Infants 1 English

Creole and Standard English – Infants 1 English

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Many of us speak in more than one way. At home we might speak Creole. In school books we use Standard English. Knowing both ways is a great skill.

A roadside fruit stall in Chaguanas, Trinidad, with fruit piled on tables
A fruit stall in Chaguanas. At the market you may hear Creole and Standard English. Photo: Grueslayer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Two ways to talk

In Trinidad and Tobago, many people speak Creole with family and friends. Creole is a real language with its own rules. It is part of who we are.

Standard English is used in school books, on the news and with some visitors. Being able to use both is like having two keys for two doors.

Say it another way

These pairs mean the same thing:

Creole: Mih belly full.
Standard English: My belly is full.
Creole: Ah eh know.
Standard English: I do not know.
Creole: Wha yuh name?
Standard English: What is your name?
Creole: Doh do dat.
Standard English: Do not do that.

Neither way is wrong. We choose the way that fits the place and the listener.

Polite words at school

At school we often use Standard English, especially when we speak to the class or to visitors:

Good morning, Miss.
May I go to the washroom, please?
Thank you, Sir.
Excuse me, may I have a pencil, please?

Try it

TRY ITSay it another way

Pick a game. Then tap your answer.

Let’s practise

Point, say or draw. Open each answer after trying.

1. Say “Ah eh know” in Standard English.

Show answer

I do not know. You can also say: I don’t know.

2. Say “What is your name?” the way you say it at home.

Show answer

Answers will vary. Both ways are fine in the right place.

3. How do you ask Miss for a pencil, politely, in Standard English?

Show answer

For example: Excuse me, Miss, may I have a pencil, please?

4. “Mih belly full” means:
(a) My belly is full.
(b) I am hungry.
(c) I want more.

Show answer

(a) My belly is full.

Quick check

Try these three on your own first. An adult may read the words.

1. “Doh do dat” in Standard English is:

  • Do not do that.
  • Do that now.
  • I did that.
Show answer

Do not do that.. Doh do dat means do not do that.

2. Which is polite at school?

  • May I go to the washroom, please?
  • Washroom now!
  • Ah going.
Show answer

May I go to the washroom, please?. May I … please is polite.

3. Is Creole a real way of speaking?

  • Yes
  • No
Show answer

Yes. Creole is a real language with its own rules.

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English lesson 4: Creole and Standard English — worksheet

Point, draw or tell an adult. An adult can write for you.

  1. Draw yourself talking to your family at home. An adult can write what you say.
  2. Draw yourself talking to your teacher at school. An adult can write what you say in Standard English.
  3. Draw a speech bubble with a polite school phrase, such as May I, please.

© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.

English words

Say these words with an adult. Can you use each one in a sentence?

Creole · Standard English · polite · meaning · same · please · may I

Try it at home

  • Play Say it another way: one person says a Creole sentence and the other says it in Standard English. Then swap.
  • Practise asking for something politely in Standard English, as you would at school.
  • Talk about where you hear each way of speaking: on the radio, at the market, at school.

For parents and teachers

After this lesson, your child should be able to:

  • say a short Creole sentence in Standard English with the same meaning
  • use polite Standard English phrases to greet, ask and thank at school
  • explain that Creole and Standard English are both real ways of speaking used in different places

Value your child’s home language. Never call Creole bad or broken English. The aim is to add Standard English, not to replace the way your family speaks.

Accept pointing, speaking, signing or communication aids. An adult can scribe. Observe the hands-on work as well as the Quick check; the badge records supported completion only.

Previous: Lesson 3: Who, What, Where?
Next: Lesson 5: How Books Work
Back to Infants 1 English

Updates

2026/11/11
– First version of this lesson.
– Linked the previous and next lessons.

Attributions to media used in this post:

FOOD Chaguanas Fruit Stall 1.jpg – Grueslayer – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons; image resized only)

© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.

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