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In:New Perspectives on Mauritian Creole and Reunion Creole: Standardization, grammar and language use
Edited by Muhsina Alleesaib and Julie Lefort
[Contact Language Library 61] 2025
► pp. 186–206

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Chapter 6
Attitudes of Mauritian school teachers towards Kreol in education

 | University of Wollongong
 | University of Wollongong
 | University of Wollongong
Published online: 7 April 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/coll.61.06bis
Abstract
Kreol Morisien has been taught, alongside Asian heritage languages, as an optional language in primary schools since 2012 and in secondary schools from 2018 in Mauritius. A sociolinguistic study investigated the changing patterns of language use and language attitudes of Mauritians towards learning Kreol in school (Bissoonauth 2019). This chapter focuses on the teachers’ attitudes towards Kreol both as a subject of study and as a medium of instruction. Results reveal a disjuncture between acceptance of Kreol, as the mother tongue that can facilitate learning, and a preference for French over Kreol in the home context. The findings highlight challenges for education policy makers for the future of Mauritius as a multicultural, multilingual but predominantly a creolophone nation.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Social history: A brief overview
  • 3.A complex language situation
  • 4.Languages in the Mauritian education system
  • 5.Methodology and data collection
  • 6.Results
    • 6.1Language use in the classroom
    • 6.2Language use in the home domain
    • 6.3Perceptions of Kreol as a school subject and as a medium of instruction
    • 6.4Evaluation of Kreol in primary education and its impact on student learning
  • 7.Discussion and recommendations for the future
    • Stage 1
    • Stage 2
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
References (65)
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