H-ton Teacher & Parent Collaborate on New Books

Huntington High School English as a new language teacher Wilson Douce has published a set of new Haitian Creole language books. The 20 year district veteran has an impressive background, including working and teaching with the United Peace Corps, United Nations, Organization of American States, Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

Mr. Douce’s new book was enhanced by a district parent. “My special thanks to my phenomenal illustrator, Anya Cartwright, one of the greatest parents of Huntington UFSD,” he said. “Without her, these books might have not seen daylight. Her enduring patience with me during this exceptionally long process of creating the precise drawing for each text is beyond words. I am forever indebted to her.”

Mr. Douce studied foreign language instruction (English, Spanish and French) in Haiti, where he obtained a pair of undergraduate degrees. He earned a master’s degree at Stony Brook University in 1996 and returned there for a second master’s degree in 2008 along with an Advanced Graduate Certificate in educational computing. “Later, I completed a third master’s in Hispanic language and literature and obtained an Advanced Graduate Certificate in educational leadership.”

The Huntington faculty member is currently enrolled in a doctoral research program in applied linguistics at Aston University in the United Kingdom.

“For seven years, I worked in Haiti as a successful EFL (English as a foreign language) and Spanish teacher in seven different public and private high schools and, for one year as a French literature teacher,” Mr. Douce said. “For three years, I worked as an assistant director at a private religious school and served as the director of their evening literacy program.” He’s also been employed as a Haitian Creole translation consultant for the State Education Department and BOCES.

Mr. Douce’s new book, “Lekti Kreyòl” is a labor of love for the longtime teacher. “Throughout my years as a language professional, and especially as I taught Haitian Creole to United Peace Corps and United Nations volunteers, I recognized a gap in the availability of short texts and appropriate targeted language activities materials in all four language skills,” he said. “This is when the idea for this book was born; an idea that has been in the making for at least 27 years. In a notebook, I made some preliminary notes, notes which, later, in the early 90s, I entered into a computer. The book has a total of 25 texts, covering 25 different topics. Each chapter starts with a short text, followed by a mini dialogue and activities on writing, reading comprehension, and Haitian Creole sounds practice. The student’s book concludes with a five-language glossary that includes Haitian Creole, English, French, Spanish, and German. It has a corresponding teacher’s book, where you will find answer keys to the activities in the student’s book.”

Mr. Douce said in order to offer “extended practice” in all aspects of Haitian Creole, there are three activity books spread across three levels, for beginning, intermediate and advanced Haitian Creole students to extensively practice the language.

“The set includes an assessment book that measures students’ degree of learning of the student’s book,” Mr. Douce said. “This assessment book is subdivided into five sections, with each section covering five chapters. At the completion of the entire program, a Haitian Creole learner is given a certificate of successful completion of this reading-based coursework. For individuals and institutions who are shifting from paper to online learning, there is good news. The entire program is available online.”