<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1449165859430_3287"><br></div><div style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1449165859430_3291"><div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1449165859430_3290"><div class="y_msg_container" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1449165859430_3294"><div id="yiv2485862081"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1449165859430_3293"><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1449165859430_3292"><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4320"> </div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4324" style="margin-bottom:10.5pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4326" lang="EN" style="font-size:18.0pt;">English
Language Teaching in Pakistan: Language Policies, Delusions and Solutions</span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4330" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4332" style="font-size:8.5pt;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4334" target="_blank" href="http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4336" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0cm;text-decoration:none;">English Language Education Policy in Asia</span></a></span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4340" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4342" style="font-size:8.5pt;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0cm;">Volume 11 of the series <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4344" target="_blank" href="http://link.springer.com/bookseries/6209"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4346" style="color:#333333;text-decoration:none;">Language Policy</span></a> pp
219-244</span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4350" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4352" style="font-size:8.5pt;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0cm;">Springer</span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4356" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4358" style="font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4362" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4364" style="font-size:10.0pt;"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4366" target="_blank" href="http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0_10?wt_mc=alerts.TOCseries">http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0_10?wt_mc=alerts.TOCseries</a></span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4370" style="margin-bottom:10.5pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4372" lang="EN" style="font-size:18.0pt;"> </span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4376" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4378" style="font-size:10.0pt;">1<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4380" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4382"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4384" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Syed Abdul Manan</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4386" style="font-size:10.0pt;"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4388" ymailto="mailto:rm_manan@yahoo.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:rm_manan@yahoo.com"><sub class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4390"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4392" style="color:#417DB9;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;text-decoration:none;"> </span></sub></a></span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4396" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 72pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4398" style="font-size:10.0pt;">2.<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4400" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4402"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4404" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Maya Khemlani David</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4406" style="font-size:10.0pt;"></span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4410" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 72pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4412" style="font-size:10.0pt;">3.<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4414" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4416"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4418" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> Francisco Perlas Dumanig</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4420" style="font-size:10.0pt;"></span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4424" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4426" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4430" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4432" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4436" style="text-align:center;"> </div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4440" style="margin:5.25pt 0cm;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4442" style="font-size:18.0pt;">Abstract</span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4446" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4448" style="font-size:12.0pt;">English is perceived as a passport to
better employment and upward social mobility in Pakistan. In a society
characterized by acute class division and intense class consciousness, parents
from the lower, lower middle or working strata of society aspire to enroll
their children in the English-medium schools. Public demand for English medium
schooling has led to an exponential growth of low-fee/low-cost schools over the
last two decades where “by the end of 2005, one in every three enrolled
children at the primary level was studying in a private school” (Coleman, H.
(2010). <i class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4450">The English language in development</i> (p. 10). London:
British Council). Importantly, behind the rapid spread and intense pursuit of
English medium schooling is also a belief that the earlier the child is exposed
to the English language, the faster she/he will learn the language. Employing a
mixed methodology, this study analyzes English-medium policy in 11 low-fee
private schools in part of Pakistan. Based on evidence gathered through multiple
research tools such as a questionnaire survey, classroom observation and
interviews with students, teachers, school principals and experts observers,
the study finds that early English-medium policy appears counterproductive as
most students demonstrate poor English language proficiency. Factors such as
unavailability of qualified English teachers, poor pedagogies, sociocultural
dynamics, and overall institutional weaknesses contribute to the failure of the
policy. The study concludes that the maximum exposure and greater learning
beliefs associated with earlier English teaching are delusional as those
beliefs are underpinned neither by theories of bilingual/multilingual education
nor by the schools and social environment of the children. We argue that in broader
terms, the English-only policy poses potential reductionist effects on existing
language ecology, and English-medium private schooling furthers socioeconomic
disparities between the haves and the have-nots. Therefore, we propose that the
early-English policy may be reviewed, and replaced by mother tongue based
multilingual policy. English is an important language; therefore, it may be
taught as a language rather than as a medium at the primary level. As quality
