Small island, diverse languages: Teachers’ and students’ language attitudes in multilingual Dominica

Gerfer, Anika; Jansen, Lisa; Deuber, Dagmar

Abstract

This study investigates language use and attitudes among teachers and students at two secondary schools in Dominica, a multilingual Caribbean island shaped by both French and British colonial influence. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 56 students and 11 teachers, the study explores perceptions of standard English, Dominican English Creole (DEC), and Kwéyòl. The findings show that standard English holds strong overt prestige and is widely used in formal settings, while DEC is the dominant spoken variety among students yet is often described as ‘broken English’ and socially stigmatized. Kwéyòl, associated with older generations, retains cultural value but is declining in active use among youth. Media exposure, particularly through music and social platforms, plays a key role in shaping language attitudes, often reinforcing stigmas. The findings offer insight into processes of language shift and the sociocultural positioning of local varieties in a postcolonial, digitally connected society.