Jamaican Country Sign Language
PrintA language of Jamaica
ISO 639-3
Alternate Names
Country Sign, Konchri Sain
Population
40 (L. Parks).
Location
Primarily in Saint Elizabeth parish.
Language Status
7 (Shifting).
Classification
Language Use
Currently, only about 40 deaf adults in the Jamaican parish of St. Elizabeth are native Country Sign users. Younger deaf people not learning it becuase the local educational institution is using Jamaican Sign Language [jls] instead. Most of the Jamaican deaf community does not understand Country Sign Language. Some also use Jamaican Sign Language [jls].
Language Development
English literacy is very low because many adults have had no formal education.
Language Resources
Maranatha School for the Deaf in Ridge (St. Elizabeth parish) uses Jamaican Sign Language [jls] in the classroom. Deaf people in the St. Elizabeth Parish often move to the larger cities for easier access to employment. Country Sign is not being used in the schools and its number of users is gradually declining.