English-medium schooling stands the preserve of the elites only; therefore, we
advocate for the democratization of English and its equitable distribution
across all strata of society.</span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4454" style="margin:15pt 0cm 5.25pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4456" lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;">Keywords</span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4460" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4462" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4464" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4466"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4468" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Low-fee
schools</span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4472" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4474" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4476" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4478"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4480" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">English-medium
policy</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4482" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4484" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"></span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4488" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4490" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4492" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4494"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4496" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Mother
tongue based multilingual education</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4498" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4500" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"></span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4504" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4506" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4508" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4510"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4512" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Language
policy and planning</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4514" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4516" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Pakistan</span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4520" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4522" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4524" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4526"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4528" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4530" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Early
English-medium education</span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4534" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4536" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4538" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4540"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4542" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4544" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Additive
bi/multilingual education</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4546" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4548" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"></span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4317" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4552" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4554" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4556"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4558" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Institutional
preparedness</span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4560" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4562" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;"></span></div><div class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4566" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;"><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4568" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;">·<span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4570" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span class="yiv2485862081" dir="LTR" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4572"></span><span class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4574" lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Sociolinguistic/ethnolinguistic
realities versus English-medium education</span></div><div align="center" class="yiv2485862081" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_3703" style="margin-bottom:10.5pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline;">
</div><div class="yiv2485862081" dir="ltr" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4578"> </div><div id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_3677">
</div><div class="yiv2485862081" dir="ltr" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_3918"> </div><br clear="none"> <div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class="yiv2485862081yqt9682672498" id="yiv2485862081yqt79141"><div id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4032" style="font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:16px;"> <div id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4031" style="font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px;"> <div dir="ltr" id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4030"> <hr size="1"> <font id="yiv2485862081yui_3_16_0_1_1449162574960_4029" size="2" face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> "lgpolicy-list-request@groups.sas.upenn.edu" <lgpolicy-list-request@groups.sas.upenn.edu><br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">To:</span></b> lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu <br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span></b> Friday, December 4, 2015 12:22 AM<br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">Subject:</span></b> lgpolicy-list Digest, Vol 80, Issue 4<br clear="none"> </font> </div> <div class="yiv2485862081y_msg_container"><br clear="none">Send lgpolicy-list mailing list submissions to<br clear="none"> <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit<br clear="none"> <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list</a><br clear="none">or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to<br clear="none"> <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list-request@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list-request@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list-request@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">You can reach the person managing the list at<br clear="none"> <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list-owner@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list-owner@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list-owner@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific<br clear="none">than "Re: Contents of lgpolicy-list digest..."<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Today's Topics:<br clear="none"><br clear="none"> 1. Linguist List Issue: Multilingualism in the Chinese Diaspora<br clear="none"> Worldwide: Wei, Martin-Jones (eds.) (The LINGUIST List)<br clear="none"> 2. South Africa: Stellies 'committed to multilingualism' as<br clear="none"> council rejects new language policy (Harold Schiffman)<br clear="none"> 3. South Africa: Stellenbosch Uni?s defence of Afrikaans wins<br clear="none"> day; but what?s true motive? (Harold Schiffman)<br clear="none"> 4. Rise of the multilingual boss creates a ?monoglot ceiling?