To understand, here is some cultural perspective. Many of my classmates were not so lucky and struggled. I would then incorporate new words into my sentences until I was confident in their use and meaning from memory. Additionally, I was always nose-deep in some novel with my dictionary close behind for words I did not know. As an adult, I realized that much of my affinity for language subjects and bolstering my vocabulary then stemmed from my love of reading. I grew up as a more proficient child in English than Math. I did not, but they spoke Patois a certain way, and since we all lived in close proximity, so did I. Within months, far too many people thought I, too, ailed from the West. In my first year in university, my eight-room dorm flat had five people from Western Jamaica. I instinctively adapt to the language of my environs. For some of us, including me, code-switching is natural. Jamaican Patois is among the world’s most popular. Most West-Indian countries sport a similar but native dialect to their country. There are many different contexts, but we’ll talk about it being a feature and bi-product of being West-Indian for this blog post. It’s something prevalent with multilingual people and culturally diverse and aware people. What is Code-Switching?Ĭode-switching in terms of linguistics means switching in and out of two or more languages. Before we talk about that, if you don’t know what code-switching is, here’s some insight. Obviously, this is not a decision most people care to make. To some, it may seem like cultural rejection. I know it’s true that she does sound more North American when she speaks, but what often gets left out of those brief conversations is how intentional it was, not the North American part, but the Standard English part. It’s usually a topic of conversation, but I thought I would share the reason behind this intentional piece of parenting my husband and I took with our child. As a parent whose child was born and raised in Jamaica, I often hear comments like ‘She sounds like a foreigner’ when she speaks. She does it like a boss, and I cannot be prouder. My daughter is five years old and is prone to code-switching between English and Patois in an instant.
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