Balancing Creole and Standard English

Reproduced from the Letters to the Editor: The Gleaner Newspaper Monday July 28, 2008

THE EDITOR, Sir:
IN LIGHT of the swirling debate on the relevance of the Bible being translated to Jamaican Creole, I wish to direct your readers to a book reviewed by Paul H. Williams in The Sunday Gleaner, June 22, that should help in putting some rational perspective to the controversy.
The book is From Vernacular to Standard English: Teaching Language and Literacy to Caribbean Students by Dennis R. Craig. It offers interesting reading and I strongly believe it will help in underscoring a point I tried to make in a previous letter to the editor regarding our use of the Jamaican Creole. I pointed out that it was important that we extend our thinking in terms of the potential of the language.
Intangible heritage
I accept that the proposal to utilise this intangible heritage as a salient feature of Jamaica's heritage tourism is something that requires far more formal preparation which should begin in our schools. This is the thinking that is thoroughly discussed in Craig's publication and it is my hope that we will all embrace the educational value of the language and introduce to our classrooms the teaching-learning dynamics of Creole and Standard English.
His publication is a timely intervention in a debate which frankly has taken on short-sighted proportions, including our prime minister's unfortunate thinking that the Patois Bible project reflects a failure of the education system. Craig present readers with a range of necessary themes including the historical context of the development of the vernacular, background of the language, the development and use of language awareness and important, how to incorporate these and other elements in teaching primary- and secondary-level students.
Cowardice to embrace mother tongue
The objections and alarmist cries that we have been hearing has really not been about the Bible being translated to Creole, as it is about our cowardice to embrace the mother tongue which is Office of Utilities Regualtions first language - notwithstanding that English is our official language. Read Craig and you will understand the distinction and the need to accept that our 'language emancipation' lies in how we choose to balance the use of Creole and Standard English in and outside our classrooms.
I am, etc.,
J. LINDSAY
Commhertours@yahoo.com

More than Medical Alumni

Health and Development in Our Time: Selected Speeches of Sir George Alleyne, edited by Prof. Henry Fraser is IRP's latest book off press. Launched on Tuesday July 15, 2008 as part of the UWI 60th Anniversay Celebrations at the opening ceremony of the 9th annual UWI Medical Alumni Association Medical Conference, Vice Chancellor of the University E. Nigel Harris was the featured speaker and remarks on the publication were also made by IRP Managing Director, Christine Randle. Sir George was very gracious in his response and made presentations of his publication to:

His Excellency Prof. Sir Kenneth Hall – Governor General of Jamaica, Professor Emeritus of the UWI Mona and Former Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Uwi Mona Campus

Sir Shridath Ramphal – Chancellor Emeritus of the UWI

E. Nigel Harris – Vice Chancellor of the UWI

Following the close of the launch proceedings, the limited number of books available were sold out but are available at www.ianrandlepublishers.com. Just click the book title above and you'll be taken straight to the buying page on our website.

Above: Sir George Alleyne, Ian Randle, Christine Randle and Prof. Henry Fraser

Lamming takes a Peek

Earlier this month at the CARICOM Heads of Goverment in Antigua, our Chairman and Publisher Ian Randle caught up with veteran Caribbean author and literary stalwart George Lamming, who was being conferred with the order of the Caribbean Community. Lamming got an advanced copy of our forthcoming book Lunchtime Medley: Writings on West Indian Cricket (Morris and Carnegie, eds.) in which one of his pieces appears and was caught enjoying a read.

Lunchtime Medley brings together a range of literary pieces related to West Indian cricket and cricketers from the geners of music, poetry, story and commentary and will be available in September.

Catalogue available

At long last our 2008-2009 catalogue is available. This year we dedicate our catalogue to the memory of Lloyd Best and celebrate Caribbean Independent Thought. Thirty-five (35) new books are featured across the areas of Biography&Memoir; History; Cultural and Diaspora Studies; Politics, Economics & Development; Literature; and Law. Of these 35 new books, 12 have already been published and are avaliable, with another 3 presently on press and scheduled for delivey by the end of July.

At an average rate of 2 new books every month we've been very busy!

To get your copy of the latest catalogue, email us at marketing@ianrandlepublishers.com

Busy Busy July

What a week it has been! Since the beginning of the month IRP has been on the road. We started off with our Chairman and Publisher Ian Randle joining CARICOM Heads of Government at their recently concluded meeting in Antigua. Since July 3, IRP has also been exhibiting at 3 different conferences in Kingston. We were warmly received by the over 500 participants at the international cultural studies conference of the Association for Cultural Studies (ACS), 2008 ACS Crossroads held on the Mona campus of the UWI from July 3-7. Overlapping with that was our presence at the annual Caribbean Association of Law Librarians (CARALL) conference held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel from July 7-9. We've rounded the week off with our usual presence at the CXC marking exercise taking place from July 9-11.

The Manley Memoirs in Florida

Beverley Manley was in South Florida last week on the first of her overseas promotions of The Manley Memoirs. Warmly received, at the two events at the Broward Community College Library and Books & Books in Miami, Beverley is back home in Jamaica recharging before the next slate of events for August.

Read a copy of Dr. Carol Boyce Davis's phenomenal presentation and review of The Manley Memoirs.

Above: Ricardo Allicock and Cheryl Wynter of the

Jamaican Consulte in Miami with Beverley Manely

Sneak Preview

Wendell Mottley's Trinidad and Tobago Industrial Policy 1959-2008 is set to do very well when it is formally released and launched in September. At the Business Futures of the Americas Conference hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago under the theme Energy and the Environment, last week in Port of Spain (June 26-27), advanced copies of the book prepared specially for the event were sold out at the end of the 2-day conference. The book will be available in hardback in September 2008.

Off Press, launched and almost sold out!

On June 23, 2008, Bridgetown, Barbados was the setting for the launch of IRP's latest book off press, Truly a Gentleman: The Right Excellent Hugh Worrell Springer by Kean Springer. Hosted by the Barbados Workers Union, of which Sir Hugh was a founding member, over 150 guests were treated to reviews and comments from Historian Professor Emeritus Alvin Thompson, Friend and Former Governor of the Barbados Central Bank, Sir Courtney Blackman, Daughter Richild Springer, Head of the BWU, Sir Roy Trotman and musical renditions from the Barbados String Quartet, Colin and Annette Norville and a surprise pre-release of a new song Excellence by Barbados Calypsonian Red Plastic Bag. Book sales were brisk and as of today, only paperbacks are available from us. Guests included Sir Shridath Ramphal, Sir George Alleyne, members of the Springer family and extended family and Barbados Chief Justice Sir David Simmons and Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley.