FOR Jamaican author, farmer and founder of Jah Español, Amelia Pryce-Malcolm, the limited availability of Spanish-learning resources for children in Jamaica inspired her book, Tassie.

The book follows the life of a hen named Tassie on a farm, and provides English-Spanish translations to introduce young readers to Spanish vocabulary. Designed for toddlers and preschoolers, Pryce-Malcolm drew inspiration from her work and personal life to create a story that aims to engage children in the Spanish language.

“We had a cat, and her name was Tassi,” she said, explaining the muse for the main character. “We loved that cat dearly. And then, being that I’m a farmer the whole combination of being a farmer and an author is displayed within the story.”

Pryce-Malcolm pointed out that it was important for her to incorporate farming into the story to provide depth and create familiarity for Jamaican children reading the book, adding that they are not usually encouraged to engage with a second language, but that this could change with books like Tassie utilising the lived experiences of Jamaicans.

She also credited her daughter for being the inspiration behind her writing, adding that she had to meet her daughter at her level, and that helped her to create a book that encouraged children to enjoy reading while learning Spanish vocabulary through fun and memorable adventures.

The book follows the life of a hen named Tassie on a farm, and provides English-Spanish translations to introduce young readers to Spanish vocabulary.x

“As an author, we all need inspiration from someone, and I had to stoop down to her level of understanding so I could understand what she knows and how to gravitate to other kids,” added Pryce-Malcolm.

She also said her book is classroom-friendly, and could make for an effective teaching tool for Spanish educators because the lessons are simple, short, and provide a step-by-step guide for children to engage with the language. Pryce-Malcolm also plans on creating more educational materials and resources for children of different age groups, so children continue to learn the language as they grow.

Before publishing her book, Pryce-Malcolm said she hated Spanish in high school and recalled sleeping during those classes. However, during COVID she decided to learn a second language and chose Spanish after attempting to learn Chinese, which proved to be too difficult. She studied Spanish for a year before passing evaluation exams, and realised that learning the language could open educational and professional doors for people.

Pryce-Malcolm then created her tutoring service, Jah Español, through which she does volunteer work tutoring children in Spanish inside and around her community. She explained that the tutoring service came about after she realised that her love for Spanish was a gift from God that needed to be shared with others.

“Jah Español, as in Jah, which is from Jehovah… God gave me this gift so other people can learn and become comfortable with the language as well. My main mission is to allow other people to learn the language,” she said,

In fulfilling this mission to use Spanish to educate, Pryce-Malcolm actively volunteers at schools and in her community where she hopes to build a culture of engagement for the Spanish language.

“My future plan would be having a community where people are welcome; where people can come in and learn the language; a place that is comfortable, cost-effective, and where they can interact with more people,” added Pryce Malcolm.

She noted that becoming a full-time Spanish educator was not an option for her because it would reduce how much of her time she could spend volunteering to teach children who may not be able to afford to learn Spanish.

”Spanish is basically one of the main foundations for me to get across [to students],” said Pryce-Malcolm, explaining that she hopes educators, parents, and stakeholders in the education system will draw inspiration from the work she has done and be part of the change to increase the engagement of Jamaican children with Spanish and other foreign languages.

“Be the change. In Spanish, we say ‘Sé el cambio.’ ”

Amelia Pryce-Malcolm