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Caribbean Journal of Education

The Language Learning Aptitudes of Jamaican Children at the Beginning of Secondary School

Pages: 
1-21
Publication Date: 
January 1976
Issue: 
Abstract: 

Against the background of the creole-language situation in Jamaica, the present paper examines the need for a study of language aptitudes. Also examined are the relevance of S. B. Carroll's theory of language aptitudes in the Jamaican situation, and the implications that become evident out of a comparison of children's performance in language-aptitude and learning-potential tests. The findings suggest that performance in both types of test is strongly influenced by social-class factors. It is then further suggested that the communication style of creole-influenced speech is different from that required overtly or covertly in most types of test performance, and that this specific factor could be responsible for the results discussed.

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