Differential performance in English tests among different language groups: Sociolinguistic study of Belizean speech communities

• Main Author: Joseph, Vilma Linett
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Subjects: education, tests and measurements; language, linguistics

In the post-colonial multicultural society of Belize, Belizean nationalism posits that citizens can maintain distinct identities. The official language in the nation is English but Spanish is also used in business, education and politics. Despite the government's endorsement of ethnic languages, there is considerable language shift in some speech communities as is evident in the Garifuna speech community of Dangriga, Belize. School children from this community do not perform well in the National English Proficiency Examination.
In order to examine the reasons for the poor academic achievement of children from the Garifuna speech community of Dangriga, performance in the National English Proficiency Examination is compared among the children who speak as their primary language Garifuna, Belizean Creole, or Spanish. The results show that the Spanish speaking children of Benque Viejo Del Carmen are proficient in English while the Garifuna speaking children from Hopkins are struggling, and the children from the Garifuna speech community of Dangriga are not doing as well as their Spanish speaking counterparts. The Belizean Creole children in general are experiencing problems in the examination.
The findings are examined against the language attitudes of communities where these children come from. In Hopkins Village, Stann Creek District, the parents and members of the community speak Garifuna to the children but when in school, the children are taught to speak English. The people of Hopkins want their children to speak Garifuna and they encourage them to learn English so that they can climb the social ladder. In the border town of Benque Viejo Del Carmen in Cayo District, we find a comparable situation in which the parents and members of the community speak Spanish to the children and at school the children are taught English. Parents in Benque Viejo Del Carmen share the same outlook as the parents from Hopkins as they value the acquisition of the heritage language as well as English. In Dangriga Town, Stann Creek District, most of the children who have Garifuna parents use Belizean Creole as their primary language of communication at home and in the community. However, at school they are also taught English. The parents in Dangriga consider Belizean Creole to be prestigious.
It is important to examine how language attitudes impact the language choice of the Garifuna children, Belizean Creole children and Spanish children and the effects on their performance in the national English proficiency examination that will determine their future role in Belize.