Download Pdf - Uwi.edu

R E S E A R C H F O R D E V E L O P M E N T 2 0 1 1BeverleyBryanBetween twoGrammarsTeaching Jamaican Creole speakers, with a goal ofcompetence in English, means teaching between twogrammars. This is so because learners and teachersoperate in a space where two languages, English andJamaican Creole, co-exist and sometimes overlap asboundaries are blurred.14 15The Problem Exists Far and WideDr Beverley Bryan had a concern about the challengesfacing teachers of English in Jamaican classrooms andset about to identify some of the core problems. Asa Language Educator, she has encountered JamaicanCreole speakers, initially from her experience ofteaching adolescents and adults in the UK, andmore recently from teaching and conductingresearch in Jamaican schools. Essentially, these arestudents who have struggled with demonstratinglanguage proficiency at the level that would meetthe requirements of high-stake public examinations.Their failure has underscored real inequity in aneducation system that demanded so much but did notprovide the resources for success. What was alwaysan issue for her was that this failure was often miredin a debate about language and identity that gaveBurgess’ statement “Language is an arena rather thana subject” such resonance.Understanding the ProblemThrough her own practice, she began to develop aninterest in understanding the language background ofJamaican Creole speakers: the nature of the languagethey used; the context of its use and application inclassrooms.