Lesson 11
English in the Caribbean
加勒比海英语
When we hear the word English， we naturally think of the language spoken by those living in the United Kingdom or of the people living in England. We also often think of their language as the international language， the one spoken as a native language in Ireland， the United States， Canda， Australia， and New Zealand， countries which have had a close association with England for centuries. However， English is spoken as a native or second language in a large number of other countries which were once colonies of the British Empire.
Latin America， including Mexico， Central America， the Caribbean， and South America， is often thought of as a linguistically homogenous area of Latinate languages （those languages like French， Italian， Portuguese， and Spanish which originated from Latin.）。 This is generally true， as the vast majority of people there speak Spanish or Portuguese as their mother tongue. However， a number of small Caribbean island nations were also once part of the British Empire， accordingly， their citizens even after independence speak English. These nations include Antigua and Barbuda， the Bahamas， Dominica， Grenada， Jamaica， Bardados， and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Do the Caribbean English speakers speak British English？ Not exactly. All over the world where English ahs been spoken for hundreds of years by speakers of other language， certain special accents or dialects have arisen. India is famous for "Indian English"， "Irish English" is unmistakable， too. Likewise， Caribbean English has its own special paterns， vocabulary， and even grammatical forms different from the standard RP （received pronunciation， also referred to as Received Standard） of British English. These special features include a lilt or "sing-song" sound to the language， and plenty of local slang.
As only a relatively few people live on these islands， how can we hear their special dialect or accent？ One kind of pop music called reggae is the easiest way outside of befriending someone from these naions. Reggae music has been popular since the 1980s， when performers like Bob Marley of Jamaica pleasantly surprised the world with their own original reggae music as well as their interpretations of other well-known pop Anglo music. Reggae is famous for its strong， often syncopated beat， laid-back singing style， and， of course， the "island" dialect. Another perennial music favorite if calypso， which is also sung in the Caribbean island English dialect. The hit song "Yes， We Have No Bananas"， is reminiscent of this drum-heavy musical style， especially from Trinidad and Tobago.
Given the islands' historic ties to both the United Kingdom and the United States， it is little wonder that today the people of these small nations continue to use English in government， academic， business， and trade. Lacal language still exist alongside the Caribbean English dialect， too， but they are mostly the patoies of the marketplace and home. Many of the residents of this area， also referred to as the West Indies of the Antilles， have emigrated to the UK or the US and， because of their linguistic prowess， have done relatively well as so-called "third world" immigrants. A few writers of contemporary renown also hail from this area， as do some sports figures.
If you plan to visit any of the above-mentioned islands for any purpose， do not worry about your language skills. Caribbean people are well-known for their friendly， patient dispositions. After a few days， your ear will become attuned to the lilting cadence of the lovely Caribbean English dialects， and your stay in this tropical paradise will be all the more rewarding. |