Language Education Policy and the Teaching of Spanish at the Primary Level in Jamaica

This book examines the status and relationships of Jamaica's languages, with a particular focus on Spanish. While Jamaican Creole is the first language for most Jamaicans and English is the second and official language, Spanish has been designated as Jamaica's official foreign language. Parliamentarians and other commentators often speak about granting ‘second language’ status to Spanish, a notion that conflicts with the country’s Language Education Policy and the complex linguistic landscape within Jamaica and the wider English-speaking Caribbean. This book sets the record straight by underlining where Spanish fits within the overall language framework and reviews the efforts of Jamaica’s Ministry of Education (MoE) to enhance the teaching of Spanish, particularly at the primary level, as mandated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the early 2000s. This work will be of interest to students and scholars of foreign language education and language policy, as well as trainee teachers, curriculum developers, and education administrators.