Mair,
You are so right --- there are so many things you just don't get in a book (I think I have that book you wrote about around her somewhere...) --- and a language certainly can't be learned solely that way. You do/will pick the language up with constant exposure. And even then...there are places I've been in Jamaica where I didn't understand but every few words in some peoples' patois (I've experiences this with listening to the language of some very southern, rural black people here, too). Like in St. Mary...Moore Town, in Jamaica (it is a Maroon Town). Some of the elders there spoke such very, very thick patois...and as I listened, I realized that I was listening to a form of patois that was more African than English in nature. I remember sitting in frustration as one elder ran down some Maroon history for me...and I wanted SO badly to get it (I'm a serious history lover), but I didn't. He finally looked at me, smiled and said, 'You don't understand what I'm saying, do you?' I laughed and told him no...not much of it at all!

After so many years of exposure, though, I've come to recognize patois from different areas of the Caribbean. For example, the patois and accents of people from the Eastern islands such as Barbados and St. Kitts, have different sounds than Jamaican patois and accents (it is a little 'softer' in sound). And, I can often (but not always!) recogonize for example, the patois and accent of a Kingstonian and a Motegonian...different ways of speech, accent, etc (same way as in the States you can often tell where a person is from based on their accent and forms of speech). There are many different factors that influence how much a person speaks patois, and/or how thick their patois is. But what few Americans know is that almost all Jamaicans also can speak 'proper' Queen's English --- as that is what is taught in schools. The rare exceptions to this rule is that of people who live in very rural country areas and never attended any school --- mostly older people. Most people who speak very little patois are those who are wealthy in Jamaica --- though they can speak it, some choose not to.

This Is Amazing........... White Rastaman Good Luck To U And Good Luck Returing To Your Home Of Ethiopia, Afrika.

Yo

I just came back from Jamaica

I am the first wanna be Jamaican Jew

Teach me your Jamaican speech for a Jew boy

I want to write a letter to my daughter who is 15. Her boyfriend is away and she misses him. She has two dogs and lives with her mother. She is taking dance lessons, but hates it. I want to write her in Jamician Slang. Can you help? Her name is victoria

Hello, I hope someone can help. This is my first time on this site and I'm not quite sure what I'm doing. I wish to write a letter to my 15 yr old daughter in jamician. Can anyone help? It would be greatly appreciated.

Well go ahead and write from your heart Botenderson.

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yea go ahead.

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Karma is a ..............so be careful what u do in life!.

wa gwaan bredrin? mi a baan a jamaican yardi an mi fram montego bay. anyting u wan fram meh holla bak. peace

kingsolomon onu rasc*lt had eaz man. eaz up onu self an brin' all di jamaican familys peace. mi kyaan help u if u waan meh to

Shut up Nancy. Hola. Here's one... Rasta... Likke more youth

Be nice now...

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Gwey oono cyaan chat patwa nd mi naah teech oono

Uh-oh, I'm guilty of speaking half and half, but only because I don't know but half! LOL

I'm trying to learn it, and it's so much harder than I thought, so I toss in a few words here and there just to use them.

Nancy, your friend who is into black languages...ask her if she knows any Gullah. That's the black language I grew up with, and it's a lot like Patois, spoken with the same inflections, although different words at times, and the same in others.

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LOLOLOLOL Charming...isn't this?

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Hi all. I live in Ontario, Canada and 8 years ago I met a wonderful Jamaican man while on vacation. He originally came to Canada in 1975 on contract. Each year there are at least a dozen Jamaicans who come here to work and even though I understand "B" well it's when the bunch of them get together and speak patois I am lost. I am able to pick out a few words but have to ask for clarification later. I agree with SisterNancy's post, I repsect their culture as I do my own (Canadian) I just want to learn the language so I don't feel like a gate post when amonst them. I have not been to Jamaica yet but am looking forward to going and meeting his family especially seeing as in a year or so I will be MrsD.