Jamaica is a native English speaking country, where they use the British English spelling. They do, however, accept American English spellings. None of these languages are similar to the Jamaica Creole, which is how the people in Jamaica speak. This has become popular on the international scene when referring to the Rastafarians. Jamaicans, though, although they talk there Creole, will at times often refer to it as bad English.
The standard Jamaican English language is very similar to the British English language, if not the very same. American English is very popular in Jamaica, though, since there are many TV stations from America, and the majority of tourists on the island are Americans. This makes American English very popular there. The most noticeable part of the Jamaican language is the pronunciation of words or their accent. Once you hear a Jamaican speaking, you will know that person and be able to separate them from the other Caribbean countries.
Another thing that makes the language distinctive is the popular reggae and dancehall music. After these types of music were aired internationally, many persons all over the world will want to know about how Jamaicans speak and the popular slangs, as well as there accent. Creole, however, is the most popular language used when Jamaicans are communicating with other Jamaicans. It is the first language. Jamaicans will only speak Standard English when they are in a formal setting and when around foreigners, and sometimes they don’t. If they are all comfortable, then they will speak there Creole.
This might take a while for you to catch on to when you visit Jamaica. There Creole is modified daily so you would probably have a hard time catching up on new phrases and their meanings. Some will stay the same, however, so you will always be able to communicate.
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