language for the Displaced: Refugees get help to find their voices.” July 2017; UWI Today, “Renée Figuera: Language on the margins.” July 2018; UWI Today, “English classes help refugees.” July 2018. https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/july_2017/article10.asp https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/july_2018/article17.asp https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/july_2018/article12.as Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 64 Special Projects T his project comprised two distinct phases: the Development and Validation of an English as a Second Language Proficiency (ESLP) test for Migrant Children (ages 5–11 + ) in Trinidad and Tobago, followed by the Administration of the ESLP test. Development and validation Phase The ESLP test's development involved a collaborative effort between the Education Working Group (EWG) and the UWI testing team. The EWG is a group of stakeholders which seeks to identify opportunities for the delivery of education services to migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago. The members of the EWG who participated in the development of the ESLP test included Sharon Mangroo, Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM); Ingrid Kemchand, Curriculum Coordinator at the Ministry of Education; Simone Aguilera-Hay, Education Manager at Living Water Community; Ashford Tamby, Education Officer, Living Water Community; and Alma Jenkins, Migrant Response Coordinator, UNICEF. The UWI team included Natalie Bhawanie from CLL and Romulo Guedez Fernandez from DMLL. Test developers crafted the test to adhere to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) guidelines for assessing young learners. These CEFR guidelines are rooted in classroom context and real-life communication proficiencies covering both receptive and productive language skills. The ESLP test encompasses interactive listening and speaking, reading comprehension and writing. The development and validation process took place from April to July 2023, with the pilot test was conducted on 31 July at a designated primary school in Trinidad and Tobago. Test administration Phase In the second phase, the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (DMLL) in collaboration with the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) administered the ESLP test to 366 migrant children aged 5 to 11 + . The test administration, commissioned by UNICEF in partnership with PADF, was led by Dr Nicole Roberts, Director of CLL, and Romulo Guedez Fernandez from DMLL. The UWI team included Ruth Albornoz (Consultant), Natalie Bhawanie (CLL), Crystal Coar (Teacher, PG DipEd), Joelle George (Teacher, PG DipEd), and DMLL BA students: Rayne Affonso (BA Spanish and Literatures in English), Ariel Boynes-Mohan (BA French with Minor in Spanish), Talia Khan (BA Spanish and French), Bilqees Mohammed (BA French and Spanish), and Jesse Ragbir (BA Linguistics and Spanish). Second examiners and invigilators included the following UWI students: Jenna-Marie Bharat, Giselle Cha, Zahra Joseph, Angelina Mohan, Jolene Ramsey, Britney Reynold, and Ronaldo Romany. Four volunteers were also part of the team, Darius Boodoo, Achilles Cardinez, Ana B. Guilarte Albornoz, and Loreto E. Guilarte Albornoz. Development and administration of an English as a Second Language Proficiency Test for Spanish-speaking migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago Testing team during one of the training sessions at Centre for Language Learning, l-r: Angelina Mohan, Talia Khan, Rayne Affonso, Joelle George, Giselle Cha, Leah Roberts, Ariel Boynes-Mohan, Crystal Coar and Zahra Joseph. Rayne Affonso and Crystal Coar while invigilating the creative writing paper. Oral test setting, top, l-r: Crystal Coar and Jenna-Marie Bharat. Below, l-r: Joelle George, Zahra Joseph, Talia Khan, and Bilqees Mohammed. Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 65 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 Events The ESLP test was administered from 8 August to 27 August across eight different primary and secondary schools designated as test centres. These centres included Arima Boys’ RC School, Presentation College in Chaguanas, Fatima RC School in Curepe, St Benedict College in La Romaine, Penal Rock RC Primary School, San Fernando Boys’ RC Primary School, and Rio Claro Hindu S.D.M.S. Primary School. In some centres, the test was administered on two or three distinct days. In each test centre, the testing team facilitated a room for parents to provide information about their children. These data guided the arrangement of candidates by age and directing them to their respective test sections. Candidates aged 5–7 years exclusively undertook the oral test, while older candidates underwent both written and oral assessments. For candidates 8 to 11 + , the ESLP test included tasks to gauge their proficiency in