Speaking Jamaican

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  The official language of Jamaica is Standard English, however many Jamaicans also speak Patois which is a separate dialect/language. Jamaican Patois (also known as “Patwa”, “Patwah” or “Jamaican Creole”) is the language that is used by most Jamaicans in casual everyday conversations while Standard English is normally reserved for professional environment.

 Jamaican Patois is a dynamic language  in that it has many borrowed words from many different languages, for example, English, Spanish and  West African languages. However, the pronunciations of these words are very similar to Jamaican English. One thing to keep in mind as you learn Jamaican Patois is that it is not a strict, rule-oriented language where there is a "right way" and a "wrong way" to say things. Some words can be pronounced and spelled differently but still mean the same thing (e.g. both ‘Pickney’ and ‘Pickeney’ translates to ‘Child'). The important thing is whether or not what you are saying can be understood. 


Check out this link if you want to learn patwah.
https://youtu.be/givmUy3OTGw

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