From Jamaica Gleaner

The Ministry of Education yesterday endorsed the move by the Wycliffe Caribbean Bible Translators to translate the Old Testament into Jamaican Patois.

Marlon Morgan, senior technical coordinator at the ministry, shared that Caribbean Creole languages, including Jamaican Patois, had achieved growing recognition as languages evolve globally.

“Our education ministry has been at the centre of this transformational process as it has worked since the 1960s with Creole researchers such as pioneer linguist the late professor Dennis Craig and also Dr Donald Wilson,” he said at the launch held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in St Andrew yesterday.

Morgan continued: “The ministry has adopted what linguists would term a ‘conservative bilingual approach’ that recognises the oral use of students’ first language as they develop competence in their official language. The language-awareness approach is promoted as the main methodology through which students will learn about both the similarities and differences between the two main language systems of their country as making this necessary distinction will help them to be truly bilingual.”

Morgan noted the ministry’s efforts to continue to empower students to be mindful of their mother tongue while being competent in their languages.

“We are cognisant that the language discourse in Jamaica is very topical, and at times even controversial, amid its differing perspectives, ideologies, and research bases,” he said.

“As the language education research continues to evolve both locally and internationally, the ministry remains poised to make the best language decisions in the interest of our children and people.”

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