writing, reading, creative writing, and oral (listening and speaking) skills. The test results provided insights into individuals' English levels, aiding in appropriate placement within corresponding proficiency tiers. The oral test was conducted for 148 children aged 5 to 7 years old. Among them, 85 children were evaluated at CEFR Level Pre-A1, and 63 children were assessed at CEFR Level A1. Within the 8 to 11 + age group (218 children), an average of 43% faced challenges in reading and writing skills, with creative writing emerging as the weakest skill. Notably, some children at CEFR Level Pre-A1 struggled with reading and writing even in their native Spanish language. Approximately 57% demonstrated strong performance in the three written tasks. A significant majority, 78% within the 8 to 11 + age group, displayed a remarkable command of English in the oral section of the ESLP test. Recommendations Based on the findings, the following recommendations were proposed: Implement early intervention literacy programmes: Create targeted literacy programmes for children aged 5–7 years, focusing on enhancing both oral and written skills in English and Spanish. Align these programmes with the National Primary School Curriculum of Trinidad and Tobago for the Lower Primary School. Offer remedial teaching: Address literacy deficits in children aged 8–11 + by providing remedial teaching. Develop reading and writing enrichment programmes for those with weaknesses in these areas, incorporating meaningful and age- appropriate activities in both English and Spanish. Implement regular progress and formative assessments to monitor children’s progress and language development. Provide Continuing Professional Development for primary school teachers: Offer professional development opportunities for teachers to equip them with specific strategies for effectively integrating content and language instruction in bilingual classrooms. This training should encompass social, emotional, and cognitive development alongside language skills. Photos: https://flic.kr/s/ aHBqjAXEnQ Left-right, back row: Angelina Mohan, Ariel Boynes-Mohan, Jenna-Marie Bharat, Talia Khan, Jesse Ragbir, Ronaldo Romany, Zahra Joseph and Crystal Coar. Front row: Ruth Albornoz, Giselle Cha, Britney Reynold, Joelle George, Rayne Affonso, Ana Guilarte A., Loreto Guilarte A., and Romulo Guedez Fernandez. Missing: Bilqees Mohammed and Jolene Ramsey. Left - right, front row: Talia Khan, and Giselle Cha. Back row: Romulo Guedez Fernandez, Joelle George, Ariel Boynes- Mohan and Jesse Ragbir. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAXEnQ https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAXEnQ Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Issue 7 - DMLL Research Notes — 66 The Students We Never Met S eptember 2022 marked the beginning of face-to-face classes for not only first-, but also second- and third-year students at the UWI, St. Augustine campus. Two of the three student cohorts had completed one or two years of tertiary level classes remotely, but none had physically attended classes before. Staff members anticipated that the customary start-of-semester requests for directions to buildings and classrooms would now triple in number. “Why didn’t they just say geography?” one harried student commented as she marched into Classroom W, located in the Geography Department of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA). Her classmates pointed through the large windows of the classroom to explain her confusion; FFA classrooms were scattered across a few buildings. I gazed across the lawn at the back of the iconic Old Administration Building. Anything but ‘old’, the Spanish colonial-style structure, now painted in sunny coral, had originally housed the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, the precursor to the UWI, St. Augustine campus of The University of the West Indies. Two trees with a sprinkling of purple flowers swayed in the afternoon sunshine. It was wonderful being back on campus! I recalled the fear and uncertainty of March 2020 and onwards, mixed with the relief that we could continue to deliver syllabus content to students remotely. Wearing flip-flops to work was a definite plus, but hurriedly developing an effective teaching environment from a home setting was a completely different story. Teachers were unprepared for announcements coming in from the street through their microphones, “Buying scrap iron…old parts we buying!” “Manure and topsoil on the outside. They say no mix, they say no tricks…manure and topsoil on the outside!” and having to find a teaching-friendly zone when, at a moment’s notice, a truck spraying for mosquitoes made its unrelenting approach. All too often, the roaring of lawnmower engines drowned out our voices. As time moved along, classroom dynamics changed. It became customary, for instance, for us to recognise our students by