LETTER OF THE DAY

Why all the fuss about a Patois Bible?

The Editor, Sir:

I honestly do not understand all this noise about the Patois Bible. Many of the arguments sound so ignorant that it truly amazes me, how we as Jamaican people can show such disdain for our own ... what is truly ours. But then again, it's Jamaica, so this shouldn't be too surprising.

Some arguments are that Patois can only be used in Jamaica so it isn't a viable reason to immerse our children and future into it. PLEASE! Italian is spoken by whom? Italians, who live where? ITALY, so what does that have to do with their competence in English? Absolutely nothing.

Many countries in the world and here in the Carib-bean, particularly countries such as Curaçao, speak several languages and are also perfectly competent in English.

Therefore, the only way the English language could be hindered in Jamaica is if we have teachers who do not know how to effectively do their jobs. If that's the case, then blame the teachers, not Patois.

comparing ja with haiti

I'm amazed at how some African people can speak up to four of their own languages alongside English and we are wrestling with one!

People like to also compare Jamaica with Haiti, stating that Kreyol, their creole language, is the reason for their economic stagnation, I say nonsense, that statement implies that every country that is currently enjoying economic well-being speaks only English.

Why can't people be bilingual? English is a part of who we are, no one is denying that, but so is Patois ... it has been watered down and anglicised more and more each generation and soon it will be lost; a memory of when we were truly Jamaican.

I have studied other languages in school such as French, which has allowed me to further understand Patois, and even English. Here in Canada, the French spoken by the Quebecois is so unique that other Franco-phone countries such as France find it so hard to understand them, that Quebecois movies require subtitles outside of Canada. Yet, the Quebecois are fighting to the bone to preserve their culture and language. Do you think they use the facts that only their people understand the language and that it is only spoken in their province as a deterrent? So please ...

history and legacy

But I mean, it is Jamaica, so it is typical for us to be the ones to disregard our language and culture, to push who we are, our history and legacy aside when the rest of the world is fighting diligently to preserve theirs. Learning languages is a good thing, I'm still trying to figure out when it became bad.

I think that Jamaicans should be multilingual people learning many different languages in our schools to make our people truly marketable; regional languages, international languages, and of course our own.

What kind of image would we be painting in the minds of children when you systematically teach them everyone else's language but their own? They're not stupid and it continues this perpetual hierarchy, with us still at the bottom. This could explain the perspective we have of our people, our culture, and why we have a culture that permits lawlessness, and violence.

Turning our society around for the next generation could begin with something as simple as true pride in our language, think about it. And, If we don't preserve and study Jamaica then who will? Actually foreigners have been doing a pretty good job of that, I guess that shouldn't be a surprise.

I am, etc,

ROMAIN BAKER

toppa-tingz@hotmail.com

St Catharines

Canada

Via Go-Jamaica