From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Letter of the Day - English our second language
published: Sunday June 29, 2008
The Editor,
Sir:
Just challenging those who keep harping on the fact that our Jamaican Patois is difficult to read, and those others wringing their hands over the high illiteracy statistics. Follow me carefully: Consider the fact that children communicate in some language form before, somewhere around age six, they begin to learn the rules to read or write that same language through exercises where they also listen and communicate with others.
Read the whole letter here.
_____
KADENE PORTER
kadene26@hotmail.com
Showing posts with label Jamaican Creole or Patois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jamaican Creole or Patois. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
JG - Patois or Jamaican Creole?
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois or Jamaican Creole?
published: Sunday June 29, 2008
Desrine Cayol, Contributor
AS A specialist in translation theory with an avid interest in Caribbean culture and Creole languages, I would like to add my grain of salt to the debate regarding the 'Patois Bible project'.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The term 'Patois', of French origin, meaning 'rough speech', generally has negative connotations. So the very title of the article - 'Patois Bible' - would have undoubtedly stirred emotions.
Although most Jamaicans use the term 'Patois' to describe their language, linguists refer to our dialect as Jamaican Creole (JC).
Like many Jamaicans, I 'instinctively' argued against the need to teach Creole in Jamaican schools. I believed that it was unnecessary, as it would not be useful outside the country.
I argued that the main aim should be to attain mastery of English, the international language of commerce and trade."
"It is entirely the choice of the Bible Society of the West Indies to allocate its funds for a cause it deems worthy (and I dare say 'divinely ordained').
No, it is not a backward step.
All moves to standardise the language will help the nation."
&
"We are finally accepting that despite Jamaica's being labelled English-speaking, it is truly Creole-speaking.
This acceptance will give the needed thrust forward to help our fellowmen master the English language."
_____
Desrine Cayol is a faculty member in the department of English and modern languages at Northern Caribbean University
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois or Jamaican Creole?
published: Sunday June 29, 2008
Desrine Cayol, Contributor
AS A specialist in translation theory with an avid interest in Caribbean culture and Creole languages, I would like to add my grain of salt to the debate regarding the 'Patois Bible project'.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The term 'Patois', of French origin, meaning 'rough speech', generally has negative connotations. So the very title of the article - 'Patois Bible' - would have undoubtedly stirred emotions.
Although most Jamaicans use the term 'Patois' to describe their language, linguists refer to our dialect as Jamaican Creole (JC).
Like many Jamaicans, I 'instinctively' argued against the need to teach Creole in Jamaican schools. I believed that it was unnecessary, as it would not be useful outside the country.
I argued that the main aim should be to attain mastery of English, the international language of commerce and trade."
"It is entirely the choice of the Bible Society of the West Indies to allocate its funds for a cause it deems worthy (and I dare say 'divinely ordained').
No, it is not a backward step.
All moves to standardise the language will help the nation."
&
"We are finally accepting that despite Jamaica's being labelled English-speaking, it is truly Creole-speaking.
This acceptance will give the needed thrust forward to help our fellowmen master the English language."
_____
Desrine Cayol is a faculty member in the department of English and modern languages at Northern Caribbean University
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
JG - Patois Bible in Pan-African and Pan-Caribbean context
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois Bible in Pan-African and Pan-Caribbean context
published: Sunday June 29, 2008
Gosnell L. Yorke, Contributor
WHAT IS true mainly of the coastal regions of Africa and elsewhere in the world is also true of the Caribbean as a whole - including Jamaica. And that is: we have witnessed the not-yet-fully understood global linguistic phenomenon involving what scholars have called the "pidginisation" and, ultimately, the "creolisation" of the various languages of Europe and elsewhere - be it Dutch, English, French or Spanish in the case of the Caribbean. As we know, these four aforementioned languages were imperially imposed on our African ancestors who were forced, against their collective wills, to toil as slaves on several sugar plantations throughout the Caribbean; to work as hewers of wood and drawers of water. Because our ancestors, by and large, were not allowed to live and work together in their ethnic groups (or tribes), they were not able to communicate with each other through the use of their mother tongues - be it Akan, Balanta, Igbo or Yoruba from West Africa or wherever. This situation not only helped to discourage our enslaved ancestors from plotting their escape from their masters' dehumanising treatment (or worse) but it also meant that our ancestors were forced to creatively adopt and adapt the language of their European masters as well. This created a complex situation in which the various European languages, serving as lexifier languages, were blended with the various African mother tongues to produce, over time, some new bona fide languages we now call Creoles (not dialects). 'Divide and rule' That is, pidginisation and later creolisation were made inevitable by the slave masters' linguistic policy of 'divide and rule'. In sociolinguistic terms, the more powerful European 'High' or H language was brought into contact with the relatively powerless African 'Low' or L language. This accounts for the fact that the Caribbean is now one of the best places on the planet to study the creolisation of such European languages. For example, out of a total of about 80 Creoles spoken worldwide, about 30 of them are spoken right here in the Caribbean, alone.
