Patois kyaan vank English, no true?

Jamaican patois is a rich and vibrant language, but it remains non-standard, partly because it is still in a stage of rapid development, and partly because standard English remains the nation's lingua franca. A report in The Gleaner today looks at the problems faced by patois in the face of Jamaica's need to attract visitors, the vast majority of whom speak English and not patois, and the impact this has on the development of the language.

One of the problems that the article identifies is that pervasive illiteracy in Jamaica means that many locals only speak patois, which in turn leads to social problems, all exacerbated by a lack of education. The conclusion of the article is that Jamaicans need to learn standard English if the country is to succeed on the global stage, and this won't happen until the issue of illiteracy on the island is addressed.

Jamaican language resources on the internet include How to Learn Jamaican Patois Language, Rasta/Patois Jamaica Dictionary, and Talk Jamaican.