The Clash of Two Languages and their Battle for Supremacy: Implications for the Teaching of English Language in a Creole Speaking Environment. A Mini-Study.

The battle has been raging for years. However, this sort of combat is not being fought on a literal battle ground but a psychological one. It is the battle of two languages; the Jamaican Creole and the Jamaican Standard English as played out in language classrooms. The paper highlights the critical role of the teacher in orchestrating an environment where both languages can coexist without the demise of the other. It examines the need for teachers to develop language awareness and to engage in professional development through research on theories applicable to developing language competence in the Jamaican language context. Hence, the purpose of this study to examine the impact of the complex nature of the language situation on English language classrooms through the lens of an observed English language session at a non- traditional high school in rural Jamaica. it also seeks to analyze the extent to which this particular teacher of English successfully navigates such challenges to develop English language competence in students