The matter of English and Patois

THE EDITOR, Sir:

YOUR EDITORIAL on Jamaican Creole (Saturday, September 29, 2001) is most disappointing for its lack of grasp of the subject it purported to treat. According to your position, "there is no need to teach what comes naturally to every born Jamaican."

Let's assume that English comes naturally to every born English child. Does that mean it should not be taught to him or her? Taken to its logical conclusion, your argument implies that language should not be taught to anyone to whom it comes naturally. You state: "We suspect that much of the recurrent fuss about the dialect is fomented by linguists who want to formalise a Jamaican language with all the theoretical trimmings." What does that mean? What about non-specialists who foment the "recurrent fuss" by spewing classist prejudices and misinformation about Jamaican Creole/patwa?

Yours is a decidedly one-sided view of where "much of the recurrent fuss" comes from. I suspect that much of the recurrent fuss about Jamaica's economy comes from economists who want to formalise an informal Jamaican economy "with all the theoretical trimmings"(!), whatever that would mean. Is it your view that there is no role for specialists but that of fomenting fuss in matters in which they specialise?

Besides, do all linguists hold the same views? You state:

"The defenders of standard English quite rightly point to the need to know and be able to use the official language of the country, for all the obvious reasons." You seem to have fallen into the trap of so many of our compatriots. "Defenders of English" as opposed to who, defenders of patois who point to the need not to learn and speak the official language? Why such implicit binaries? There are people who see the two language forms as being of paramount importance to us as JAMAICANS, each in different spheres. It is not a question of English or Creole, it is a question of English AND Creole. They both identify us. You speak of the British not using cockney in diplomatic discourse.

For your information, neither would the Icelandic use Icelandic, nor the Indians, Gujurati.... So what is your point, really, Mr Editor?

I am etc.,

R. ANTHONY LEWIS

roanthony@yahoo.com

University of Montreal

Quebec,

Canada

Via Go-Jamaica

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