VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | January – March 2022 18 Well-known author, literary scholar and advocate of Jamaican culture, especially its language and musical expressions of reggae and dancehall, Dr, Carolyn Cooper, has reiterated the call for bilingual education of English and Jamaican English in schools, while stamping her trademark wit and aplomb in delivering a provocative 8th Hilory Pamela Kelly Distinguished Lecture on the topic “‘Whose Class Are You In?’ Language, Power, and Dis/Advantage in Jamaica” on January 27, 2022 via Zoom. The annual distinguished lecture hosted by UTech, Jamaica’s Language Training Research Centre (LTRC), Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies (FELS) pays homage to eminent language educator, Mrs. Pamela Kelly, University Orator, and founder of the Centre’s predecessor, the Self-Access Learning Centre, and provides a space for the presentation of new scholarship in the areas of academic literacy and language education. Dr. Carolyn Cooper, Professor Emerita, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies, (Mona) highlighting the implications of English versus Jamaican language as a marker of class and privilege, tackled the marked snobbery of some English speakers, who “casually assume that they will be universally understood, even when they use expressions that are not at all common,” while harbouring prejudicial ideas about speakers of Jamaican. Thus, Dr. Cooper raised the question “Whose class are you in?” sharing the anecdote of a young student who did not understand the formal language register of the question posed to him by his Principal. “I speculate if the Principal had said “Whoffa class are you in?” the child would probably have understood the mixture of English and Jamaican,” she expressed. Dr. Cooper advocated that urgent and greater attention be paid to language in Jamaica, especially at the primary level, stressing “we need to find new ways of teaching English, so that our success rate will be higher than it is now, and we must ensure that all students learn to distinguish between English and Jamaican.” She pointed to inroads being made in this regard, highlighting the establishment of the Jamaica Language Unit at the UWI, Mona and praising the work of Mrs. Pamela Kelly, and the Language Teaching and Research Centre at UTech, Jamaica. She called on the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information to institute programmes that would cater to students who speak only their mother tongue, in order to aid their understanding of their lessons. Dr. Cooper also lamented the discriminatory and prejudicial attitudes and the “primitive emotional view of the local language” that still remain at all levels of Jamaican society, including among intellectuals, and expressed her hope that the Jamaica of the future will be a bilingual society, with an ingrained appreciation for Jamaican language. Professor Shermaine Barrett, Dean, FELS, in her remarks, expressed appreciation to Mrs. Kelly for her “continued service to the University in the various hats you have worn over the years.” She also indicated that the celebration of Mrs. Kelly’s legacy through the outlet of a lecture was fitting, highlighting that “academic forums, such as this lecture, form a vital part of the landscape of any university as they provide spaces for academic discourse, knowledge sharing and to encourage new ways of thinking.” Dr. Warrick Lattibeaudiere, Director, Language Teaching and Research Centre (LTRC), in his remarks, highlighted the tireless work of Mrs. Kelly to improve language education at the University, noting her involvement in the creation of the Self Access Centre, the unit which served as the precursor to the LTRC. Dr. Lattibeaudiere noted that the Self Access Centre “showed students the pathway in grammar and other language related skills,” and has helped to shape the lives and careers of many students, lecturers and others at UTech, Jamaica. In her gracious response, Mrs. Pamela Kelly expressed that she was “pleased and honoured to be once again participating in this annual lecture.” She also expressed gratitude to the staff and her colleagues at the Faculty in continuing to host the annual event, noting the importance of examining issues in language and education. Dr. Carolyn Cooper, Professor Emerita, the UWI, Mona Professor Shermaine Barrett, Dean, Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies (FELS) Dr. Warrick Lattibeaudiere Mrs. Hilory Pamela Kelly 8th Annual Pamela Kelly Lecture Examines Bilingual Education in Schools
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDQ5NzI=