Fw: Jamaica

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Members:

Ana-Celia Zentella has asked me to forward the attached and the message
below:

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"As you can see from this e-mail transmission, the question of language
identity, language rights, language policy, and language empowerment is of
increasing interest and importance to nations around the world,
particularly those emerging out of a post-Colonial environment and seeking
their autonomy and independence.    In the present context Government
officials, educators, linguists, and the general public-at-large are
trying to carve out a language policy that more fairly, accurately, and
equitably represents the linguistic reality of the nation of Jamaica, a
country which many educators in the United States of America continue to
identify narrowly and prejudicially as
"English-speaking", with the consequence that Jamaican immigrant students
who are monolingual-Jamaican speaking, rather than monolingual-English
speaking, are typically characterized as having or demonstrating language
deficits and prescribed for Speech, remedial reading, or special education
services on the basis of their below-level performance in English.

By adopting a policy in Parliament of recognizing two official languages
--Jamaican and English -- Jamaica would enable American educators to
engage in better decision-making  pertaining to the language rights of
Jamaican immigrant students, many of whom are -- and should be recognized
as --"English Language Learners".    Clearly, some of these students are
competent in English; but many of them are not by virtue of the fact that
their native and only language is Jamaican, not English.


Let's hope that advocates of bilingual education can rally to the cause of
their fellow English language learners throughout the world, particularly
those who fall under the imperialistic yoke of an "English-only" policy.
Let freedom ring!!!"

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H.Schiffman
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Professor Ana Celia Zentella
Ethnic Studies
University of California at San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive  M/C 0522
La Jolla, CA 92093-0522
tel: 858- 534 8128
fax: 858- 534 8194
-----Original Message-----
From: ana celia <aczentella at nethere.com>
To: owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu <owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
Date: Thursday, January 31, 2002 11:58 PM
Subject: Jamaica


Dear Hal- don't know if you'd like to share this with the list, or put them on the web-- one is the text by Devonish, and the other is a short bio of Devonish and explanation of the 'cause'.
Professor Ana Celia Zentella
Ethnic Studies
University of California at San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive  M/C 0522
La Jolla, CA 92093-0522
tel: 858- 534 8128
fax: 858- 534 8194
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