Part of Dominica’s rich heritage is the creole (kweyol, kwéyòl) language spoken by her people. Interspersed and mixed in daily English conversations, or spoken in full,  creole plays a vital role in Dominica’s history and culture.

Having emerged during the time of slavery as a means of communication between the culturally varied group of enslaved people, Dominica’s creole is a combination of French and West African dialect. Although spoken in some parts around the Caribbean region like Haiti and St. Lucia, each place is distinct in their own way.

Kwéyòl Donmnik: Dominican Kwéyòl for Beginners, by Sylvia Henderson Mitchell, is an great book to learn the language basics and is easy to follow. With useful glossaries, proverbs and conversations, it also includes exercises at the end of each chapter.

For more information visit the official website here