When you visit Jamaica, you will realize that there are so many languages and dialects spoken by the locals. Some of the dialects were influenced by Asian, European and African countries because for so many years, people from these areas traded and dealt with the ancient groups living on the island. Today, about 900,000 Jamaicans are located in the United States of America. Another 800,000 live in the United Kingdom while over 231,000 stay in Canada. There are also more Jamaicans spread in other parts of the globe. English is the national language of Jamaica and has been its main language for 300 years.
The English language spoken in Jamaica is termed Jamaican Standard English, which is a combination of British English and American English. The accent that people use is very similar to the Irish. As for spelling, Jamaicans use the British approach. The unofficial language of the island nation is the Jamaican Patois, or Jamaican. It is a very good language to learn when visiting or living in Jamaica. It has Creole roots, which means that it stemmed from two main languages, namely West African and English. At present, there are over six million people in the country who speak Jamaican Patois. The lyaric is another English dialect spoken by members of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica. Those who are part of the movement do not like anything that was brought by Westerners. Sometimes, Jamaicans also coin their own terms to describe a variety of things and circumstances. Guests might be surprised to hear these once in a while.