Language Education Policy and the Teaching of Spanish at the Primary Level in Jamaica

This book examines the status and relationships of the languages included in Jamaica's Language Education Policy, with a particular focus on Spanish. While Jamaican Creole is the first language for most Jamaicans and English is the second and official language, Spanish has been designated as Jamaica's official foreign language. Parliamentarians and other commentators often speak about granting 'second language' status to Spanish, a notion that conflicts with thecountry's Language Education Policy and the complex linguistic landscape within Jamaica and the wider English-speaking Caribbean. This book sets the record straight by underlining where Spanish fits within the overall language framework and reviews the efforts of Jamaica's Ministry of Education (MoE) to enhance the teaching of Spanish, particularly at the primary level, as mandated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the early 2000s. This work will be of interest to students and scholars of foreign language education and language policy, as well as trainee teachers, curriculum developers, and education administrators.

Highlights the languages of Jamaica, with a special emphasis on Spanish Discusses efforts to enhance the teaching of Spanish from the primary level in Jamaica Examines the impact of the 1997 CARICOM mandate on language education policy in Jamaica

Autorentext

Nadine K. Barnett is a Lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at The University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Her research interests include second/foreign language acquisition, language policy, and teacher education.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Spanish in Jamaica's Language Education Policy.- Chapter 2: Officialdom: Spanish versus Jamaican Creole.- Chapter 3: The CARICOM Mandate.- Chapter 4: Jamaica's Response to the CARICOM Mandate.- Chapter 5: Teachers of Spanish for the Primary Level.- Chapter 6: At What Age Should Foreign Language Learning Start?.- Chapter 7: The 'Restart Policy': Articulation of Spanish in Schools.