The challenges of teaching English

The Editor, Sir:

As a future high-school English teacher currently in my first year at a very prominent teachers' college, I feel it is my duty to show an interest in the direction being taken by the education system with regard to the teaching of English to our youth.

Many times we expect English to be easily grasped as it is our designated national language. However, as a student majoring in double English, I can attest to the fact that it is not as easy as it seems. I believe that many times we fail to understand that our young people are grown up and immersed in a culture that gravitates toward individualism and our native tongue - Jamaican Creole.

Students within our high schools are taught a language that does not come as easily to them because, as it is with a foreign language, their minds are not familiar with it and so there is a block. Therefore, I strongly believe that the English language should be presented to our students in the same manner and care in which a foreign language, such as Spanish or French, is taught. Becoming proficient in a language requires many hours of dedicated practice and a healthy interest.

big struggle

The Jamaican Creole is a language which is expressive, colourful and vibrant. These are the same words which can be used to describe our people, especially our youth. However, being taught to conform to the English language causes much resistance and, therefore, is one of the biggest struggles any young person can face within the classroom. I believe that a language such as English, which is arguably the hardest language to learn as there are no set explanations or rules for pronunciation, usage and spelling, should be handled with more care when being imparted to our youth.

Though I have not experienced an English class from the perspective of a teacher as yet, I am sure that many teachers will attest to the fact that students have a hard time grasping standard English and oftentimes revert to Jamaican Creole while expressing themselves.

Jamaicans have a language heritage of our own and it is wonderful that our youth are embracing it. However, they must be brought up to understand that there is a time for Jamaican Creole and a time for standard English. Mastery of the English language must be achieved in order to communicate universally as English is the lingua franca of the world. This will not be possible if a proper attitude is not developed toward English by our young people.'

I am, etc.,

KIMBERLEY HENRY

kimmytron@yahoo.com

Discovery Bay PO

St Ann