Discussion On Patois Is Not A Language English Language Essay

Discussion On Patois Is Not A Language English Language Essay Assignment #1: Discussion on the Topic Patois is Not a Language The use of the English language, which has been paramount to my development as a Jamaican citizen, has indeed created a tremendous impact on my life, thus enhancing my ability to communicate effectively within society as English language is currently recognized as the official language of education, international business, communication, media, the internet, technology, entertainment, instruction manuals and electrical and other appliances. Knowing Standard English, the most global of languages, has afforded me the ability to comfortably interact and benefit from its multiple international possibilities as today, only the verbally advantaged speakers are considered trainable, employable and are accepted professionally. While conducting my research, I noted very interestingly that over the years, there has been minor or no changes in the definition of language. Language, as explained by Soanes Stevenson in the Concise Oxford Dictionary 2008, 11th Edition can be defined as the system of communication used by a particular community or country, while a definition from the Book Human Communication: Motivation, Knowledge and Skills, describes language as a complex phenomenon whose meaning depends on where and when it is used. It is further explained to be a verbal symbol system that allows us to take messages and utterances in the form of words and translate them into meaning. (Morrale, Spitzberg Barge, 2006). I also gathered from the website http://wordnet.web.princeton.edu/perl/webwn that Language is the forms of speech, or the methods of expressing ideas, peculiar to a particular nation. The term Patois is used widely in Jamaica, and can refer to any sort of indistinct or broken language in any country of the world. Patois is used to refer to a variety of creole languages. A creole language develops from the combination of two or more languages. Patois is any language that is not spoken in its original form. The patois that is spoken in the Caribbean is called creole. The creole patois was developed by the slaves in slavery days. The slaves learned their masters native language-French, and combined it with their African Language to form this dialect. This dialect was created so that the slaves could speak amongst themselves without their masters knowing what they were saying. The culture was passed down to many generations and is still spokenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (http://whattocook.com/what_is_patois.html- obtained from source Friday, September 24, 2010) Patois is not officially a language in Jamaica; I am able to state same based on research that it has not (yet) been made official by the Government of Jamaica. And, although most Jamaicans primarily use patois for daily communication, it is quite interesting to note that, if you ask a Jamaican citizen at this particular moment, what language he or she speaks, the immediate response would be English. However, not all Jamaicans use patois. Patois is mostly spoken among the poorer class in Jamaica although many middle class people use patois as a casual language in various social settings. The general feeling about Patois is that it is a poor mans language and it is considered in this way because no strict rules outlining the standard grammar of the English language are followed and this gives the appearance of the person using it to seem uneducated which is why writers are encouraged to stay away from dialect as it is often hard for their reading audience to understand. Based on my personal investigation, I have come to understand that patois has always been considered unacceptable and it has been debated that it should be kept informal and is not to be used for any official purpose. This, I have noticed, as there are always whispers, negative utterances and even scoffing at persons who are unable to speak Standard English, whether in a social setting or workplace; such persons have been labeled as socially and linguistically inferior. Nevertheless, Patois is continuously being promoted daily via music (especially dancehall), poetry, for example those by Joan Andrea Hutchinson and Mutabaruka) and the media (newspapers, radio, television etc.). Gleaner writers such as Jennifer Keane Dawes and Dr. Kingsley Stewart have been trying to keep Jamaicans connected to their roots by writing columns about life situations or just for humour, strictly in patois, however, I dont think that this is helping the patois vocabulary of the readers. I, myself, read the columns and find some of them interesting yet very hard to read and interpret. Dr. Carolyn Cooper and Mrs. Barbara Gloudon, among others, also write articles in patois from time to time in the media, however, these are much easier on the eye. It is an issue of debate as to making patois an official language, which some believe will help to increase the self-esteem of many Jamaicans and add more strength to their identity if patois is considered as valuable a language as any. It is also discussed that recognition of patois may also increase communication skills and social interaction in Jamaica. In my opinion, most Jamaicans already know patois and, being that it is a form of language which is not considered appropriate for official purposes such as public functions etc., I dont believe that this is necessary to make it official or to even teach it, as some propose. I read an article where it is explained that in March 1999, a group of students from the UWI, Mona Campus put together a proposal in the hope of gaining Jamaican Language or patois, an official status. It is argued that this effort to make patois official is quite unnecessary because students are already having a hard time mastering Standard English in school, (Vascianne, 1999) much to my agreement. I am also in full agreement with Mooris Cargill, a Jamaican columnist that if patois continues to gain legitimacy, it will destroy English. Pryce (1997) states that the high illiteracy state is partially blamed by many Jamaicans on the presence of two languages in the country and outlined the belief of Professor Carl Stone that the reason students are having trouble with the English Language is more as a result of students not reading enough. I dont believe it is intelligent to implement certain changes such as food labels or even The Bible into patois. (N.B. Recently the book of Luke was translated into patois by a group of graduates of the UWI and became available in stores on 08/09/10) (http://wwww.