their identification numbers and names, but not by their faces. Bandwidth access differed from student to student, and their right to privacy remained a serious consideration, so they were not required to switch on their cameras. Students consequently remained, not only unseen, but also often unheard as the remote classroom quickly became a roving one, as they logged on from a myriad of locations. It was most convenient for them to use the chat facility and not the microphone to respond to questions, and they were candid in notifying their teachers of their locations to explain their limited engagement, which, interestingly enough, had no negative bearing on their overall engagement in the course, nor on their grades. One student was stationed in a parked vehicle on a noisy street outside his workplace; another sat in a shared office space, quietly listening in. Some who were walking or driving home at the end of the workday promised to share their tutorial task, as did their classmates, once they reached their destinations. Others muted their microphones to tend to their children. But the remote teaching space was not as ‘convenient’ for some. A first-year student expressed her feelings of isolation and disengagement when her teachers switched off their video cameras. Every time one student unmuted his microphone, a rooster crowed. While laughter rippled through the online classroom space, one could only imagine the frustration and embarrassment that the student might have experienced. A young woman who realised that the group member who had been assigned to her was as indifferent as he was unresponsive, pleaded for an extension on the coursework. Further probing revealed that she was settling the debts of a close family member she had recently lost, while relying on the Wi-Fi connection at a fast-food outlet to not only attend classes, but also to complete her credit assignments. In September 2022, when we converged again on the university campus, we stringently followed handwashing and social distancing protocols, and we wondered what was coming next. My students, roughly 120 in number, laughed as I repeatedly asked them their names. “You ask us the same question every week!” I blamed the mask-wearing mandate which was gradually lifted between the end of Semester One and the beginning of Semester Two. In February 2023, it was as though we were meeting our students for the very first time. Mask-wearing notwithstanding, teaching was far easier during the 2022/2023 academic year than it had been during remote teaching, to be guided by the cues from our students. It was easy to sense their frustration, tiredness, confusion. It was easy to read their body language and to use tact to draw them in, to reassure them, and to share in their joyful… and sombre moments. I reflected on those students who had attended our classes during the pandemic. We could not read their body language, nor take cues from them. We were unable to ascertain what they felt or determine the kind of day they were having. Still, they cooperated with us in a remote teaching space under emergency conditions. Many were as uncertain as we were, but they often expressed their heartfelt gratitude to us. The students we never met drew out our empathy and taught us to judge less harshly. They helped to prepare us for whatever next. Dr Amina Ibrahim-Ali Academic Literacies Programme Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics 67 — DMLL Research Notes - Issue 7 DMLL Spanish Section’s Outreach events T he Spanish Section received several invitations to attend career fairs in different areas of Trinidad and Tobago during 2023. During our visits to various schools, we showcased most of the FHE programmes and encouraged secondary school students to pursue at least one foreign language. We also informed them about the newly introduced UWI Foreign Language Policy. On Tuesday, 28 March 2023, we had the honour of visiting Northeastern College in Sangre Grande. We were grateful for the opportunity to meet with a large group of Form 3 students and their parents. In addition to showcasing our FHE programmes, we encouraged these particular students to choose a foreign language while they are in secondary school. For those students who were not planning to pursue CAPE, we introduced the FHE Certificate in Humanities (photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjACTfT). St. George’s College hosted a career fair on Friday, 5 May 2023. We had the tremendous opportunity to meet a good number of students who were interested in finding out more about the UWI programmes. Students inquired about the different options that The UWI offers, and many showed interest in pursuing a foreign language as part of their degree (photos: https:// flic.kr/s/aHBqjACWUj). A few weeks later, we were pleased to visit Bishop Anstey High School in Port- of-Spain. We attended their Career Day 2023 on Friday, 