Haitian Creole Language Products

Haitian Creole is the most widely spoken creole language in the world, and one of the two official languages of Haiti (the other is French). It is spoken by about 80% of Haiti's population, as well as about one million others worldwide.

The free products below were created using the published works of Professor Bryant C. Freeman, PhD. Professor Emeritus at the University of Kansas and director of the University of Kansas Institute of Haitian Studies. We offer them to contribute to the ongoing relief effort following the earthquake that struck Haiti in January, 2010.

Linguistic history:
Adults who do not share a common language sometimes create a second, or pidgin language, to use in their community. When a pidgin language is taught to the next generation of speakers, who in turn develop a standard grammar, increased vocabulary, and a consistent style of speaking, it becomes a creole language. Creole language formation is a universal phenomenon and an important aspect of language evolution.

Haitian Creole, based in French, English, and Spanish, is equally as complex and functional as other natural languages. Many of those affected by the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010 speak only Haitian Creole, so some relief workers who don't speak Haitian Creole have struggled with a language barrier. Ultralingua developed the products below as free resources to help English and Haitian Creole speakers communicate.