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100809/lead/lead2.html- obtained from source on Sunday, September 26) 2010) and I think it is would be quite absurd to see road traffic signs in patois. Imagine for example: instead of Buses only you read Ongle bus or instead of Reserved for handicaps you see Fi di andycap dem, etc. I work in a public educational institution, and at times am privileged to read some of the errors recorded by students at the advanced level in the secondary education system. Some of the students dont seem to remember that English is the recognized first language of the society and often make their response in their own form of patois. I believe that some teachers are to be blamed for this because at times, they themselves do not use the Standard English in the classroom and this, I believe, may be the reason why the students feel it is okay to record their responses in the manner that most of them do. Most of the students at the institution hail from the small fishing and peasant farming community of Annotto Bay and most of their parents have never had the opportunity to learn Standard English and most times do not necessarily speak patois out of cultural pride, but as a result of a lack of education, therefore if the students are not taught proper English by their teachers at scho ol, then they eventually become verbally disadvantaged and rely solely on what they have learnt from their uneducated parents at home and what they pick up on the streets, therefore, my point is that there will never be an end to illiteracy as far as this is concerned if the teachers fail to carry out their purpose. While I embrace my home tongue, patois, I honestly have a strong rejection to it being allowed and accepted everywhere. No language is a uniform system in which everyone talks just like everyone else. People who speak a given language share knowledge of its basic rules. Such common knowledge is the basis of mutually intelligible communication. (Kottak, 2002) It is a fact that there are certain social situations that influence our speech such as Geographical location, Cultural practices, and Socioeconomic differences and whatever phonological differences which are present are looked down on. Whether it is fair or not, people judge you not only by the way you look but by the way you speak. Proper language becomes a strategic resource, correlated with wealth, prestige and power. (Kattak, 2002). I believe that in order to effectively learn and properly use Standard English, it has to be practiced. Everyone needs to practice and learn Standard English in order to develop a career for if we should examine closely, we will notice that all academic institutions list English Language as a requirement for admission and all organizations, no matter what the job may be, requires Standard English as an asset for obtaining a job. Some of the most industrious people in society are those who are proud active speakers of patois, yet are not limited to learning and using the English language and encourage their children to do so. The Clergy, Lawyers, Doctors, Chief Executive Officers, Lecturers, Teachers and the rest of Jamaicas learned class primarily use English, not because they have access to the enlightened larger world, but because we continue to stigmatize the language that is used for official purposes all over the world. I will never look down on patois or scoff at persons who are unable to speak Standard English because, to me, some persons are simply not able to express themselves fluently no matter how hard they try, and I another reason is that I am aware that many Jamaicans feed their families from work done in the informal economy (eg. Factory, beauty shop, taxi service, vending etc.) where patois is the main language used not necessarily because they are illiterate but because that is what is available to them in this country. Everyone, at some time or another say words in patois. I cannot imagine any single Jamaican who I interact with on a daily basis who does not use it. Our Jamaican everyday language, as I affectionately call patois, when used by certain professionals gain them a respect or a certain cooperation and I believe that is the main reason why it is really used to get cooperation. I enquired of my brother who has been a Police Officer for seventeen years (who speaks mostly English when around friends and family) why they use patois when accosting bad men, and he explained to me, that some of the things they want to say may not have the same effect when said in Standard English. He shared some examples with me: A ded you waa ded instead of Do you want to die? Stap gwaan like you bad instead of Stop behaving badly and I could go on. I have also observed the Dean of Discipline at my school on several occasions handling certain situations, and for a situation with a very unruly child, especially boys, I realized that patois is often used. When I asked her why, she told me that at times, it is the only way to control them by speaking to them in the way they understand and as most times administered to them at home. She confirmed that whenever patois is used, they know that there is no joking. Other persons, such as vendors in a craft market, use patois to promote their wares to tourists; radio talk show hosts and media personalities use it to add real Jamaican vibes to their presentations; teachers sometimes use it to get across a point in class or to reprimand an unruly child; and children/students, oftentimes as they prefer, mostly because of peer pressure. I, myself, at work, interacting with my co-workers use some amount of patois, and from time to time, the members of my department, and students whom I supervise, have made me put aside all English (which I mostly use) and level with them in the language which they know and can easily relate to. Personally, I dont have a problem with patois. I grew up in a home where it wasnt looked down on, however, I was strictly required to address my parents (and everyone else whenever in their presence in Standard English). Most of the English Language I know and speak fluently today has been taught to me in my home, and this has often caused me to wonder about those children whose parents are uneducated and are unable to teach them. I am not saying that patois doesnt qualify, but I dont believe that one should be limited to learning only patois, because then, one may not be able to expand or move on to the world scale. I know that many Jamaicans are very foreign minded and this limitation would impact very negatively. In the meantime, I continue to embrace our beloved Patois and believe that as Jamaicans, it is not intelligible to want it to be made official so that other nations may be able to buy a manual or dictionary and learn it and be able to take advantage of it. I want patois to remain unique to us as Jamaicans. Other countries have their own creole which has not been made official and for example, even though I speak a little Spanish and can understand when spoken to in the language, if a native Spanish speaker wants to make disparaging comments about me in his native Creole right in front of my face, I would not be able to understand what is being said about me. Although I admit to hearing patois rather than poor English, I do believe that there is a time and place for patois. As a Jamaican, I like the humor and versatility our everyday language. And while I remain in agreement that patois is an effective medium of communication through which countless traditions and life skills have been passed, I emphasize my position nevertheless, that it is not necessary to teach patois or to promote it because Jamaicans naturally acquire the . patois necessary for cultural expressions and social and informal occasions.

