Jamaican is an English-based Creole with influences from languages of West and Central Africa. It developed during the 17th century and includes significant influences from various dialects of English, especially those of Scotland and Ireland. Jamaican is used mainly as a spoken language, though it has been used to some extent as a literary language for over a century. There is no written standard, though increased use of the language in writing, especially in schools, has led to a partial standardisation. Some schools in Jamaica use both English and Jamaican as mediums of instruction and have found that children taught in this way tend to achieve better results than those taught only in English. (Source Omniglot)