The battle lines have softened somewhat, but there is still substantial opposition to patois in the pulpit. Critics say it will dilute Scripture and undermine the already weak hold many poor Jamaicans ...

A push is underway to make Jamaica’s Patois an official language, on par with English, as the country weighs cutting ties to the British monarchy. By Simon Romero Photographs and Video by Alejandro ...

"Check di English bwoy dem try fi speak Patwa" – "Check these English boys trying to speak Patwa". This was often the response, amidst riotous laughter, from elders whenever my brother and I would ...

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — When English teacher Faith Linton first proposed translating the Bible into Jamaica's patois tongue in the late 1950s, most people who heard the idea shook their heads. Some ...

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Walk into any government office, courtroom or classroom in Jamaica, and you’ll be expected to speak the official language, English. But venture into the street, tune into a radio ...

KINGSTON, Jamaica — During Sunday church services and private celebrations in Jamaica, Christmas week prayers are being flavored with the first patois version of a familiar biblical account of Jesus’ ...

Jamaica is having a big debate about whether to teach patois in its schools. A refrain in the articles about the situation in the Jamaican Gleaner say: "The language I speak, I cannot write; the ...

English may be the official language of St. Lucia, but Kwéyòl — sometimes called Patois or Patwa — is widely spoken; its unique intonation makes its way into the beautiful lilt of the St. Lucian ...

Controversy over Bibles in Jamaica, the Philippines, and Germany reveal the divide between the sacred and the relatable. When Karen Roach first heard the Bible in Jamaican Patois, an English-based ...

Ghanaian reggae musician Rocky Dawuni has advised African artistes not to feel pressured to imitate Jamaican accents or language when making reggae or dancehall music .

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- When English teacher Faith Linton first proposed translating the Bible into Jamaica's patois tongue in the late 1950s, most people who heard the idea shook their heads. Some on ...