A new book that should further the debate on the use of Creole in the education system to help children realise better learning outcomes has hit the shelves of Jamaican bookstores.

Authored by university lecturer Dr Beverley Bryan, the book is titled Between two Grammars: Research and Practice for Language Teaching and Learning in a Creole-speaking Environment.

The 194-page text begins with an introductory discussion on language as an arena rather than a subject and proceeds to explore such themes as “characterising the language situation in Jamaica” and “characterising the school environment”. It goes on to examine the methodology for language teaching in a Creole-speaking environment — the essential subject of the book. A look at language awareness and the role of the child’s intuition and that of the teacher to make this possible follows, succeeded by a chapter looking at teaching language as communication.

The final chapter covers “the teacher education perspective”, which “includes an exploration of personal history/biography, and the shaping of personal beliefs and teacher identity expressed in the personal philosophy that makes the teacher. Attention is also given to the influences on their thinking and in the case of English teachers, the contextual forces that have formed their classroom practice,” writes Bryan.

“The book uses research and observed good practice to discuss how we learn and how we teach language, especially English in Jamaica. The book covers sociolinguistics, history, language pedagogy and teacher education in its quest to understand and promote new ways of thinking and looking at the teaching of English,” the author told Career & Education. “It reviews and honours the debates on language teaching, acknowledging the importance of full understanding in developing a full, rounded, innovative, principled practice.”

According to the author, people should read the book “If they have an interest in the issues around language teaching; or want to do something about it as English teachers; or want to challenge English teachers about what they are doing with Jamaican children!”

Bryan, who heads the Department of Educational Studies at the University of the West Indies, noted that the book was timely, given the “concern with levels of achievement; concern with teacher expertise; interest in debates about how we teach and the role of the first language in that process”.

Ian Randle Publishers, who handled the publication of the book, agreed.

“It is in fact a timely addition to the market, particularly as it relates to the Jamaican setting where much is being done by the Ministry of Education to overhaul the system in terms of how our students are educated,” said Lisa-Marie Clunis, the publishing house’s media manager. “And how students are educated, largely rests on their ability to communicate effectively, which is what Between two Grammars speaks to. It is a good addition to the ongoing discussions, particularly in Jamaica, about integrating Creole/Patois into the formal education system.”

Clunis added that Ian Randle had opted to take on the book, having regard to the gaps that currently exist in the availability of material that looks at the specific subject area.

“There was no other text that spoke specifically to the issue of teaching language in a Creole-speaking setting in the way that this book does. Dr Bryan was inspired to write this book because during her years of teaching she saw first-hand what was missing and sought to rectify it,” Clunis told Career & Education.

“Between two Grammars also builds on what similar books, such as Denis Craig’s Teaching Language and Literacy covered, but also brings to the table some new ideas. It is the result of Dr Bryan’s years of research within the fields of sociolinguistics, language education, Caribbean history and teacher education. Ian Randle Publishers could not have said no to such a project,” she added.

Clunis noted that there were a number of things they had found special about the book.

“It integrates theory and practice, which encourages critical thinking among teachers. It (also) presents ideas from Creole linguistics in simple and clear ways so that the reader can be informed generally, but at the same time it can be used for content teaching in areas such as CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations) Communication,” said Clunis. “(And) although it strongly focuses on Jamaica, it includes material on the wider Caribbean. (At the same time), it is constructed with an understanding of the unique requirements for language teaching in the Caribbean.”

Meanwhile, Bryan said that if there was one lesson she wants readers to take away from the book, it is that “bilingualism is possible” for Jamaican children.

“Bilingualism is the way of the world. Our children, like other children in the world, can do two things at once, that is, learn a language they do not speak at home,” she said.