Letter of the Day | Why the pushback on Patois?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I spent some years teaching maths at an American high school. The students could not get enough of me teaching them in Patois. I had to go to the administration to ask them to limit the number of students in my classes. Students who didn’t even like the subject wanted to be in my class. They were fascinated by Patois. They wanted to come to Jamaica to hear it non-stop. They would watch YouTube videos of people talking in Patois and, of course, they were crazy about the DJs from Jamaica.

I can’t understand the pushback on Patois by Jamaicans. The world loves our language and we are suppressing it and treating Patois as if it is something to be ashamed of. I hear the argument about it’s not the language of world communication from the same persons who are sending their dogs to be trained to communicate with humans. So my question to them is: ‘Is there anything in life that we become good at without some form of direct or indirect training?’

My Jamaican friend and I would be out shopping and random people would want to converse with us, just to hear us talking in Patois. So why do educated Jamaicans hate Patois so much, while the rest of the world, educated or otherwise, is dying to learn and use the language? As in the case of our music, we don’t appreciate what we have until we start losing it.

On one occasion. my girl’s soccer team, while waiting to play a match, stripped off as much of their gear as was allowed, and went directly to stand in the little sunshine that was available. Out of curiosity, I asked them if they were not afraid of sunburn. Their response was a shocking chorus. They said that Jamaicans have so much sun and it gives a nice dark skin that they want, instead of being so pale. And they said that if I wanted them to win. I should instruct them in Patois. They would hear my voice in their head and it would make them smile and feel comfortable and play well. I did and we won. Let’s use our Patois because the world is waiting. I encourage Carolyn Cooper to keep up her work to edify Jamaicans about the value of Patois.

NIGEL FACEY