Dear Editor,

A recent Observer article published on March 24, 2014, entitled “English lessons for Jamaica” is quite interesting. Some people are of the view that it was a bold move by Ronald Thwaites, but there are diverse opinions.

Jamaica is said to be an English-speaking country, however, I believe this is hardly the case. It is just like saying that Jamaica is a Christian country. This is not entirely so.

If one should really examine the issue, one would conclude that it is a challenge to get Jamaican students to communicate properly in Standard English, whether orally or in writing.

There is, however, a significant misconception that I think should be clarified. The programme is not to teach Jamaican teachers English, it will solely be based on pedagogy, which is acquiring the expertise to teach what they know. Pedagogy has to do with the various methodologies one employs in the classroom in order to deliver content effectively. As an educator, I must emphasise that pedagogical skills are very inconsequential. If the minister sees the need for this programme to be initiated, it simply means then that our teachers’ colleges are ineffective and that should be of much concern. This will also mean that the curriculum in the colleges needs to be revised.

English language is very dynamic and evolutionary, and it should be treated as we do Spanish, that is, as a second language. It is not to be conceived that Jamaican teachers do not know English; for there are teachers in Jamaica who have an excellent command of the English Language. However, the environment influences how one expresses oneself, and that has a major impact on students. People are products of their environments.

The article conveys an important fact: “Generally speaking, when the kids go home, their parents speak to them in Jamaican patois, and they communicate 90 per cent of their life in Jamaican patois. So when they are in the school environment they should have had a sterile environment in terms of learning English or speaking it properly.” This is one of the main problems we as educators face on a daily basis. If students only communicate in English in classrooms, when they go home it is like that is all forgotten. That is what happened to me when I was a student.

Another concern is that teachers are pressured to get “results” rather than teaching students to learn. Students must complete a syllabus and pass exams. The Jamaican culture is not conducive to the use of English language, oftentimes people are viewed differently or chastised for speaking English.

I sincerely believe that to help alleviate the problem the use of English language should be emphasised within the home and in the general environment outside of the classroom. We have to learn to ‘dance ah yard before wi dance abroad’.

Kenroy Davis

kenroy_davis13@yahoo.com