THE EDITOR, Sir:
I HAVE been following the discourse on English vs patois in your paper recently, and thought I would share an incident that my sister told me of recently.
I have an 18-month-old niece who has been talking up a storm and is very quick in understanding concepts. She lives in rural Jamaica so the family members try to speak English around her so that she will learn that language well before she goes off to school. The other day, a member of the community came to visit, and in expressing surprise at how much she was talking, said to her "coo pan yu, bout yu a chat so much."
When the visitor left, my astute baby niece said to an aunt "Auntie, coo pan me." My sister, surprised, said "No Sweetie, you must say 'look at me'." To which my niece replied "Look at me. Coo pan mi foot."
ALTERNATIVE
I think we should concentrate on teaching English, not as a higher language or an alternative to patois, but as another way of speaking; a different language if you will. At present, I live in a country that prides itself on its multi-culturalism. Daily, while travelling, I hear a variety of languages being spoken. I also indulge when I travel with Jamaicans by speaking most fluently in patois. However, English is the language that bridges the cultures and if you do not know it, you can be severely hampered in your day-to-day activities. It is imperative that you know how to communicate well in that language.
Patois has been taking care of itself for years and will continue to do so in spite of us.
I am, etc.,
ANGELA M. WILLIAMS
amaewills@hotmail.com
Mississauga, Ontario
