There are several Jamaican diasporas in countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. Based on statistics, English-speaking nations are also more preferred by Jamaicans. About 900,000 Jamaicans live in the United States, about 800,000 chose to reside in the United Kingdom while over 231,000 live in Canada. English is the official language of Jamaica and people in the country have actually been speaking it for over three centuries.
The language is called Jamaican Standard English and is a mixture of British English and American English. The accent is Irish although British spelling is preferred over American. The unofficial national language of Jamaica is Jamaican Patois, also known as Jamaican by the locals. Jamaican Patois is actually very interesting to learn because of its history. It is Creole language which is a mixture of two parent languages, namely West African and English. At present, there are about 6.2 million people who speak Jamaican Patois. It is the most widely spoken language in the country. There is also the lyaric, which is an English-based dialect. Members of the Rastafari speak lyaric and do not prefer English because it is the language brought by the English colonizers.
The Rastafari movement abhors anything that was brought and introduced by the English settlers so they made a new dialect. Jamaicans are actually known to create their own terms to fit any subject that they communicate. You might wonder what a certain word means when speaking to a local. Learn a few words before visiting and you will enjoy your stay more.