Read the whole article here.
_____
Dr Gosnell L. York, is professor of religion in the School of Religion and Theology at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) and a former translation consultant with the Africa Area of the United Bible Societies - the parent body of the Bible Society of the West Indies.
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois Bible in Pan-African and Pan-Caribbean context
published: Sunday June 29, 2008
Gosnell L. Yorke, Contributor
WHAT IS true mainly of the coastal regions of Africa and elsewhere in the world is also true of the Caribbean as a whole - including Jamaica. And that is: we have witnessed the not-yet-fully understood global linguistic phenomenon involving what scholars have called the "pidginisation" and, ultimately, the "creolisation" of the various languages of Europe and elsewhere - be it Dutch, English, French or Spanish in the case of the Caribbean. As we know, these four aforementioned languages were imperially imposed on our African ancestors who were forced, against their collective wills, to toil as slaves on several sugar plantations throughout the Caribbean; to work as hewers of wood and drawers of water. Because our ancestors, by and large, were not allowed to live and work together in their ethnic groups (or tribes), they were not able to communicate with each other through the use of their mother tongues - be it Akan, Balanta, Igbo or Yoruba from West Africa or wherever. This situation not only helped to discourage our enslaved ancestors from plotting their escape from their masters' dehumanising treatment (or worse) but it also meant that our ancestors were forced to creatively adopt and adapt the language of their European masters as well. This created a complex situation in which the various European languages, serving as lexifier languages, were blended with the various African mother tongues to produce, over time, some new bona fide languages we now call Creoles (not dialects). 'Divide and rule' That is, pidginisation and later creolisation were made inevitable by the slave masters' linguistic policy of 'divide and rule'. In sociolinguistic terms, the more powerful European 'High' or H language was brought into contact with the relatively powerless African 'Low' or L language. This accounts for the fact that the Caribbean is now one of the best places on the planet to study the creolisation of such European languages. For example, out of a total of about 80 Creoles spoken worldwide, about 30 of them are spoken right here in the Caribbean, alone.
Read the whole article here.
_____
Dr Gosnell L. York, is professor of religion in the School of Religion and Theology at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) and a former translation consultant with the Africa Area of the United Bible Societies - the parent body of the Bible Society of the West Indies.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
JO - Say no to patois
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
Say no to patois
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Dear Editor,
The recent initiative by the Bible Society of the West Indies to translate the KJV Bible into patois has ignited much discussion about the pros and cons with regard to how much patois should be allowed in the mainstream.
Read the whole letter here.
Snippet(s):
"Having the Bible and other publications written in both patois and standard English can serve to further inform and educate those sections of the population that are not verse in spoken or written standard English."
"If we are a self-reliant country that does not trade with the Europeans or the United States, then by all means teach and speak patois.
If when we travel overseas and can't understand written and verbal commands directed at us in standard English, then by all means continue to learn and speak patois.
When you apply for a job in a competitive market like tourism, banking or the private sector in which you have to interact with well-educated and persnickety consumers who always have alternative choices, if you think these companies will hire you to dissuade their customers from patronising their business, then continue to learn and speak patois."
&
"If one should be engaged in colloquies with foreign dignitaries in business or government, I doubt patois would be appropriate or even understood."
_____
Stewart Young stewartyoung11@hotmail.com
Jamaica Observer
Say no to patois
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Dear Editor,
The recent initiative by the Bible Society of the West Indies to translate the KJV Bible into patois has ignited much discussion about the pros and cons with regard to how much patois should be allowed in the mainstream.
