Sylvia Wynter's Dream

Hi everybody, I’m Sarahlee Francis your host and this is my interview regarding my topic on patois.

So, the first question, well-

Let me first introduce our guest, we have…

Speaker 1- Hi, I’m Stacy. I’m a second-year student at the University of the West Indies.

Speaker 2- Hi, I’m Mary. I’m a third-year student at University of the West Indies.

Speaker 3- Hi, I’m Annabelle and I’m a fifth-year student at the University of the West Indies.

Speaker 4- Hi, I’m Bobby Brown. I’m a eight-year member of the University of the West Indies.

So… Now that we’ve formally met everyone, let us begin by hearing you guys view on patois and what is its value in Jamaica to you, on an individual basis.

Speaker 2- Well I think patois is important and should be recognized enough in our schools because if it’s recognized and taught, our students will have a better chance of understanding than in the English language and all its grammatical rules.

Speaker 1- um, I think patois is a part of our identity as Jamaicans, and that’s why it is fundamental to our growth and development.

Because if we don’t have an identity, you can’t know who you are, where you are going. I also think that we should acknowledge that patois is the first language because we teach English as the first language in schools, but kids don’t grow up learning English as the first language so….

[vehicle engine sounds]

A Who dis man?

[laughing]

Speaker 2- Interview pwile.

[chuckling] No, it nuh spoil.

[background talks]

Guys, this is the real. We- we’re interviewing university students on campus. Therefore, we are going to hear cars and stuff like that. So, we are moving on to the next question.

Speaker 3- Let me answer

Oh! I’m so sorry.

Speaker 3- Personally, I think that um, Jamaica patois should be made an official language of Jamaica because it is the main language spoken in Jamaica. English is not our first language

Speaker 1- Period.

Speaker 2- And should not be taught as such.

Speaker 1- Period!

Speaker 3- Yes, and patois should be taught in schools.

Speakers 1&2– [synchronized] Yes…

That is it, aright.

So, have you guys ever been put in a position where you feel inferia whenever speaking patois?

Speaker 2- No because I can code switch. Although as sad as it may sound, or as sad as it may seem, as long as you… It just base on whatever setting you’re in, and the setting require basically. Whichever setting you’re in, that dictates how you speak. S, if you can code switch it’s not really a problem you face in terms of discrimination per say. But I speak both of them regardless of where I am because it’s who I am.

Speaker 1- Period.

Speaker 3- I refuse to think that my language is inferior to other languages, and I will never compromise how I speak in any setting because my language, is a real language.

And standard English is not superior to it.

Speaker 2- Neva tell a lie.

Speaker 4- That’s a great attempt.

Right… Okay, so were you guys allowed to speak patois in your homes?

Speaker 1- Yes!

Speaker 2- Yes!

Were you guys allowed to speak patois at home?

Speaker 4- Yes, I was, no. Yea, mi was.

[laughing]

Suh, were you also allowed to speak patois in school?

Speaker 2- Yes, I was.

Well, that’s great.

Suh our final question…

Speaker 2- Not all the time in schools, depends. They will tell you to speak properly when you’re addressing me, or sup’m like dat.

Speaker 1- The teacher, yea.

Speaker 2- Play ground-wise when you’re with friends it’s okay.

Speaker 3- I always spoke patois in school. The only place I didn’t speak patois was on a paper because I needed my work to be graded. But every time I spoke to my teachers or my friends, the principal, the janitor, or whoever, I spoke in patois.

Right… Okay! Do you think patois or “hardcore” patois is ghetto, or some of the slangs can be deemed off-putting in certain environment? Like the cooperate Jamaica….

Speaker 2- I’m confused by your question, please rephrase?

Well… Patois, hardcore patois, like… quote on quote “Town Patois”, ghetto talking patois.

Speaker 1- Do we think that what?

Do we think it’s off-putting in certain environments like in certain crowds?

You spoke earlier about code-switching…

Speaker 2- Well we were taught it was inferior and then, as such, it should only be spoken in informal settings, but what we should acknowledge is that each parish has its own patois, has its own influence on their first so-called language. So of course, each patois is going to sound different, that doesn’t mean each- that one patois is more than the other based on how it sounds.

Cause you know you can tell a Saint Elizabeth patois from a Kingston patois, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Kingston person is higher than the Sainty person