The Native Tongue

Jamaican Students Speaking Patois in the U.S.

By Shannay Porter Latanya Porter and Britannia Croll holding Jamaican flag

When moving to America, Britannia Croll never expected that she would ever be ashamed

of her native dialect, yet, after constantly being mocked and told to speak proper English by teachers and peers, Croll made attempts to purge herself of her native tongue.

Patois is the native dialect of Jamaica while English is the country’s official language. The history of Patois stems from slavery when enslaved people came together to create a dialect out of rebellion against slave masters. Patois is heavily influenced by English, Spanish, African languages such as Twi and Kwa, and French. It is a dialect that tells of the history and strength of Jamaica.

Jamaican students in the United States have often faced being mocked for their accents and pronunciation which has caused many Jamaican students to lose confidence in themselves and their dialect.

CAU junior, Morgan Salmon explains that her experience with being mocked has led to a lack of confidence in herself. She also added to her statement saying, “I have a thick Jamaican accent, but I do speak English and I know I can be understood but I don’t think Americans make an effort to understand me and often times mock my pronunciation of words or straight up imply that I do not speak English even though it is my first language.”

While some Americans mock the dialect others attempt to speak Patois to Jamaicans out of respect or appreciation. Croll discusses her experience with these Americans stating, “Some

Americans are respectful to Jamaican culture, particularly our language or accent.”

Salmon also commented stating, “I think Americans who want to educate themselves about

other cultures and are open to having conversations are typically very respectful of my culture. From these individuals I receive many compliments on my accent and language,

and genuine questions about it. There are many other Americans who base their conversations on gross stereotypes and those are the ones I find to be disrespectful.”

Jelani Luke, an American junior at CAU stated that he believed that Jamaican students had

a right to feel offended from being mocked. However, he also believed that there is a difference between an American attempting to speak Patois out of respect and an American mocking a Jamaican, with the latter being disrespectful.

Jade Davis, an American CAU student who has befriended many Jamaicans at CAU since Fall 2021 also agreed with Luke stating that if she does try to speak Patois it is out of respect or admiration for Jamaican culture. She explains her understanding of Patois stating, “My understanding has grown immensely since befriending my Jamaican friends. I almost know how to use the words together. I’m getting there.”

Patois has also been referred to as broken English by both Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans

which has caused mixed reactions throughout the years. Croll states her position on the matter saying, “Patois is not broken English. The language itself stems from ancestral

tongues and is heavily influenced by different languages. I don’t like when people refer to my native tongue as broken because there is a lot more to the language than just being referred to as broken English.”

Latanya Porter, a CAU student also added her opinion stating, “When one refers to something as broken, you get the sense that whatever they are alluding to needs to

be fixed. Patois is a language that took inspiration from multiple different languages. It is not fragmented English words; therefore, to refer to it as broken English is not right.”

While both Croll and Porter disagreed with referring to Patois as broken English, Morgan Salmon and Lionae Heron disagreed and stated that they were fine with the reference.

The dialect, whether it is referred to as broken English or not, is a significant part of Jamaican culture, and many Jamaicans take pride in expressing themselves in Patois.

Croll has since become one of these proud Jamaicans, who after attempting to purge herself of her dialect has instead fully embraced it. Croll now appreciates the dialect, its

history and its importance to Jamaican culture, and she looks forward to educating others about her culture.