1. Pidgin and Creole A fictitious story to illustrate the difference between Lingua Franca, pidgin and creole.

2. A ship arrived One day a ship docked at a harbour in a small island in Asia, in the 15 th Century. They came to find spices and other goods such as silk and cotton.

3. The Captain This is their captain. Well, he didn’t have the right attire…. But what the heck… He came to barter the goods from the island with gold and silver. But alas, he couldn’t speak the language.

4. Lingua Franca So he resorted to gestures, and saying a few words. The locals were eager to sell him things. So they too spoke some words, pointed and waved their hands vehemently. Soon enough they learnt a bit of each other’s language. A lingua franca was then born.

5. Pidgin The captain and his crew built their station there. They wanted more and more of the goods from the land. The lingua franca they used for trading, developed and used in more places, churches, schools, courts, etc. A pidgin was born

6. Marriage The captain had a daughter, who came a month later to join her dad. After three months she laid her eyes on a local farmer, Wu. They got married after 6 months of courting, defying the objections of their parents.

7. Creole They spoke pidgin at home. Soon a baby arrived. And another a year later. These kids spoke pidgin literally since they could speak. So, a creole emerged. They lived happily ever after. So did the Creole…-gaining more status- up to this day..