Jamaica’s language environment involves Jamaican Standard English (JSE) and Patois, creating a dilemma for the formal education system. The objective is high English proficiency, but the country’s bilingual status often impedes the development of Creole speakers, leading to low CSEC English pass rates. The paper examines whether JSE and Patois are opposing barriers or beneficial contributions to student mastery. It argues that utilizing a bilingual approach, where Patois is given equal value and used as a foundation to connect with JSE, is crucial. This strategy helps students clarify meanings and improve competencies by transitioning from the known (Patois) to the abstract (JSE), facilitating the ultimate goal of effective communication in English.
Reid-Prince, S. (2026). Jamaican Bilingualism of Patois and Jamaica Standard English: Barrier or Benefit to English Language Proficiency. In A. Elhami & A. Roshan (Eds.), Exploring Identity Formation in Language Education: Personal Narratives and Educational Research (pp. 477-488). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-5423-1.ch015