Read the whole letter here.
Snippet(s):
"Having the Bible and other publications written in both patois and standard English can serve to further inform and educate those sections of the population that are not verse in spoken or written standard English."
"If we are a self-reliant country that does not trade with the Europeans or the United States, then by all means teach and speak patois.
If when we travel overseas and can't understand written and verbal commands directed at us in standard English, then by all means continue to learn and speak patois.
When you apply for a job in a competitive market like tourism, banking or the private sector in which you have to interact with well-educated and persnickety consumers who always have alternative choices, if you think these companies will hire you to dissuade their customers from patronising their business, then continue to learn and speak patois."
&
"If one should be engaged in colloquies with foreign dignitaries in business or government, I doubt patois would be appropriate or even understood."
_____
Stewart Young stewartyoung11@hotmail.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
JO - We could yet become a nation of bilinguals
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
We could yet become a nation of bilinguals
By Kadene Porter
Saturday, June 28, 2008
We Jamaicans are confused about matters relating to our patois. We are unsure of how to position it, whether to acknowledge it officially as part of our national identity, or to keep it in its place in a box marked "Broken English".
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Few of us seem to realise that what we now hold up as "Standard English" was in its infancy one of hundreds of the regional dialects spoken in England, and like our patois, went through similar rites of passage before a single form emerged, or was chosen, as the standard.
Our colourful "patwa" is perhaps going through its own historical Middle Passage, where after years of pondering over its standardisation, making it a national language is still cause for a feverish debate, especially with the Bible being translated into this our "heart" language.
For as long as we entertain the notion that this is not a valid language with its own set of rules, and is merely broken English, we will continue to experience the same frustrations with the low number of passes in the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) school-leaving tests, and the inability of the masses to enter the global sphere of communication and commerce.
It has been said that "patwa" is an English-based dialect, so we should not have much difficulty learning English, but ironically it is the familiarity with English that breeds our handicap."
Jamaica Observer
We could yet become a nation of bilinguals
By Kadene Porter
Saturday, June 28, 2008
We Jamaicans are confused about matters relating to our patois. We are unsure of how to position it, whether to acknowledge it officially as part of our national identity, or to keep it in its place in a box marked "Broken English".
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Few of us seem to realise that what we now hold up as "Standard English" was in its infancy one of hundreds of the regional dialects spoken in England, and like our patois, went through similar rites of passage before a single form emerged, or was chosen, as the standard.
Our colourful "patwa" is perhaps going through its own historical Middle Passage, where after years of pondering over its standardisation, making it a national language is still cause for a feverish debate, especially with the Bible being translated into this our "heart" language.
For as long as we entertain the notion that this is not a valid language with its own set of rules, and is merely broken English, we will continue to experience the same frustrations with the low number of passes in the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) school-leaving tests, and the inability of the masses to enter the global sphere of communication and commerce.
It has been said that "patwa" is an English-based dialect, so we should not have much difficulty learning English, but ironically it is the familiarity with English that breeds our handicap."
Saturday, March 14, 2009
JG - Patois, Bible and translation
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois, Bible and translation
published: Sunday June 22, 2008 R. Anthony Lewis, Contributor
The perennial 'patois' debate is on again, triggered this time by a Jamaica Observer news report on June 16, of a $60 million project to translate the Bible into the Jamaican vernacular. As one of the few who have studied and written on translation and creolisation, with an emphasis on Jamaican Creole, I feel impelled to enter this debate.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"One of the consequences of translation on a language is its standardisation.
Because of the history of European Christian colonisation of much of the world, this process has been achieved primarily through biblical texts.
Notwithstanding the necessary and apropos post-colonial critique of the evangelising-cum-civilising mission of colonial Christianity, in many developing countries, particularly in Africa, Bible translation has played a significant role in transforming hitherto unwritten languages into tools of literacy and education."
&
"One spinoff of this missionary activity was the strengthening of local languages.
Because of the variety of text types present in the Bible - from poetry and song to wisdom sayings and dream narratives - its translation into any language provided a point of reference for language use in a variety of text contexts.
