M pa gen mo, y’all…
Author: StephenJ Matlock
Dèyè mòn gen mòn
The title of this post comes from a popular expression in Haiti: Behind every mountain is another mountain. (Literally, behind … More
What’s Shakespeare got to do with it?
Haitian Creole / kreyòl ayisyen is already a very simplified language in both spelling and pronunciation, making it easier to learn than many other languages. But there are still a few things that can trip you up!
In which I learn more words
Today’s lessons (PLURAL) in kreyòl were brutal. I listened to a conversation and had to answer in real-time what I … More
Istwa Keke ak Manman li — with assistance from a new friend
In which I pick up a new set of language skills – and a new friend.
Tèt chaje! (my head is full!)
M praktike kreyòl pou yon edtan chak maten. Jodia m ap praktike envèse fraz tankou: /k/ Kisa Joj ye pou … More
Up close and pèsonèl
Yowza. I think today broke my brain! Last week’s lesson was on family relationships — mother, father, sister, brother, sister-in-law, … More
Street conversations
Today I had my first “street conversation” nan kreyòk ayisyen. Well, not on the street, exactly. It was a phone … More
Idyom yo se pwoblèm
I’m not one to complain… Well, maybe a little. This last week we went from parts of the body (Pati … More
Finding the right tutor
So as part of my efforts to learn Haitian Creole I signed up for a few resources that would connect … More
An hour of conversation
So this last week (Tuesday) I had my first full hour of tutoring in kreyòl, and zanmi m, it was … More
Practice makes for better practice
I’m kinda excited for what’s about to happen. I started this journey back in February/March 2022. (The first week was … More
At long last language?
WE DID IT! Today was the first time that my tutor and I had an actual conversation in kreyòl! Now, … More
Lordy, there are TAPES
Okay man, it’s getting serious now. In the previous weeks of lessons with my tutor, we did a lot of … More
Countdown to learning Kreyòl
Okay, it’s been, what, ten weeks? I’ve found better and better resources to learn kreyòl ayisyen, and while I am … More
Maybe a corner is turned
I’ve been hard at work with my lessons in kreyòl on Duolingo, and on paper it looks good—Level 21 / … More
The case of the missing person
Today’s lesson brought up what I’d seen in the past in a few lessons here and there. Let me show … More
Let’s talk about what, exactly
Let’s talk about what, exactly. So kreyòl has a whole interesting way to form words of interrogation/asking in ways that … More
The mystery of the “the”
There has been a couple of things I’ve been keeping notes on as I’m learning, and one of them is … More
What’s mine is mine, I guess
Week 4 of learning Haitian Creole and things are kicking up a notch. Now it’s getting into “ownership” (how to … More
Starting point
About three weeks ago I was encouraged by some Haitian friends to start using Duolingo. They knew of my interest … More
The journey begins . . .
Today I started my first lessons in Haitian Creole (“kreyòl ayisyen”) using Duolingo. Wish me luck!
Beliefs and Behaviors
The Jesus of the texts doesn’t encourage harm for others—and the opponents of health protocols aren’t demonstrating the person of the texts.
Shadows on the Wall
CRT is about systems, not individuals. Systems are developed as shortcuts for lengthy processes so that we don’t spend all our time trying to figure out how to hand multiple situations and not have disparate outcomes.
REVIEW: Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend
I’ve read many books this year, some of them similar to his in that they are life stories. This is the first one that I finished where I wanted to have more.
Hard Questions, Hard Answers
Jesus gets to the heart of the matter, which is simply you can’t follow Jesus if you have more important things than Jesus.
Real but Imaginary Threats
Much ink will be spilled in the next few months or even years about the topic of Critical Race Theory (CRT), both by those who think they support it and those who think they oppose it