Question Is It True Most Jamaicans Can't Read Patois (Patwah)?

[Tafadzwa Twabam]

Although many Jamaicans, that is, the ones born and bred there, (not the ones in the diaspora) are fluent and eloquent when it comes to speaking Patois language; I have heard on numerous occasions that many (but not all) Jamaicans are illiterate if given an entire article, or a short story written in Patwah.

Any thoughts on that?

 

[Nolwazi Kwayedza]

Ummm, m'kay...

I tell you what, your title is gonna trigger som piipl, das fo sho.

However, in reality, yasss it is true that most Jamaicans CAN'T read nor write for example an essay entirely in Patwah neither in a standardized form e.g. grammar, spelling, etc.

 

[Tafadzwa Twabam]

Ummm, m'kay...

I tell you what, your title is gonna trigger som piipl, das fo sho.

However, in reality, yasss it is true that most Jamaicans CAN'T read nor write for example an essay entirely in Patwah neither in a standardized form e.g. grammar, spelling, etc.

Why is that?

 

[Nolwazi Kwayedza]

Why is that?

Today most countries, (if not all countries) in the world do business using international English. Even important legal documents in Jamaica are written in English just like the rest of the world. I could go on, and on... But you get the idea, don't you?

Therefore, most parents and some teachers, lecturers, etc think that more emphasis should be put on making sure a pupil is more eloquent in English as opposed to Jamaican Creole for that matter. So that in the near future if ever they go abroad they can fit in without struggling too much to articulate themselves e.g. a job interview in foreign "Country X."

In addition, outside of Jamaica, most people can't even hear a single word one is saying. It's not only the issue of Jamaicans speaking Patwah because even if they speak English that strong Jamaican accent is difficult for some people around the world to understand.

The same applies to Nigerian parents. They want their kids to learn English, not Nigerian Pijin! Some Nigerians even consider Pidgin a low-class uneducated language -- LMAO.

So go figure!

 

[Scorpio]

@Tafadzwa Twabam Soun laik yu lisn to Rege ahn Daansaal tew moch.

 

[Tafadzwa Twabam]

@Tafadzwa Twabam Soun laik yu lisn to Rege ahn Daansaal tew moch.

What do you mean?

 

[Scorpio]

What do you mean?

Many people assume Patois is also an official language in Jamaica whilst reality says otherwise just like @Nolwazi Kwayedza shi don rait deh fo tap.

The major problem with Jamaican Patwah is that there are different non-standard syntactical ways of writing or saying something.

I guess we could say the same thing about Nigerian Pidgin. There are so many variations. So how will say, for example, an average person understand Jamaican Creole in that midst of confusion?

By the way, to able to read/write a lengthy piece in Jamaican Patwah, one has to be EXTREMELY good in written English. If you can't read/write English and have a STRONG understanding of English grammar, forget it...

And we know for a fact that even when it comes to most people whose first language is English their grammar skills are TERRIBLE. So you can figure out the rest...

However, in comparison, Nigerian Pidgin English is less challenging given that written Jamaican Creole will give you a headache unless it's spoken you might understand a word or two.

And just because you can speak a language doesn't mean you can write something academic that's worth reading. But how many people around the world want to read an academic paper written in Jamaican Creole or Nigerian Pidgin?

Okay, I will wait...

I gotta say though, Reggae and Dancehall music makes Jamaican Patwah sound cool and all that which is fine from an artistic and a showbiz perspective -- the same is true for Nigerian Pidgin and Afrobeat music.

In summary, the hidden reality to the uninformed masses is that both languages need to conform to a strict standard of their own.

 

[Lenard]

Watch dis...