Presumed Innocent until proven Guilty Essay

More than 20 years ago, Troy Davis, an African-American man from Georgia, was convicted of shooting and killing a police officer and was sentenced to death. Several years later, seven out of nine eyewitnesses completely revoked their stories. There was a clear lack of evidence that had proven him of his innocence, and therefore he was linked to the crime out of pure assumption. His legal team argued that he was just in the â€Å"wrong place at the wrong time† but Davis was ultimately executed based on the original jury verdict. Troy Davis maintained his innocence until his death by lethal injection in 2011. His last words to the family of the murdered officer were, â€Å"All I can ask is that you look deep into this case so you can really find the truth†. This man, Troy Davis, is one of thousands of people worldwide that have been victims of this situation, being presumed guilty until proven innocent. He was not just put into prison, being deprived of his liberty and dignity; he was sentenced to death, being deprived of his life! Recent case studies show that in the United States alone more than 4% of all convictions are wrong. From 1973-2004 there were 7482 people who were sentenced to death and of those, 117 were innocent. Each year, 10 000 innocent people are wrongly convicted in the United States. Right there and then, innocent men and women are left with no futures. This is why I believe that all men should be rather presumed innocent until proven guilty, as sentencing an innocent person to death, is an even more guilt-bearing act in my opinion. If you look around you, you are surrounded by life. It is the most valuable thing on our planet Earth. You are a representation of life yourself. Growing up and developing your life takes years, yet can be taken away from you in an instant because of something as stupid as false accusation? Who, then, is the real criminal? A man like Oscar Pistorius is a man fighting for his life in high court because he murdered his girlfriend Reeva. Although the reasons to why he pulled the trigger seem preposterous, there is no clear, 100%, factual evidence stating whether it was premeditated murder or not. At the end of the day, he murdered an innocent young girl

