THE EDITOR, Sir:

IN LIGHT of the swirling debate on the relevance of the Bible being translated to Jamaican Creole, I wish to direct your readers to a book reviewed by Paul H. Williams in The Sunday Gleaner, June 22, that should help in putting some rational perspective to the controversy.

The book is From Vernacular to Standard English: Teaching Language and Literacy to Caribbean Students by Dennis R. Craig. It offers interesting reading and I strongly believe it will help in underscoring a point I tried to make in a previous letter to the editor regarding our use of the Jamaican Creole. I pointed out that it was important that we extend our thinking in terms of the potential of the language.

Intangible heritage

I accept that the proposal to utilise this intangible heritage as a salient feature of Jamaica's heritage tourism is something that requires far more formal preparation which should begin in our schools. This is the thinking that is thoroughly discussed in Craig's publication and it is my hope that we will all embrace the educational value of the language and introduce to our classrooms the teaching-learning dynamics of Creole and Standard English.

His publication is a timely intervention in a debate which frankly has taken on short-sighted proportions, including our prime minister's unfortunate thinking that the Patois Bible project reflects a failure of the education system. Craig present readers with a range of necessary themes including the historical context of the development of the vernacular, background of the language, the development and use of language awareness and important, how to incorporate these and other elements in teaching primary- and secondary-level students.

Cowardice to embrace mother tongue

The objections and alarmist cries that we have been hearing has really not been about the Bible being translated to Creole, as it is about our cowardice to embrace the mother tongue which is Office of Utilities Regualtions first language - notwithstanding that English is our official language. Read Craig and you will understand the distinction and the need to accept that our 'language emancipation' lies in how we choose to balance the use of Creole and Standard English in and outside our classrooms.

I am, etc.,

J. LINDSAY

Commhertours@yahoo.com