Holy Blue!! Front page of "Libération" published in English

[Nick Armstrong]

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/05/22/french-language-battle-hots-liberation-prints-entire-front-page-english

This amused me this morning...

Ah... our French cousins...

[french frank]

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/05/22/french-language-battle-hots-liberation-prints-entire-front-page-english

This amused me this morning...

Ah... our French cousins...

I'm surprised it's a government issue since I would have thought many English language/literature classes would already be taught in English (perhaps they have a Special Dispensation). The real issue seems to be the teaching of science in English (is it?) so that French scientists can communicate with the world in the, erm, lingua franca

But I can understand the emotional argument - we have similar concerns here, after all.

[amateur51]

I'm surprised it's a government issue since I would have though many English language/literature classes would already be taught in English (perhaps they have a Special Dispensation). The real issue seems to be the teaching of science in English (is it?) so that French scientists can communicate with the world in the, erm, lingua franca

But I can understand the emotional argument - we have similar concerns here, after all.

When I studying 'A' level sciences we had additional lessons in Scientific German for the reason you mention, french frank. As I had a German 'O' level it seemed a tad extreme but it was nice to keep my eye in

[MrGongGong]

But I can understand the emotional argument - we have similar concerns here, after all.

Do "we" ?
I thought being multilingual was a desirable thing ?

[umslopogaas]

Indeed, Mr GG, with a caveat. Of whom, and by whom, was it said that he spoke many languages and had nothing worthwhile to say in any of them?

[french frank]

Do "we" ?
I thought being multilingual was a desirable thing ?

Not over language, obviously, because English dominates anyway. But culturally in a more general sense?

[Nick Armstrong]

There's a longer discussion here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22607506

[ardcarp]

Apparently most of the world's population is bi- (or even tri-) lingual. This is because a 'tribal' language and a national language are acquired simultaneously. My point is that multi-lingualism is no big deal; any kid can acquire two, three or even four languages with no sweat, and this ability is unrelated to intelligence. It just needs to happen between the ages of 0 and 7. Therefore it is a huge waste that UK kids are not exposed to stories, films, cartoons, songs, plays in another language and are not taught a few subjects by a native speaker of another language. So if the EU means anything at all, why not swap teachers around (probably easier than swapping the kids around)? And why stop at Europe? Mandarin Chinese and Arabic will be useful languages for the future.

[greenilex]

When you say "unrelated to intelligence" I think you forget the reverse effect of language-learning on the growing brain... People with several languages are noticeably brighter.

[french frank]

My point is that multi-lingualism is no big deal; any kid can acquire two, three or even four languages with no sweat, and this ability is unrelated to intelligence.

The point is that in the kind of situation you mention, they aren't formally instructed in the language(s). They're immersed in them. Similarly, (even English!) children whose parents are based abroad can go to the local schools and pick up the language well enough to cope.

[amateur51]

When you say "unrelated to intelligence" I think you forget the reverse effect of language-learning on the growing brain... People with several languages are noticeably brighter.

As teachers in London who teach refugee children often report, greenilex

[MrGongGong]

As teachers in London who teach refugee children often report, greenilex

Now THAT's not something you read in the Daily Wail or Kipper Times

[mercia]

some amusing bits on the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-22655534

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22636888

the term 'franglais' has been around for a while hasn't it ? My French teacher at school certainly called le weekend and le picnic franglais words

[doversoul1]

I had an opportunity to visit a number of universities in Belgium, Holland and Finland a couple of years ago. ‘Our courses are taught in English’ was one of the selling points in all of them.

As for being multi-lingual: language is a skill we all learn to use naturally unless there are some medical or other exceptional reasons. Knowing more than one language has nothing to do with being able to understand more than one culture. Go to any tourist place, you fine taxi drivers, guides etc who speak several languages that are serviceable enough for their trades without slightest interest in any ‘culture’ of the languages. Many scientists read articles in their fields in several languages without knowing anything else about the countries of the languages.

Children who grow up in a place where more than one language are spoken for various reasons naturally become speakers of more than one language irrespective of how bright they are.

In the case of refugee children learning English, there are so many extremely serious and complex factors in their backgrounds that it can’t (shouldn't) be used as an example of how children learn foreign language.

As for adults, ability to learn language has nothing to do with intelligence. I have met many highly intelligent people who found it very hard to learn a new language.

Being able to speak different languages can be useful but it has no automatic connection with understanding different cultures or any other ability and intelligence. Stop fussing about bi/multi-lingual. It’s often just a result of the person’s life circumstance.

Of course there are people who are good at learning languages, but that’s the same as sports or gardening. If we are thinking about young children, I am sure it is far more important to make sure that they have good understanding of their own language and ability to use it well than teaching them the language they see no practical reasons to learn. It often puts them off from learning language for life.