The Mystery of What Is a Cause and Effect Essay Samples Nobody Is Discussing

The Mystery of What Is a Cause and Effect Essay Samples Nobody Is Discussing In the event you need your customized cause and effect essay accomplished by a non-native English speaker, you will produce that option and we'll offer you a writer best suits your writing needs. You also ought to explain why and the way the event influenced the circumstance or someone's life. When writing this sort of essay, in-depth understanding of the issue or event's roots will be of excellent benefit. Cause and effect essay writing aims to spell out the reasons and results related to a circumstance or an occasion. You're a whole lot of a cause was a good deal of an essay. In order to comprehend how to compose an excellent cause and effect essay, you must know four primary points. Upset man returns to normal when it's the reason for the disorder. You should have your reasons, and our principal concern is that you wind up getting a great grade. Besides affecting oneself, additionally, it has a negative effect on others around smokers that is also referred to as second hand smoking. Generally, there are 3 varieties of cause and effect essays. Second major source of smoking is psychological (MENTAL) which appears to be an essential aspect for people to find the habit. One of the most typical problems today that are killing people, throughout the world, is smoking. An effective Conclusion usually means that you get a well-developed comprehension of the subject. Selecting the correct topic has to be accomplished with care because it's the fundamental foundation of essay writing. Based on your essay's structure, there might be different methods for organizing it. Make a list of potential topics that you wish to describe in your cause and effect essay. Cause and effect is among the most typical kinds of essays. Reading cause and effect essay examples will allow you to produce your own writing. There's one main issue with the five paragraph essay. In truth, it is highly recommended that essay writers must produce ways on earning your topic interesting. Your essay topic is a core component of any kind of essay. Picking the essay topic has to be carried out carefully. Cause and learn advice on how to fully grasp how to compose an expository essay paragraph writing. The Secret to What Is a Cause and Effect Essay Samples Once more, based on the content you need to provide, the essay ought to be organized to suit your information efficiently and neatly. You might also get in touch with your writer to supply some excess recommendations or request information regarding the order's progress. If it's the first time you're likely to use our article writing service, you most likely have a lot of questions. Somebody works part-time and doesn't have sufficient time to do each of the assignments. It is suggested to look for the one which has a superior reputation and offers high-quality papers at very affordable prices. Additional ly, a customer may ask the writer to submit part of the job for review and, if needed, ask them to make corrections. Lastly, you've got to examine the paper on multiple occasions. The most frequently encountered paper writing service that the majority of our clients require is essay writing. It isn't important to us, whether you're too busy on the job concentrating on a passion undertaking, or simply tired of a seemingly infinite stream of assignments. Ask yourself why something happened and understand what took place due to the function. Cause and effect is a huge selection for those who want to better their skills not just in writing but logical thinking also. Cause and effect is a typical approach to organizing and discussing ideas. Cause and effect essays are a breeze to write, just stay focused and attempt to make impact through your words and through using evidence. It is a fact that smoking gives a sense of pleasure. Also any pregnant women that are exposed to cigar ettes smoke is going to have a higher risk of having abnormal baby. Cause and effect papers may be written in various ways. A cause and effect essay is the kind of paper that the writer is using to analyze the causes and effects of a certain action or event. Then you ought to write about the effects which immigration causes. So, once you will be writing, figure out whether you're stating the real causes and effects. As an example, an effect that stem up would incorporate interaction with unique personalities. You can begin by describing effects. Following that, it's possible to return to the first events that cause those effects. Its advent is a consequence of various aspects that consequence in different adverse outcomes. Inspect the last stages and analyze future consequences!

The Role of Media in Youth Culture in Contemporary Society

A $150 billion dream is how the demographic of teens is described in PBS’ â€Å"Merchants of Cool†. The role that society has given to the media to dictate youth culture has become one of the most lucrative conquests corporations are battling over today. Much like empires throughout history, media empires today have found their ‘Africa’. This paper is an examination of this silent, bloodless conquest through two different sociological lenses. First we will consider the effect of media in youth’s culture using functional theory. Stating the primary assumptions valuable in studying the effects of media on youth and youth culture. We will then consider the role of media in youth’s culture and how it is a functional piece of society. We will next†¦show more content†¦The businesses involved in this promoting system would is enormous. MTV then cross-promotes with other unrelated businesses like, for example, Sprite. Sprite provides a venue for the music, MTV broadcasts the artist performing and in doing so, promotes the artist that has been systematically chosen to promote. Two separate business entities interdependent of each other to accrue profit. But these businesses are not trying to reach an equilibrium or ideal plateau as this theoretical model employs. This is where the functional approach’s flaw lays; the definition of cool is always changing and therefore the industry must be always be changing not trying to stay the same. The second theoretical perspective to be examined is Symbolic Interactionism. This American-based perspective states that society and social structures are creations of interacting people and can therefore be changed (Ravelli amp; Webber, 2010, p. 56). Here, again, lie fundamental properties the symbolic interactionist would assume. Firstly, society is in constant evolution. 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