FOR ALL of us who have ever been chastised for not mastering our delivery of the Queen's English, vindication is on the way.
According to a report posted on the BBC Caribbean website, City College, in Birmingham, England, recently launched a course in Jamaican patois, which has sparked tremendous interest among students.
Candidates who successfully complete the course will receive a nationally recognised certificate, showing that they are speakers of Jamaican patois.
The website article quotes course facilitator Heather Reid as saying the programme is meant to change the perception of Jamaican patois.
"There is a large section of the Jamaican population who are taught as children that they shouldn't speak patois, that patois is bad English, or an improper, unacceptable way of speaking," she said.
Professor Carolyn Cooper, Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies at the University of the West Indies, who is an outspoken proponent for the official recognition of the local dialect, was pleased when told of the new course in Jamaican patois. "I am just happy to see that this language that was created in Jamaica is being recognised by people across the world. Our music is a large part of why people are drawn to the language. Reggae music and the culture reach across the world and that's why people are so anxious to learn the language," she said.
The website report notes that the course is just one of several initiatives the college will be embarking upon to increase awareness and understanding of Jamaican culture in England.
