Profile on Jamaica
Warm up
1 What do you know about Jamaica? Circle the correct answers to complete the fact file.
Population: 4.3 billion / 2.8 million
Currency: Jamaican dollar / Pound sterling
National symbol: The apple / The ‘doctor bird’
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II / President Obama
A famous Jamaican: Usain Bolt / Will Smith
Fill the gaps
2 Complete the spaces with the following words.
Jamaican Patois Caribbean Commonwealth gold Kingston many English
1 Jamaica is the third largest island in the Sea.
2 The largest city and capital of Jamaica is ........... .
3 The official language is .......... , but many people also speak ...........
4 It is part of the and Queen Elizabeth II is the current head of state.
5 The Jamaican flag is green, black and ........... .
6 The national motto is ‘Out of , one people’.
Bob Marley
Bob Marley is probably Jamaica’s most famous son. He was a singer-songwriter who made Reggae music internationally popular. His mother was a black Jamaican and his father a white Englishman. He lived in a poor area of Kingston called Trench Town. Music was his inspiration. Before he had international success he was in a ska band called The Teenagers. ‘Ska’ is a type of music that began in Jamaica in the late 1950s. He used his music and popularity to promote* peace among people in Jamaica. He was just 36 years old when he died of cancer. He was buried* with a football, a guitar and a Bible.
Complete
3 Three Little Birds is one of Bob Marley’s most famous songs. Complete it with the words in the box.
songs little (x2) sun this
Rise up (1) .............. mornin’
Smiled with the risin’ (2) Three little birds
Pitch* by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet (3)
Of melodies pure and true, Sayin’, ‘This is my message to you-ou-ou’
Singin’ ‘Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, 'Cause every (4) thing gonna be all right!’
Singin’ ‘Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, 'Cause every (5) .............. thing gonna be all right!’
Jamaican Patois and Miss Lou
English is the official language of Jamaica, but most Jamaicans are bilingual, they also speak Jamaican Patois. This is a mixture* of English and West African languages.
Miss Lou, who was born in Kingston, wrote lots of poems in Patois. One of her most famous poems is Colonization in Reverse*. Many Jamaicans emigrated from Jamaica to the UK, the USA and Canada to look for better jobs and opportunities. The poem below talks about the experience of Jamaicans who went to England.
Writing
4 Read the poem extract and the corresponding ‘rules’ about Jamaican Patois. Then try to rewrite it in standard English.
Colonization in Reverse
Jamaica people colonizin
Englan in reverse.
By de hundred, by de tousan
From country and from town,
By de ship-load, by de plane-load Jamaica is Englan boun.
Rules
1 ‘th’ can be pronounced ‘d’or ‘t’.
Did you know...?
The record-beating sprinter Usain Bolt said he wants to play football for Manchester United when he retires.
Dem a pour out a Jamaica
Everybody future plan
Is fe get a big-time job
An settle in de mother lan. What a islan! What a people! Man an woman, old an young
2 the last letter of words is often not pronounced.
3 words ending ‘-or’ can be pronounced ‘e’.
National Flag
On August the 6th 1962, Jamaica became completely independent from Great Britain. A new country needed a new flag! The Jamaican flag has three colours: black which represents strength and creativity; green which represents the land and hope; gold which represents the sun.
Words to remember
buried: sepolto
in reverse: al contrario mixture: miscuglio
pitch: si siedono promote: promuovere