Someone sent me the following:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear Customaz:
It look like dem mek mistake an ship out couple a copies a WindowsXP YARDIE VERSION somewhere inna Idaho. If you good ole country folks in Idaho need a translatian fi di commaan dem, ere dem is:
When yuh open di Yardie edition yuh wi si di opening screen. It reads:"WINDAS 98", wit a background picture of Halfway Tree Square.
When yuh start di program yuh wi hear di bad bwoy antem: "Murda-ra Blood deh pan yuh shoulda" By Buju Banton".
Please also note:
Recycle Bin is labeled "General penitentiary"
My Computer is called "A Fimi Own"
The Inbox is referred to as "Barrel come"
Deleted Items are referred to as "Gaan, Rub out, Yuh Salt"
Dial up Networking is called "Ring mi Cellie"
Control Panel is known as the "Babylon"
Hard Drive is referred to as "Reema an Jungle"
Instead of an error message, "Ediat! Yuh know weh yuh a do?" pops up.
Performin' an "illegal operation" is known as "Smuggling not allowed unless part of the Govament"
CHANGES IN TERMINOLOGY
CHANGES IN TERMINOLOGY IN DA YAADIE EDITION:
OK.............Cool Noh
Cancel.........No badda yaw man
Reset..........Rewine
Yes............Irie
No.............No sah
Find...........Look fi it
Browse.........Faas
Back...........Tun roun
Help...........(this is not a feature ... Jamaicans know it all an doan need noh help)
Stop...........Dun now
Start..........Gwan troo
Settings.......Di set up
Also note dat keyboard noh of di YARDIE EDITION no have di letter "H."Wi doan use dat in wi vocabulary So dis is how yuh mus type certain "H"words:
Help.........Elp
Horrible?....Arrible
Hart ??? ....Art
Heavy ??.....Eby
Honda??......Unda
Handkerchif..Kerchief
Holiday......Alliday
Oh boy!
Saturday 19 April 2008
Giving Priority to Romans in Bible Translation
I've been listening to John Piper's sermons on a book, which, due to it's theological significance, one of the 16th century Bible translators (Martin Luther) had deemed "the very purest gospel."
This morning I listened John's message on Romana 1:18, entitled "The Wrath of God Against Ungodliness & Unrighteousness." In his message, Piper outlines 3 ways in which God expresses his wrath against ungodliness & unrighteousness: universal death, universal futility & misery, and the degradation of human behaviour. John then explains how these expressions are to be understood in terms of the non-Christian and in light of the Believer's relationship with God.
I could not help thinking about the importance of giving priority to Romans in Bible translation. Indeed, it isn't one of the easiest books to translate; however, if it is, as Luther argued, "the very purest gospel," shouldn't translators make an extra effort to make it available to the bibleless peoples of the world?
This morning I listened John's message on Romana 1:18, entitled "The Wrath of God Against Ungodliness & Unrighteousness." In his message, Piper outlines 3 ways in which God expresses his wrath against ungodliness & unrighteousness: universal death, universal futility & misery, and the degradation of human behaviour. John then explains how these expressions are to be understood in terms of the non-Christian and in light of the Believer's relationship with God.
I could not help thinking about the importance of giving priority to Romans in Bible translation. Indeed, it isn't one of the easiest books to translate; however, if it is, as Luther argued, "the very purest gospel," shouldn't translators make an extra effort to make it available to the bibleless peoples of the world?
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Our Government's Language Education Policy
Have you read the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Culture's (MOEYC) Language Education Policy? I did, a number of months ago.
For now, I would only like to say I believe the Jamaican Government is realistic. It recognises that Jamaica is a bilingual country with Jamaican Creole being the most widely used; and it laments (and rightly so) that "the fluid nature of language usage between these languages [Standard Jamaican English & Jamaican Creole), as well as the peculiar nature of the linguistic relationship they share, creates difficulties for the majority of Creole speakers learning English."
Well, what couse of action should be taken? The government considers 3 of 5 proposals:
1. Declare the Jamaican Language situation bilingual ascribing equal language status to Standard Jamaican English (SJC) and Jamaican Creole (JC). This would including tailoring a number of things to accommodate this status - teaching and publishing education material in JC.
2. Retain SJE as the official language and at the same time "promote the acquisition of basic literacy in the early years (eg. K – 3) in the home language and facilitate the development of English as a second language.
3. Maintain SJE as the official language and promote basic communication through the oral use of the home language in the early years (e.g. K – 3) while facilitating the development of literacy in English."
For financial as well as social and political constraints, the Government has opted for the 3rd suggestion. Siit ya: "Besides, issues such as funding for an adequate supply of literacy materials, as well as political and social attitudes to Creole as a medium of instruction (Bryan 2000),
particularly the latter, could present obstacles that are difficult to overcome."
So, my question is this: HOW CAN WE, WHO WOULD LIKE TO TRANSLATE INTO JC THE TEXT WHICH MOST (?) JAMAICANS READ AND MEMORISE, AVOID CONMFLICT WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY? This might be a foolish question, but I'm thinking anyway.