19 May 2023. Talia Khan who successfully completed her BA Spanish and French, with First Class Honours, represented the French section, and she was enthusiastically engaged in conversations about the majors and minors that we offer at The UWI, St Augustine. We were able to have many productive conversations with them about their future plans. She encouraged students to pursue a foreign language as part of their degree and shared her experience of being a double major in Spanish and French. Students felt very comfortable interacting with her and asking many questions (photos: https://flic.kr/s/ aHBqjAEpei). On Friday, 2 June 2023, we had the pleasure of attending St. Anthony’s College’s Career Fair Day 2023. As in our previous visits to schools, we had the opportunity to converse with a good number of students about their future academic plans. We also showcased the FHE Certificate in Humanities as some of the students were interested in similar options to enter university. We were very pleased for this opportunity to showcase the - DMLL BA Spanish programme to Form 1 to 4 and Lower 6 students and to answer their questions about the Spanish programme. The event was well organised and well attended, and the students were engaged and interested in learning more about our programmes (photos: https://flic.kr/s/ aHBqjAGjX1). Our final destination was Presentation College, San Fernando, where we attended their Language and Culture Day 2023 on Tuesday, 4 July 2023. The students were engaged and interested in learning more about our Modern Languages and Linguistics programmes (photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjALir7). All these events were well-organised and well-attended, and the students were engaged and interested in learning more about our programmes. We were able to have many productive conversations with them about their future plans. We are grateful for the opportunity to have been available to participate in all these events and look forward to showcasing our programmes in future events. We would like to express our sincere gratitude and congratulate the organisers of these well-organised and well-attended events on a job well done. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjACTfT https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjACWUj https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjACWUj https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAEpei https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAEpei https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGjX1 https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAGjX1 https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjALir7 The Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics Academic Staff 2022—2023 Academic Literacies Programme Tyrone Ali, PhD candidate (UWI) Rhoda Bharath, MFA (UWI) Janique Dennis-Prescott, PhD candidate (UWI) Lenore Greaves, PhD candidate (UWI) Amina Ibrahim-Ali, PhD (UWI) Claudette Jessop, IMBA (UWI) Avalon King, MA (UWI) Melanie Pouchet, PhD candidate (UWI) Karen Sanderson-Cole, PhD (UWI) French Savrina Chinien, PhD (Bordeaux 3) Eric Maitrejean, MA (Lyon 2), Head of DMLL Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, PhD (Boston U), Professor of French and Creative Writing and Dean of FHE Linguistics Ben Braithwaite, PhD (Newcastle) R. Sandra Evans, PhD (UWI) Joseph Farquharson, PhD (UWI)* Jo-Anne S. Ferreira, PhD (UWI) Renée Figuera, PhD (UWI) Byron Jones, PhD (UWI) Kiara Matthews, SLPD (Northwestern) Spanish Óscar Bazán Rodríguez, PhD (Cincinnati) Sandra Castro C., Visiting Lecturer, MA (Salamanca) Adonis Díaz Fernández, PhD (UWI) Romulo Guedez Fernandez, PhD candidate (UWI) Paola Palma Rojas, PhD candidate (UWI) Anne-Marie Pouchet, PhD (Ohio State) Undergraduate Programmes Bachelor of Arts Programmes French Linguistics Spanish Speech and Language Science Cross-Departmental Bachelor of Arts Programmes BA in English Language and Literature with Education (ELLE) BA in Latin American Studies Undergraduate Diplomas and Certificates Certificate in Speech-language Pathology Diploma in Caribbean Sign Language Interpreting Minors Minor in Brazilian Studies Minor in French Minor in Linguistics Minor in Spanish Minor in Speech-Language Pathology Postgraduate Programmes Diploma in Interpreting Techniques Diploma in TESOL MA in English Language - TESOL MA in Spanish MA in Speech-Language Pathology MPhil and PhD degrees in French, Linguistics, Spanish * Honorary Research Fellow Contact information for all staff may be found on our departmental website https://sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dmll/ https://sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dmll/ https://sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dmll/ https://www.facebook.com/uwistadmll/ https://www.instagram.com/uwista_dmll/ https://www.youtube.com/@uwistamodernlanguagesandli996/featured