Language and the silencing of the masses
Published:Tuesday | June 27, 2023 | 12:16 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Each time the issue of Patois is raised, there are many people who do not go beyond the word before they begin to unleash discriminatory utterances, and sometimes tirade, against the writer. Some people remain silent. Many of these persons emerged from Patois language and culture, and along with a small, traditional elite, they play the gatekeeper’s role.
Colonialism and its attendants as well as the dysfunctional system of education put emphasis on the legitimate language of power (imperial), while rejecting the idea that the language created by slaves cannot be recognised and given the same basic recognition as English as a means of communication. There is a view that the persistence crisis among the youth, low productivity and poor workforce, high levels of crime and violence may be associated with the perennial neglect of the language of the masses. In other words, as one writer argues, these social maladies exist because of the failure to liberate the language of the masses. There can be no response to the language crisis in Jamaica unless Patois is recognised as one of the languages spoken by the majority of Jamaicans. Who communicates to the masses?
We are reminded by Davids (2013) that it was in 1952 that language rights issue emerged as a response to the need to recognise native languages. As a result, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization celebrates an annual International Mother Language Day and that global body instructs that children should learn in a language that they understand.
Teach the children English as a second language so they will learn. Our secondary-school students are taught French and Spanish as second languages. It is not about the ranking of language; it is about reducing discrimination while improving academic performances. The lack of recognition of the Jamaican Creole language is tantamount to the ‘silencing of the masses’. The people, by and large, do not understand the government pronouncements, they do not read the newspaper, many cannot read, and radio broadcasts do not make any difference. The only persons communicating with the very young and also to the adult population are the deejays. They share the common language. The silencing of the masses is a strategy used by the colonial authorities for social control.
The masses of this country are unable to participate effectively in the democratic process. Many parents only know that they must send their children to school because it is the law, but are not able to do more in terms of educational enrichment. These parents are constantly blamed for much of the problems in the educational system – blaming the victims. Who will give official recognition to Patois as one of the languages of the Jamaican masses? Alton Ellis would ask, is it because I am black?
LOUIS MOYSTON