These and the wide range of vocabulary necessary for translation stretched the language, forcing it to convey a wider range of ideas and concepts.
This link between translation and language standardisation has a long history.
One has only to look at the work of the Reformation translators, particularly that of Martin Luther, chief reformer and, according to Daniel Baggioni, 'language maker'.
Luther's work was an essential departure point in a Europe-wide quest to break free from the stranglehold of Catholic Latin over people whose first languages were vernaculars akin to our Creole."
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois, Bible and translation
published: Sunday June 22, 2008 R. Anthony Lewis, Contributor
The perennial 'patois' debate is on again, triggered this time by a Jamaica Observer news report on June 16, of a $60 million project to translate the Bible into the Jamaican vernacular. As one of the few who have studied and written on translation and creolisation, with an emphasis on Jamaican Creole, I feel impelled to enter this debate.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"One of the consequences of translation on a language is its standardisation.
Because of the history of European Christian colonisation of much of the world, this process has been achieved primarily through biblical texts.
Notwithstanding the necessary and apropos post-colonial critique of the evangelising-cum-civilising mission of colonial Christianity, in many developing countries, particularly in Africa, Bible translation has played a significant role in transforming hitherto unwritten languages into tools of literacy and education."
&
"One spinoff of this missionary activity was the strengthening of local languages.
Because of the variety of text types present in the Bible - from poetry and song to wisdom sayings and dream narratives - its translation into any language provided a point of reference for language use in a variety of text contexts.
These and the wide range of vocabulary necessary for translation stretched the language, forcing it to convey a wider range of ideas and concepts.
This link between translation and language standardisation has a long history.
One has only to look at the work of the Reformation translators, particularly that of Martin Luther, chief reformer and, according to Daniel Baggioni, 'language maker'.
Luther's work was an essential departure point in a Europe-wide quest to break free from the stranglehold of Catholic Latin over people whose first languages were vernaculars akin to our Creole."
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
JO - Patois Bible... waste of time and money
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
Patois Bible... waste of time and money
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Dear Editor,
I am dismayed at the number of people who believe that it is a good idea to translate the Bible into patois. Could someone please tell me what would the purpose of this be? If this is to legitimise patois as a language, then this move would be redundant as patois is generally accepted as a bonafide language by many linguistic scholars.
Read the whole letter here.
Snippet(s):
"What the proponents seem to be overlooking is that if one can't read English then definitely one will not be able to read patois!"
"There is no Jamaican alive that can read patois and yet cannot read English!"
&
"It would therefore be a total waste of time and money to translate the Bible into patois on the belief that illiterate individuals will benefit from written patois."
Jamaica Observer
Patois Bible... waste of time and money
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Dear Editor,
I am dismayed at the number of people who believe that it is a good idea to translate the Bible into patois. Could someone please tell me what would the purpose of this be? If this is to legitimise patois as a language, then this move would be redundant as patois is generally accepted as a bonafide language by many linguistic scholars.
Read the whole letter here.
Snippet(s):
"What the proponents seem to be overlooking is that if one can't read English then definitely one will not be able to read patois!"
"There is no Jamaican alive that can read patois and yet cannot read English!"
&
"It would therefore be a total waste of time and money to translate the Bible into patois on the belief that illiterate individuals will benefit from written patois."
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
JO - Controversy heightens over planned patois Bible
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
Controversy heightens over planned patois Bible
BY RHOMA TOMLINSON Sunday Observer writer editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 22, 2008
PREDICTABLY an Observer lead story last Monday titled "Patois Bible" has set off a raging controversy, never far below the surface, over the usefulness of recognising the Jamaican dialect or patois as a formal language.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The plan by the Bible Society of the West Indies to publish a patois version of the Bible, that will cost $60 million and take 12 years to complete, sparked a flood of letters to the editor from Jamaicans at home and abroad and occupied large chunks of talk show air time last week.
While some persons see the move as brilliant, and a big step in championing the cause of the Jamaican language, critics have denounced it as a waste of time, effort and money.
In any event, they argue, a patois version of the Bible would not be taken seriously and would somehow undermine the sacredness of the holy Scriptures."
