Decker K. The Song of Kriol: A Grammar of the Kriol Language of Belize

Belize Kriol Project, 2013. — 133 p.The purpose of this book is to show that Belize Kriol (BK) is a systematic language that differs in
many ways from English. This will be accomplished by describing the history, the patterns of sound
that make up the words, the word order rules that link words in larger units of communication, and
patterns of language use in society. This book was designed and written for the Belizean teacher. It is
hoped that this grammar will provide a useful reference for teachers and students in the schools of
Belize.
For many years Belizean teachers have been hampered in their educational efforts by the lack of
knowledge about the language. There has been much research on Belize Kriol, but little of it is
available to Belizeans. Many negative attitudes and myths persist in Belize against Kriol. Kriolspeakers
need to understand that their language is systematic, different from English, and is as
legitimate a language as any other.
This book is a descriptive grammar, rather than prescriptive. This book only attempts to describe
how Kriol is spoken; there are no claims as to how it ‘should’ be spoken. It will only be possible to give
descriptions of the most commonly used forms. Good research often raises further questions for further
research. It is hoped that this volume stimulates Belizean Creoles to further study of their language and
more books will be written on the language and in the language.