English Around the World. Teaching Varieties of English Using the Example of Jamaican Creole (PDF)

Master's Thesis from the year 2022 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,7, University of Koblenz-Landau (Landau), course: Masterarbeit, language: English, abstract: How can varieties of English using the example of Jamaican Creole be taught? The main objective of this thesis will be the introduction of different methods and materials that can be used for teaching varieties of English using the example of Jamaican Creole.

Hearing different varieties of English when having learned about only two varieties, that is to say, British and American English, may lead to confusion and in some cases even to aversion towards other varieties thinking that only Standard British or American English are 'real' Englishes. Without a doubt, it is the responsibility of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers to raise awareness about English varieties and make the students realize that every variety of English deserves respect and acceptance.

First and foremost, the historical background of Jamaican Creole will be examined and the focus will be on how it emerged and developed. On this occasion, it will be analyzed in what way several languages such as English, Spanish, and African languages have influenced Jamaican Creole. Special attention is directed towards the major terms pidgins and creoles in order to understand how creole languages all over the world have come into existence. In the next step, I will go into further detail on the linguistic profile of Jamaica. The focus will be on the role of Standard Jamaican English and Jamaican Creole in different contexts and situations. As not only one Jamaican Creole exists, the definition of the Post-Creole Continuum will be part of this chapter. Afterward, linguistic features of Jamaican Creole such as phonological, grammatical, and lexical will be further explained and demonstrated through selected examples, in other words, a Reggae song, and a short story. These literary texts will also be used in the further course of this thesis when developing a unit about Jamaican Creole. Linguistic similarities to other pidgin and creole languages will be presented in order to comprehend how they must have emerged and developed in the same way and that some of them have the same origin. In the following chapter, the importance of English varieties in the educational context will be emphasized. By this means, it will be analyzed what role English varieties play in the German curriculum and how they are represented in German course books for EFL learners. In the last chapter, the focus will be on ways to teach Jamaican Creole in school. [...]