&
"(I)f some Jamaicans are uncertain about the legitimacy of Jamaican patois and whether it should be used to translate the Bible, academics in the United Kingdom are embracing it as a full-fledged language.
Last year, the University of Birmingham introduced a Jamaican patois course, the first of its kind in the world."
Jamaica Observer
Controversy heightens over planned patois Bible
BY RHOMA TOMLINSON Sunday Observer writer editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 22, 2008
PREDICTABLY an Observer lead story last Monday titled "Patois Bible" has set off a raging controversy, never far below the surface, over the usefulness of recognising the Jamaican dialect or patois as a formal language.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The plan by the Bible Society of the West Indies to publish a patois version of the Bible, that will cost $60 million and take 12 years to complete, sparked a flood of letters to the editor from Jamaicans at home and abroad and occupied large chunks of talk show air time last week.
While some persons see the move as brilliant, and a big step in championing the cause of the Jamaican language, critics have denounced it as a waste of time, effort and money.
In any event, they argue, a patois version of the Bible would not be taken seriously and would somehow undermine the sacredness of the holy Scriptures."
&
"(I)f some Jamaicans are uncertain about the legitimacy of Jamaican patois and whether it should be used to translate the Bible, academics in the United Kingdom are embracing it as a full-fledged language.
Last year, the University of Birmingham introduced a Jamaican patois course, the first of its kind in the world."
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
JG - Why they want a Patois Bible
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Why they want a Patois Bible
published: Sunday June 22, 2008
Yorke (left) and Popjes
Mark Dawes, Religion Editor
The people at the Bible Society of the West Indies and Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean have been beside themselves with glee. Why? They have never had it so good. Their Patois Bible project is getting a lot of publicity in the news media. That's publicity these faith-based organisations could never pay for. The Patois Bible project began in the early 1990s. It was spearheaded by the Bible Society of the West Indies. Partners in the project included Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean and the University of the West Indies.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The main concern of opponents of the project is that there has been a severe deterioration in the average Jamaican's ability to speak proper English, and the promotion of Patois will not help that process.
Some of those opposed to the Patois Bible project feel that there are enough understandable English translations of the Bible - accordingly, there is no need for another version - especially the scriptures in Patois."
Jamaica Gleaner
Why they want a Patois Bible
published: Sunday June 22, 2008
Yorke (left) and Popjes
Mark Dawes, Religion Editor
The people at the Bible Society of the West Indies and Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean have been beside themselves with glee. Why? They have never had it so good. Their Patois Bible project is getting a lot of publicity in the news media. That's publicity these faith-based organisations could never pay for. The Patois Bible project began in the early 1990s. It was spearheaded by the Bible Society of the West Indies. Partners in the project included Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean and the University of the West Indies.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The main concern of opponents of the project is that there has been a severe deterioration in the average Jamaican's ability to speak proper English, and the promotion of Patois will not help that process.
Some of those opposed to the Patois Bible project feel that there are enough understandable English translations of the Bible - accordingly, there is no need for another version - especially the scriptures in Patois."
Friday, February 20, 2009
JO - Patois Bible a good idea
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
Patois Bible a good idea
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Dear Editor,
I read in the Observer of June 17 that The Bible Society of The West Indies is interested in translating the Bible into patois. This, to me, is a splendid idea.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"I support the idea of translating the Bible into patois 100 per cent, regardless of how long it will take and how costly it will be.
Nothing is too expensive when it comes to God's work."
Jamaica Observer
Patois Bible a good idea
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Dear Editor,
I read in the Observer of June 17 that The Bible Society of The West Indies is interested in translating the Bible into patois. This, to me, is a splendid idea.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"I support the idea of translating the Bible into patois 100 per cent, regardless of how long it will take and how costly it will be.
Nothing is too expensive when it comes to God's work."
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
JG - Patois is our mother tongue
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois is our mother tongue
published: Sunday July 13, 2008
The Editor,
Sir:
I would like to respond to the Letters of the Day for July 7 and July 9, both of which continue the debate about language sparked off by the Patois Bible project.
Read the whole letter here.
Snippet(s):
"(T)he Patois-speaking Jamaican child can become fluent in English, and in Spanish, French or Russian if he/she so chooses."
&
"Whether we like it or not, Patois is the mother tongue of most of our children."
