Bonaire’s language policy reflects the island’s multilingual society. Papiamentu is the native language of a large portion of the population, the most important language in the region, and the unifying language of Bonairean society. It is the language in which people interact in daily life, communicate, and feel connected to their island, culture, and community.
Papiamentu thus forms an important foundation for Bonaire’s multilingual development. Strengthening Papiamentu does not mean that other languages become less important. On the contrary: a strong position for one’s own language creates space to learn and use Dutch, English, and Spanish effectively.
This island-wide language policy was adopted on January 18, 2023. In the policy, Papiamentu serves as the matrix language. This means that Papiamentu iu the language that serves as the foundation for multilingual development on Bonaire. Papiamentu is the native language of the vast majority of the population and also serves as a second language for a large portion of the population.
By recognizing Papiamentu as the matrix language, the policy aligns with Bonaire’s multilingual reality. The language serves as a common foundation upon which residents with different linguistic backgrounds can connect and upon which further language development can take place.
The language policy therefore focuses on preserving, strengthening, and developing Papiamentu, in combination with learning and using other languages. Multilingualism is viewed as a strength: residents can preserve their own language and identity while participating in a society where multiple languages play an important role.
