French in Mauritius vs Spanish in Belize

MAURITIUS
The official language in Mauritius is English. As such, all government administrative documents will be drawn up in English. However, French is the language most commonly used in formal settings, and is by far the dominant language in the mass media, as well as in corporate and business dealings. In fact, even English language television programmes are usually dubbed into French. French is also the main language of instruction used in the education system.

The most commonly spoken language is Mauritian Creole, a French based creole which has incorporated some words from diverse sources including but not limited to English, Dutch and Portuguese, and has slight pronunciation differences from standard French. While there is no official written standard for Mauritian Creole, when written down for informal communication, words are often spelt differently from standard French. The next most commonly spoken language is French, which is spoken fluently by most locals, with English being a not too distant third. Virtually everyone working in the tourism industry will be able to speak fairly decent, albeit heavily accented English, and all government departments will have English-speaking staff on duty. Other languages spoken by much smaller numbers include: Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri and Mandarin. Tamilians constitues around 10% of population and they speak Tamil.

http://iguide.travel/Mauritius/Language

English has yet to become a major business language: about 21% of Mauritians use it at work on a regular basis, whereas 70% use French and 66% use Kreol (Emmerich 157). French is used in higher administrative areas – for instance, supplier/client relationships – and Kreol in lower administrative areas and in labour. Because of the growth of tertiary industries French has actually gained in usage as a business language since 1982 (Emmerich 159).

Mauritian literature tends to be written in French (Pirbhai 52) with some in Kreol. French is actually tightening its grip as the island’s literary language: until recently an author from a non-French, non-Créole background would often write in English or in an Asian language as a reflection of their ethnicity, but this is no longer true (Emmerich 39). As literary consumers, Mauritians prefer to read French language literature over that of English (Baker, Kreol, 29). However, they are actually more likely to read non-fiction works in English (ibid). This phenomenon may arise from the fact that English is associated with technical terms, being the language of school textbooks.

http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~cpercy/courses/6362-chiba.htm

Newspapers (all in French):
L’Express
Le Mauricien
Week-End
Business Mag
Scope
5-Plus Dimanche
Turf Magazine
Star
Le Matinal
Mauritius Times
Curepipe Blues
Week-End
Le Défi

http://www.travelmauritius.info/mauritius_newspaper.html


BELIZE
English was the only official language in Belize, but other languages were commonplace. The 1980 census revealed that slightly more than one-half the population spoke English as their first language, and approximately one-third spoke Spanish. In the Corozal and Orange Walk districts, Spanish was the first language of 75 percent of the population, and fewer than 20 percent spoke English by preference. Smaller numbers spoke Mayan dialects, Garifuna, and Low German. The census also estimated that some 62 percent of all Belizeans were bilingual or trilingual. As many as 80 percent of the population were able to speak some English.

The census, however, failed to differentiate between standard English and the local vernacular, Belizean Creole. Some of the people considered to be English speakers could speak only Belizean Creole or "Broad Creole," while others spoke standard English as well. Language competency was largely related to social stratification. English speakers of higher socioeconomic status and education could switch with relative ease between standard English and Belizean Creole. The English-speaking urban and rural poor possessed more limited degrees of competency in standard English.

Linguistic diversity among the English-speaking population reflected and perpetuated social inequality. In Belizean schools, for example, standard English was the sole language of instruction. Studies have shown that students who came to school lacking proficiency in standard English suffered significant problems in comprehension and were often classified by teachers as slow, or problem learners.

http://countrystudies.us/belize/24.htm

For its size, Belize culturally rich for it is a country filled with people who speak different tongues. Although English is the official spoken language of Belize, English Creole remains largely spoken by the Belizeans as part of the Belizean traditional life.

Since Amerindian groups, the Arawaks, Mayas and Caribs, were the known first settlers of Belize, Garifuna also known as Carib and Maya are the first and foremost learned languages by those who are situated in Toledo, Stann Creek and the southern districts of Belize.

