Spears and Berotte Joseph assemble the first wide-ranging treatment of a language long kept in the shade by French. Specialists in Creole studies contribute chapters on where the language came from, how it is built, and how it works in schooling, in literature, and in ordinary exchange.

Nearly every Haitian speaks Creole, yet it gained standing as a co-official language of Haiti only some two decades before this volume appeared. The editors address teachers, service providers and Creole speakers who want the language used more widely in Haiti and among Haitians abroad.

Their argument is practical: stronger competence in the language would improve the education of its speakers and their ability to take part in the political and social life of the countries where they live.