1. Implementing Bilingual Education in the Jamaican Context Presented by: Hubert Devonish Department of Language, Linguistics & Philosophy University of the West Indies Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica ‘The Use of Jamaican as a Formal Medium of Instruction’

2. OUTLINE The Jamaican Language Situation Results, 2005 Language Attitude Survey 2005 Language Attitude Survey, Summary Inside the Bilingual Education Classroom Initial Findings Fours Years After Results, 2007 Grade Three Diagnostic Test (JC)

3. The Jamaican Language Situation The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture (MOEYC) is fully aware of the language challenges faced by pupils and recognizes: the Jamaican language situation as bilingual English as the official language Jamaican Creole as the language most widely used in the population Spanish as the preferred foreign language, owing to the geographic location of the country (Draft Language Education Policy, 2001 p. 20)

4. Results – 2005 Language Attitude Survey The Majority of Jamaicans Recognise Jamaican (Patwa) as a language 79.5% of respondents said yes, Jamaican was a Language Respondents Declare Themselves Bilingual 78.4% of Jamaicans polled declared themselves speakers of both Jamaican and English. Respondents Declare They Use Jamaican in the Private domain and English in the Public 62.9% said they speak Jamaican with family and friends 57.1% said they speak English with strangers and co –workers.

5. 5 Dem neva av waata aal di taim ina som a di toun dem. Somtaim dem lak aaf di wata. Di nyuuzpiepa dem an di riejio did se, “Da jrai weda taim ya bad. Di dam dem no av no wata.” Nobadi kudn waata dem flowaz aar wash dem kyar. Somtaim di pikni dem a skuul neva av no wata fi jringk aar wash dem an. Di plies did at an jrai an ful a dos. Di chrii dem did luk laik dem ded. Wan die afta anada dem luk fi rien faal. Bot no kloud neva ina di skai an di son did did kom laik waahn baal a faya. 44 Di maakit-uman de mina di maakit neva av no gud fruuts aar griins fi sel. Dem se, “Di taim jrai. Wi kyaahn get no gud fruuts and griins fi bai fram di faama. Wi afi tek di likl we wi kyahn get. Dis ya jrai weda bad. A uonli Gad wan nuo wa a go apm tu wi.” Evri die dem lukl fi rien. 5 Dem neva av waata aal di taim ina som a di toun dem. Somtaim dem lak aaf di wata. Di nyuuzpiepa dem an di riejio did se, “Da jrai weda taim ya bad. Di dam dem no av no wata.” Nobadi kudn waata dem flowaz aar wash dem kyar. Somtaim di pikni dem a skuul neva av no wata fi jringk aar wash dem an. Di plies did at an jrai an ful a dos. Di chrii dem did luk laik dem ded. Wan die afta anada dem luk fi rien faal. Bot no kloud neva ina di skai an di son did did kom laik waahn baal a faya. 44 Di maakit-uman de mina di maakit neva av no gud fruuts aar griins fi sel. Dem se, “Di taim jrai. Wi kyaahn get no gud fruuts and griins fi bai fram di faama. Wi afi tek di likl we wi kyahn get. Dis ya jrai weda bad. A uonli Gad wan nuo wa a go apm tu wi.” Evri die dem lukl fi rien. Table 15: Which school would be better for the Jamaican Child (N=1,000) Frequency (%) The English Only School 28.9% The English and Jamaican (Patwa) School 71.1% The 71.1% positive response to the bilingual school option, with literacy taught in English and Jamaican, is a reflection of the desire for Jamaican to be used for formal purposes alongside English.

6. 2005 LANGUAGE ATTITUDE SURVEY - SUMMARY 1. Jamaican should be written using a standard writing system, 2. Jamaican should be given official status alongside English. 3. The education system should function formally in both languages and produce literacy skills in both languages. 4. Public formal communication should take in Jamaican as well as English.

7. INSIDE THE BILINGUAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM, JAMAICA

9. Initial Findings - After 6 months of bilingual education children were able to: Label Jamaican and English correctly & identify Distinguish between Jamaican & English orally and in writing Identify equivalents between Jamaican & English Spelling Create original sentences in Jamaican and English Read and write Jamaican in the Cassidy system

10. Reading Exercise – Level 1 3 4 3 Bwai! Wat a big bat. Dat de bat de tuu big fi yu. Ku pan yu likl foni bag. I tuu likl fi yu.

11. Mi si waahn big manggo. Wat a manggo big. Di mango a fi yu. Tangk yu. Si waahn baal ya. A fi yu.” Di bag no foni. Kom luk.

12. FOUR YEARS AFTER THE START OF THE JAMAICAN BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROJECT (BEP)

13. Comparative Texts Im klap im an an kaal tu som big bwai we did a kik waahn baal an se tu dem, “Ron go kaal Patsi an aar tuu priti sista, Pam an Pat.” Likl afta dat di bwai dem kum bak wid chrii uman. Dem did priti priti. Di man se,“Wan a dem a mos yu mada. Ron go tu aar.” Suonya onggl luk pan dem an taat baal agen. He clapped his hands and called to some big boys who were kicking a ball. ‘ Run and call Patsy and her two pretty sisters, Pam an Pat,’ said the man to the boys. After a short while the boys came back with three women. They were very pretty. The man said, ‘One of them must be your mother. Run to her.’ Sonia only looked at them an started crying once more.

14. READING EXERCISE, JC & SJE

15. TEXT(s) USED IN READING EXERCISE

16. PASSAGES SIDE BY SIDE

17. THE GRADE THREE DIAGNOSTIC TEST (JC) - May 2007

18. Of the 30 students 21 received grades of 31/61 received grades under 31 marks. Highest score was 57/61 Lowest 19/61 (Results, Jamaican Language, Grade Three Diagnostic Test, Jamaican Language Unit, 2007) PARTS 1 & 2 OF TEST EXPLAINED

19. Part 3 – COMMUNICATION EXERCISE Highest score 20/20 Lowest 0/20 Ten students scored 10/20 Three students scored 15/20-20/20 Five students scored 4/20 on writing exercise. (Results, Jamaican Language, Grade Three Diagnostic Test, Jamaican Language Unit, 2007)

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