As result of the Spanish colonization and the goal of improving the bilingualism of Belize, Spanish is also a well known and widely used language in the northern Cayo districts, Corozal Districts and Orange Walk. Spanish is also one of the languages taught in schools.

http://www.offshorelegal.org/immigration-2nd-passport--citizenship/belize-second-passports--second-citizenship/belize-and-its-languages.html

English is the official language of Belize but Kriol is the language that all Belizeans speak.

This Caribbean lilt encompassing shortened English words, emphasized phrases and manual gestures will likely be your first introduction to communicating in Belize. It will also start you on a bit of a linguistic adventure. Spanish, African-based Garifuna, Maya, Kekchi, Mandarin, German – these are just a few of the tongues you will encounter on your Belize vacation.

Our Kriol is recognized by linguists as having all the distinctive rules and lexicon of the contact languages found in many parts of the world which were colonized by European powers. It borrows words from English, African languages, Moskito Indian and a smattering of Spanish and Maya. No doubt it will also pick up terms from Chinese and other newly arrived immigrant groups as it evolves.

If at first you don’t understand, listen carefully and ask them to speak slowly, in no time you will be getting the gist of it and even trying a phrase or two,

“Good morning” might sound:

* 'Gud Mawnin’ - Creole
* 'Buiti Binafi' - Garifuna
* 'Buenas dias' - Spanish

http://www.travelbelize.org/about-belize/language/language.html

Newspapers(almost all in English):
The Belize Times (English and Spanish)
The Guardian News Online, 2002
The San Pedro Sun, 2002

http://www.pressreference.com/A-Be/Belize.html

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WHICH LANGUAGE IS IN BETTER SHAPE BASED ON THE INFORMATION TAKEN FROM RELIABLE WEBSITES. THANK YOU!

HISTORY OF MAURITIUS

While Arab and Malay sailors knew of Mauritius as early as the 10th century CE and Portuguese sailors first visited in the 16th century, the island was first colonized in 1638 by the Dutch. Mauritius was populated over the next few centuries by waves of traders, planters and their slaves, indentured laborers, merchants, and artisans. The island was named in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau by the Dutch, who abandoned the colony in 1710.

The French claimed Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it Ile de France. It became a prosperous colony under the French East India Company. The French Government took control in 1767, and the island served as a naval and privateer base during the Napoleonic wars. In 1810, Mauritius was captured by the British, whose possession of the island was confirmed 4 years later by the Treaty of Paris. French institutions, including the Napoleonic code of law, were maintained. The French language is still used more widely than English.

Mauritian Creoles trace their origins to the plantation owners and slaves who were brought to work the sugar fields. Indo-Mauritians are descended from Indian immigrants who arrived in the 19th century to work as indentured laborers after slavery was abolished in 1835. Included in the Indo-Mauritian community are Muslims (about 17% of the population) from the Indian subcontinent.

Franco-Mauritians control nearly all of the large sugar estates and are active in business and banking. As the Indian population became numerically dominant and the voting franchise was extended, political power shifted from the Franco-Mauritians and their Creole allies to the Hindus.

Elections in 1947 for the newly created Legislative Assembly marked Mauritius' first steps toward self-rule. An independence campaign gained momentum after 1961, when the British agreed to permit additional self-government and eventual independence. A coalition composed of the Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), the Muslim Committee of Action (CAM), and the Independent Forward Bloc (IFB) – a traditionalist Hindu party – won a majority in the 1967 Legislative Assembly election, despite opposition from Franco-Mauritian and Creole supporters of Gaetan Duval's Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD).

http://africanhistory.about.com/od/mauritius/p/MauritiusHist.htm

HISTORY OF BELIZE

The country of Belize was first inhabited by the Maya Indians who had an incredibly advanced civilization. They had their own writing called glyphs and their own calendar. The Mayas were also skilled mathematicians. They were the first culture to discover the concept of zero. They were also great architects. They built massive temples, cities, and palaces. The cities were well-planned and the temples were shaped like pyramids. Tikal, located in Guatemala, was the largest Maya city ever built and included five pyramids. The Mayas were also skilled astronomers. They studied the stars and learned to tell when the rainy season would come.

