Customer Reviews

The Basic Oxford Picture Dictionary: English/ Haitian Creole

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I realize that this is an ESL text, but I have been using this picture dictionary since fall of 1997 to teach Haitian Kreyol to Medical and Divinity students and faculty at Duke University, as well as to youth and adult groups traveling to Haiti on mission trips. It has proved true that a picture speaks louder than words. The bold graphics make the vocabulary learning a wee bit more exciting than they would working only with text. Also, I appreciate the practical mix of verbs and adjectives, as well as nouns. I recommend it to everyone who is teaching or studying Kreyol, especially beginners.

Great resource for ESL teachers and students learning English (and Creole). It serves effectively as a dictionary, with plenty of basic nouns. It is limited with adjectives and adverbs (which, of course, are quite difficult to portray in pictures), and does not contain any phrases. Would be most helpful to a Haitian Creole speaker trying to improve his or her English noun vocabulary. Overall, Oxford Picture Dictionaries are a great resource.

Attractive, detailed pictures and clear labeling make this a great- and cheap- adjunct to more comprehensive texts in learning very basic Creole. It is primarily useful in helping you to learn the names of common objects and simple actions. There is no instruction regarding grammar and usage. If you are in a situation in which you need a quick introduction for an upcoming trip to Haiti, I would pair this with the "Survival Haitian" booklet and cassette available from the Kansas University bookstore website. If you are in for the long haul and want comprehensive instruction, try the "Ann Pale Kreyol" text and tapes and the Haitian Creole Learners Dictionary put out by the Creole Institute at Indiana University.