For now, I would only like to say I believe the Jamaican Government is realistic. It recognises that Jamaica is a bilingual country with Jamaican Creole being the most widely used; and it laments (and rightly so) that "the fluid nature of language usage between these languages [Standard Jamaican English & Jamaican Creole), as well as the peculiar nature of the linguistic relationship they share, creates difficulties for the majority of Creole speakers learning English."
Well, what couse of action should be taken? The government considers 3 of 5 proposals:
1. Declare the Jamaican Language situation bilingual ascribing equal language status to Standard Jamaican English (SJC) and Jamaican Creole (JC). This would including tailoring a number of things to accommodate this status - teaching and publishing education material in JC.
2. Retain SJE as the official language and at the same time "promote the acquisition of basic literacy in the early years (eg. K – 3) in the home language and facilitate the development of English as a second language.
3. Maintain SJE as the official language and promote basic communication through the oral use of the home language in the early years (e.g. K – 3) while facilitating the development of literacy in English."
For financial as well as social and political constraints, the Government has opted for the 3rd suggestion. Siit ya: "Besides, issues such as funding for an adequate supply of literacy materials, as well as political and social attitudes to Creole as a medium of instruction (Bryan 2000),
particularly the latter, could present obstacles that are difficult to overcome."
So, my question is this: HOW CAN WE, WHO WOULD LIKE TO TRANSLATE INTO JC THE TEXT WHICH MOST (?) JAMAICANS READ AND MEMORISE, AVOID CONMFLICT WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY? This might be a foolish question, but I'm thinking anyway.
Friday 4 April 2008
Tame-Durrleman - Exploring the Unique Jamaican Creole
I recently joined a group in Facebook called "I am Fluent in (Jamaican) Patois an' Lovin' It." I came across the link to an interesting article entitled "Tame-Durrleman - exploring the unique Jamaican creole" and published in the Jamaica Gleaner in December of last year.
One "Professa 'P-fi-Patwa'" commented on the Facebook post: "aal prieziz tu mi gyal Stefani fi taak chruut bout di patwa! di haatikal jos rimain mi hou somtaim yu afi go a farin fi get di due rekagnishan we yu dizerv. Jamieka Langwij stil av muor riispek in Inglan, Switzalan an aala dem plies-deh - taim fi honour wi langwij baka yaad."
Oh, how true!
One "Professa 'P-fi-Patwa'" commented on the Facebook post: "aal prieziz tu mi gyal Stefani fi taak chruut bout di patwa! di haatikal jos rimain mi hou somtaim yu afi go a farin fi get di due rekagnishan we yu dizerv. Jamieka Langwij stil av muor riispek in Inglan, Switzalan an aala dem plies-deh - taim fi honour wi langwij baka yaad."
Oh, how true!
Wednesday 2 April 2008
"Are The Goals & Objectives of Jamaica's Bilingual Education Project being met?"
I came across this paper, written by Ronals C Morris and Dianne M Morren, a few months ago. I thought I might share it with you. I've pasted the Abstract from the SIL website (hope it's lawful!). To read the paper, click the all caps word "abstract" below.
ABSTRACT:
"Jamaica, a bilingual nation, uses Standard Jamaican English (SJE) and Jamaican Creole (JC) as media of communication. JC is used primarily in the domain of the home and with friends. SJE is the language of education, religion, business, government and mass media. In Jamaica’s elementary schools many teachers have felt the need to employ code switching between SJE and JC in order to clarify what they are trying to teach. Even though JC is not an officially recognized language of education, this code switching is done with such frequency that young students commonly fail to distinguish between the two languages.
In 2004 the Jamaican Language Unit of the Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy of the University of the West Indies, proposed a four-year pilot Bilingual Education Project (BEP) that provides for teaching in both languages.
The following paper is a report of an external, formative evaluation of the BEP conducted in
November 2005. In this paper, the authors investigate whether or not the stated goals and objectives of Jamaica’s Bilingual Education Project are being met."
ABSTRACT:
"Jamaica, a bilingual nation, uses Standard Jamaican English (SJE) and Jamaican Creole (JC) as media of communication. JC is used primarily in the domain of the home and with friends. SJE is the language of education, religion, business, government and mass media. In Jamaica’s elementary schools many teachers have felt the need to employ code switching between SJE and JC in order to clarify what they are trying to teach. Even though JC is not an officially recognized language of education, this code switching is done with such frequency that young students commonly fail to distinguish between the two languages.
In 2004 the Jamaican Language Unit of the Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy of the University of the West Indies, proposed a four-year pilot Bilingual Education Project (BEP) that provides for teaching in both languages.
The following paper is a report of an external, formative evaluation of the BEP conducted in
November 2005. In this paper, the authors investigate whether or not the stated goals and objectives of Jamaica’s Bilingual Education Project are being met."