The great Mayan civilization, which had lasted 1,000 years, began to decline around the year of 900 A.D. It is unknown why the Mayan civilization ended, but there are many theories. One is that the population of the Mayas grew too great. With a lack of food and possible internal fighting, the civilization fell apart.

There followed a period of occupation by Indian tribes, then 100 years of Belize being the hideout for pirates. These pirates took advantage of the many Cayes of the coast of Belize.Then around 1650, these pirates started to log the mahogany and logwood forests of Belize. These loggers came to be known as baymen. The pirates used the labor of black slaves to log the wood and then sent it to England.

It wasn't until 1862 that "British Honduras" was recognized as part of the British Commonwealth. After WW I, when black soldiers were returning to British Honduras, the first stirring of independence came about in British Honduras. These soldiers objected to the discrimination they experienced by the British colonial bureaucracy when they came home. They protested, but they were crushed by British police. The first viable challenge to British colonial rule was the labor movement in Belize.

From 1920-1980 independence was sought and finally achieved, through the efforts of workers, labor unions and the nationalist movement. The country formerly known as British Honduras became Belize in 1981.

Early leaders of Belize included George Price and Manuel Esquivel. Most government officials favor close ties to the United States, increased foreign investment and an increase in tourism.

http://www.divetrip.com/belize_history.htm

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BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE SIMILAR EARLY HISTORY.

MAURITIUS WAS A DUTCH COLONY THEN FRENCH AND FINALLY BRITISH. BELIZE WAS A SPANISH COLONY INITIALLY AND WAS SEIZED BY BRITAIN.

French of course because in Mauritius, it is used in government and as medium if instruction along with English. It is also the dominant language of business, media, press, literature, and mode of communication in public.

Spanish in Belize on the other hand is relegated as as an ethnic language only with no official status and not even used as medium of instruction. You can seldom see public signs in Spanish in Belize.

Creoles and ethnic Indians and Chinese are now switching from their ancestral language to French as their first language. While non-hispanics in Belize are very unlikely to switch to Spanish to be their first language.

Also the Creoles in Mauritius is French-based while that in Belize is not Spanish-based but English based.

Finally, strange as it may seem but Spanish has a very poor grip in Belize in favor of English despite the fact that it shares border with Spanish speaking countries in Central America. On the other hand, French is tightening its grip at the expense of English in Mauritius even though it is surrounded by the sea and the nearest French speaking community is Reunion which is 500 miles away.

I'm so puzzled that the Creole language in Mauritius is French-based while in Belize it's not Spanish-based but English based.

Anyway, it shows the weakness of the Spanish language that whenever a country or territory is being taken by another, it was always wiped-out if not its not even retained its official status.

I'm more puzzle. Spanish speakers never pay attention to Lilliput countries because our language is spoken by over 500 million people

On the other hand, French speakers share a language spoken by less than 75 million people as mother tongue. I understand that they need to add the speakers of Mauritius, Seychelles, Vanuatu and Monaco.

Well, life is cruel sometimes...

First, of all learn how to fix your English grammar!

It's "I'm more puzzled" not "I'm more puzzle".

You can invent lies.

Spanish is just spoken 330 million by native speakers, the secondary speakers is just 25 million, finally the foreign speakers of it is just around is just 25 million making a total of 380 million.

French is spoken by more than 500 million because of 110 million native speakers + 190 million secondary speakers + 200 million partial speakers(or those who speak it as a foreign language.

If Spanish could not last in small countries like Gibraltar(which borders Spain), Belize(which borders Mexico), Philippines and Guam(which were ruled by Spain for more than 300 years), how much more in big countries like Mexico, Argentina, Peru, etc.?

Oh yes, the Spanish in Hispanic America is being threatened by Guarani, Quechua, Aymara, Quiche, English, French, Portuguese, Italian, and even Portunhol and Hatian Creole plus it's in the verge of fragmenting into several Neo-Spanishes.

Oh it's so sad, sad indeeeeed for fanatics like you. Boohoo boohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoo