- 'Wah Yu Sey Miss?' A study of the Jamaican Creole Speaking Students at Mount Winston: A rural elementary school in Jamaica West Indies

This is a 24 page preview of a dissertation available on ProQuest database. The study was conducted by Winsome Pauline Whyte Williams. The full copy is available for purchase hereAbstractThis study examines how kindergarteners through grade three (K-3) students, all speakers of the JC, negotiate two languages in their first years of school in southern Trelawny, Jamaica. The study explores how teachers' pedagogical practices and patterns of discourse in the classroom, can enhance or constrain students' learning and language development.The study describes five discourse patterns that emerge in the data: repeating, rephrasing, code-switching, monitoring and prompting. These patterns are explored to gain an understanding of how students are positioned as language learners.A major focus is on the stigma associated with the JC. While there is a shift in its recognition as a cultural language, current policy and pedagogy position students as poor speakers of English, rather than English Language Learners.The study documents language ideologies: one views JC as an impediment and one as a resource for learning. Nevertheless, both teachers understand JC and accept its use to some extent.Assumptions underlying this study include the linguistic equality among all languages and dialects, the recognition of Jamaica as a bilingual country, and the implied position of rural Jamaican students as English learners. Discussion from a multiple disciplinary approach highlights Jamaica historically as a colonized society.Ethnographic approach to data collection and discourse analysis style were employed. Participant observation provided an opportunity for documentation of speech interactions between teachers and students. The study revealed that: (1) Creole was used, however, rote learning did not allow for much variation. (2) Open-ended questions supported learning and language development. (3) Topics which were relevant to students' experiences supported conceptual understanding and language learning. (4) Close-ended questions constrained learning and diminished the opportunities for language practice. (5) Use of the native language supported students' learning. (6) Code switching was an effective strategy that supported the construction of knowledge and language learning.Both languages have the potential for supporting learning. It is prudent for Teacher Training institutions, The Ministry of Education, Education officers, school administrators, PTA's, teachers, parents and all educational agencies to form linkages to address this critical factor that has potential for fostering competencies and promoting improved linguistic skills of Jamaicans.