Jamaica Gleaner
Patois is our mother tongue
published: Sunday July 13, 2008
The Editor,
Sir:
I would like to respond to the Letters of the Day for July 7 and July 9, both of which continue the debate about language sparked off by the Patois Bible project.
Read the whole letter here.
Snippet(s):
"(T)he Patois-speaking Jamaican child can become fluent in English, and in Spanish, French or Russian if he/she so chooses."
&
"Whether we like it or not, Patois is the mother tongue of most of our children."
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
JG - This language business ... Teaching in J'can creole?
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
This language business ... Teaching in J'can creole?
published: Sunday July 13, 2008
Peter Maxwell, Contributor
I have real sympathy with those who are surprised that anybody in a school would want to make use of the Jamaican language (which the academics call Creole and the rest of us call Patois). After all, most of us have been socialised into believing that it isn't a language at all, that it is at best a dialect of English - suitable for entertainment, perhaps, and for chatting with your family and friends - but that it should have nothing to do with education.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"What is true, though, is that a number of wise people have been trying to show us another side of the story for two or three generations already. People like Beryl Loftman-Bailey, D. R. B. Grant and Dennis Craig taught a lot of others that the Jamaican language is not just a dialect, since it has its own system of rules, both for grammar and for pronunciation, and that while most of its words are derived from English words, it is as different from English as Portuguese is from Spanish, or as Haitian is from French."
Jamaica Gleaner
This language business ... Teaching in J'can creole?
published: Sunday July 13, 2008
Peter Maxwell, Contributor
I have real sympathy with those who are surprised that anybody in a school would want to make use of the Jamaican language (which the academics call Creole and the rest of us call Patois). After all, most of us have been socialised into believing that it isn't a language at all, that it is at best a dialect of English - suitable for entertainment, perhaps, and for chatting with your family and friends - but that it should have nothing to do with education.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"What is true, though, is that a number of wise people have been trying to show us another side of the story for two or three generations already. People like Beryl Loftman-Bailey, D. R. B. Grant and Dennis Craig taught a lot of others that the Jamaican language is not just a dialect, since it has its own system of rules, both for grammar and for pronunciation, and that while most of its words are derived from English words, it is as different from English as Portuguese is from Spanish, or as Haitian is from French."
Monday, February 9, 2009
JG - This language business ... Policy perspectives
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
This language business ... Policy perspectives
published: Sunday July 13, 2008
File
Rasheen Oates, a grade-five student, reads to grade-one boy Shermar McPherson during a Junior Optimist Octagon International community Service Assistance Reading programme at Independence City Primary School in February 2008.
Excerpts from the Journal of English Teaching. 2000-01, Page 2.
A new language education policy for Jamaica In recent months, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture has been engaged in the development of a new language- education policy. This document is expected to influence the way our teaching and testing institutions approach the task of ensuring that adequate communication skills are developed in learners at every level, and that this is done in an appropriate manner.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"As our teachers of English know, there are clear differences between the home language of most Jamaicans and the internationally understood version of Standard English used formally in official communication, and informally in some conversation and much written material, and particularly expected in schools.
The society has thus been linguistically categorised as bilingual, despite the efforts of some no doubt well-meaning people to treat Jamaican speech as a non-language."
Jamaica Gleaner
This language business ... Policy perspectives
published: Sunday July 13, 2008
File
Rasheen Oates, a grade-five student, reads to grade-one boy Shermar McPherson during a Junior Optimist Octagon International community Service Assistance Reading programme at Independence City Primary School in February 2008.
Excerpts from the Journal of English Teaching. 2000-01, Page 2.
A new language education policy for Jamaica In recent months, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture has been engaged in the development of a new language- education policy. This document is expected to influence the way our teaching and testing institutions approach the task of ensuring that adequate communication skills are developed in learners at every level, and that this is done in an appropriate manner.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"As our teachers of English know, there are clear differences between the home language of most Jamaicans and the internationally understood version of Standard English used formally in official communication, and informally in some conversation and much written material, and particularly expected in schools.
The society has thus been linguistically categorised as bilingual, despite the efforts of some no doubt well-meaning people to treat Jamaican speech as a non-language."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
