December 2020
Dr. Marta B. Dijkhoff (Aruba) is Director of Dijkhoff Learning Unlimited, and Advisor to the Ministry of Education. Her research interests include syntax, creole languages in education.
From being a language and education planner, researcher and teacher in the 1980s, Marta Dijkhoff became, in the 1990s, Minister of Education for the Netherlands Antilles. She introduced most of the educational policy that is now being implemented in the face of much opposition. At present she works as a consultant on different projects on the crossroad of learning and innovation in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
How long have you been a member of the SCL?
Since 1980
Why did you join the SCL?
I was a student of Linguistics and presented my first paper at a SCL conference in Aruba at that time
What aspect of SCL membership do you consider the most valuable to you?
The network of colleagues in the Caribbean and beyond.
Why/How did you enter the field of Linguistics?
I wanted to be able to do research on my native language Papiamentu.
What do you consider your greatest scholarly contribution to Caribbean Linguistics?
- The dictionary of Caribbean English Usage
- Haitina Creole in Google Translate
What is your greatest wish for the direction of Caribbean Linguistics?
If we could still establish a Caribbean Language Institute.
What is one thing that would surprise us about you?
The fact that I am a happy grandmother
Why would you recommend SCL to others?
It is a way to get to know the other researchers working in the same field, in a very pleasant way.
Around the Web:
Dr. Martha Dijkhoff2010 International Centre for Caribbean Language Research (ICCLR) 2 day conference, University of the West Indies Mona, 2010:
Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ass0SUzhA
Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUx1R5R1KEc
Papiamentu New York Times https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYC2D0A-2mo
Stand up comedy in Papiamentu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ_ICPJdU4k
