The title of a book is an extremely important detail that can be a deterrent or a compelling force as to whether a reader chooses a book or passes it by. As I laid hold of the text, the first aspect of it that drew my attention was the very title which I believe is most fitting, Between Two Grammars: Research and Practice for Language Learning and Teaching in a Creole-speaking Environment. The title sets the stage as I assumed that the central issue of the book had to do with two languages that have two distinct grammatical structures.

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.