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English In Jamaica -
Is That Really English?

By http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Larry_M._Lynch Larry M. Lynch

Walk with me along the white coral beach, palms sway in rhythm to tropical sea breezes while dust devils dance along stretches of vacant sand.

Can you hear it? Reggae beats drift through the air amid smells of spicy jerked pork barbequing over the red glow of charcoal grills.

Linger a bit longer and you just might catch a whiff of pungent "ganja" being smoked some where not too far away. There might be some Rastafarians nearby, you say to yourself.

Welcome to Jamaica.

English is the first language here, but without some specialized practice, fine-tuned ears and a healthy dose of linguistic patience, you very likely may not understand much of the local English "patois".

"Is that REALLY English?" you might ask yourself. Yes, my dear, it is. And a proud variety of English it is too. Indeed, to talk Jamaican is a unique experience.

One of the inherent tasks of teaching EFL or of communicating world wide in English as a lingua franca, is to fathom the language in a variety of dialects, patois, pidgins and their accompanying accents. Try listening to an reggae hip hop patois English song by Sean Paul as one example.

Talking Jamaican

Would like to try your hand at "talking Jamaican"? Then try wrapping your tongue around these examples:

"A fe me cyar."

Translation: "It's my car."

Translation: "I am leaving today."

Translation: "Sell me a bottle of oil."

Translation: "That is my brother."

Translation: "Look at the big bird in the tree."

Translation: "Boy! I though that test would have been easy.

Translation :"I like your new car."

Translation: "Did you see that?" "Who is that?"

Translation: "She is my best friend."

Translation: "You all can come with me."

To hear the speech and sounds for yourself and for some additional examples, visit the site at: http://www.jamaicans.com/speakja/talk.htmor

Speak Jamaican at: http://www.speakjamaican.com/

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books, English language teaching and learning information at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com

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Dread Talk: The Language of Rastafari List Price: $18.95 Sale Price: $12.50 Used From: $8.79 Average Rating:

Description

In "Dread Talk", Velma Pollard describes the language of Rastafari, tracing its development as an expansion of Jamaican Creole while showing how it is distinct both from Creole and Standard English. She demonstrates that dread talk must be understood in terms of Jamaican social history, emphasizing its religious origins, its evolution as a language of social protest, and its spread around the world through the Reggae music of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff. "Dread Talk" examines the effects of Rastafarian language on Creole in other parts of the Carribean, its influence in Jamaican poetry, and its effects on standard Jamaican English. This revised edition includes a new introduction that outlines the changes that have occurred since the book first appeared and a new chapter, 'Dread Talk in the Diaspora', that discusses Rastafarian as used in the urban centres of North America and Europe.Pollard provides a wealth of examples of Rastafarian language-use and definitions, explaining how the evolution of these forms derives from the philosophical position of the Rasta speakers: 'The socio-political image which the Rastaman has had of himself in a society where lightness of skin, economic status, and social privileges have traditionally gone together must be included in any consideration of Rastafarian words, for the man making the words is a man looking up from under, a man pressed down economically and socially by the establishment'.

Reviews

With Dread Talk, Velma Pollard has done a remarkable job of both describing the language of Rastafarians, highlighting its growth from and influence upon Standard Jamaican English and Jamaican Patois, and explaining the cultural and philosophical rationale behind the language. She also tracks its influence, growth and spread across the Caribbean and around the world. Linguists and others interested in the growth of language (especially when the growth is partially shaped by a sociocultural agenda) should find Dread Talk an interesting read. Especially illuminating are the discussions of the ways new words are formed and the illustrations of these processes from Rasta poetry and reggae music.