<br clear="none"> (Harold Schiffman)<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">----------------------------------------------------------------------<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Message: 1<br clear="none">Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2015 11:09:30 -0500 (EST)<br clear="none">From: The LINGUIST List <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:linguist@linguistlist.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:linguist@linguistlist.org">linguist@linguistlist.org</a>><br clear="none">Subject: [lg policy] Linguist List Issue: Multilingualism in the<br clear="none"> Chinese Diaspora Worldwide: Wei, Martin-Jones (eds.)<br clear="none">To: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br clear="none">Message-ID: <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:1461490276.4921449158970804.JavaMail.railo@server" target="_blank" href="mailto:1461490276.4921449158970804.JavaMail.railo@server">1461490276.4921449158970804.JavaMail.railo@server</a>><br clear="none">Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">HFS thought you might be interested in this item from the LINGUIST List<br clear="none">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br clear="none">HFS says ...<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Message1: Multilingualism in the Chinese Diaspora Worldwide: Wei, Martin-Jones (eds.)<br clear="none">Date:01-Dec-2015<br clear="none">From:Giana Georgi <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:Giana.Georgi@taylorandfrancis.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:Giana.Georgi@taylorandfrancis.com">Giana.Georgi@taylorandfrancis.com</a><br clear="none">LINGUIST List issue <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-5377.html">http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-5377.html</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"> <br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Title: Multilingualism in the Chinese Diaspora Worldwide <br clear="none">Subtitle: Transnational Connections and Local Social Realities <br clear="none">Series Title: Routledge Critical Studies in Multilingualism <br clear="none"><br clear="none">Publication Year: 2015 <br clear="none">Publisher: Routledge (Taylor and Francis)<br clear="none"> <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.routledge.com/">http://www.routledge.com/</a><br clear="none"> <br clear="none"><br clear="none">Book URL: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/1Rjy4lT">http://bit.ly/1Rjy4lT</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Editor: Li Wei<br clear="none">Editor: Marilyn Martin-Jones<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Hardback: ISBN: Pages: 324 Price: U.S. $ 145.00<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Linguistic Field(s): Anthropological Linguistics<br clear="none"> Sociolinguistics<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Written In: English (eng)<br clear="none"><br clear="none">See this book announcement on our website:<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=95094">http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=95094</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Also you can take a look at it by visiting<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-5377.html">http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-5377.html</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Read other LINGUIST List posts:<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://linguistlist.org/issues/index.cfm">http://linguistlist.org/issues/index.cfm</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Get your own free subscription to The LINGUIST List:<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://linguistlist.org/LL/subs-index.cfm">http://linguistlist.org/LL/subs-index.cfm</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">------------------------------<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Message: 2<br clear="none">Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2015 11:13:00 -0500<br clear="none">From: Harold Schiffman <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com">hfsclpp@gmail.com</a>><br clear="none">Subject: [lg policy] South Africa: Stellies 'committed to<br clear="none"> multilingualism' as council rejects new language policy<br clear="none">To: lp <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a>><br clear="none">Message-ID:<br clear="none"> <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:CAB7VSRABNqB1qJbxUxsAk-f7ZhrcdpG0rnVFprzqb_PbWpPGZw@mail.gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:CAB7VSRABNqB1qJbxUxsAk-f7ZhrcdpG0rnVFprzqb_PbWpPGZw@mail.gmail.com">CAB7VSRABNqB1qJbxUxsAk-f7ZhrcdpG0rnVFprzqb_PbWpPGZw@mail.gmail.com</a>><br clear="none">Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br clear="none"><br clear="none"> Stellies 'committed to multilingualism' as council rejects new language<br clear="none">policy<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://capetalk.co.za/articles/10065/stellies-committed-to-multilingualism-as-council-rejects-language-policy">http://capetalk.co.za/articles/10065/stellies-committed-to-multilingualism-as-council-rejects-language-policy</a>><br clear="none">2<br clear="none">December 2015 5:48 PM<br clear="none"><br clear="none">The Stellenbosch University’s council rejected the proposed language policy<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://ewn.co.za/2015/12/02/Maties-SRC-to-continue-put-pressure-on-management">http://ewn.co.za/2015/12/02/Maties-SRC-to-continue-put-pressure-on-management</a>><br clear="none">to make English the primary language at the historically Afrikaans tertiary<br clear="none">institution.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Instead, council voted to retain the current language policy<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://ewn.co.za/2015/12/01/Stellenbosch-Current-language-policy-wont-promote-inclusivity">http://ewn.co.za/2015/12/01/Stellenbosch-Current-language-policy-wont-promote-inclusivity</a>><br clear="none">which places the languages at an equal status.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Communications manger, Susan van der Merwe, said the decision will allow<br clear="none">for the institution to expand on parallel medium learning, giving English<br clear="none">and Afrikaans equal status.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">*Listen to the full conversation from The John Maytham Show:*<br clear="none">Primedia Broadcasting<br clear="none">Stellenbosch University on contested language policy changesStellenbosch<br clear="none">University on contested language policy changes<br clear="none">00:00 | 07:32<br clear="none"><br clear="none">The crux is that we want to ensure that English and Afrikaans does not<br clear="none">exclude a student from a full academic offering. We want to be a<br clear="none">multi-lingual institution and there is an enriching factor for the students<br clear="none">in that.<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://capetalk.co.za/articles/10065/stellies-committed-to-multilingualism-as-council-rejects-language-policy">http://capetalk.co.za/articles/10065/stellies-committed-to-multilingualism-as-council-rejects-language-policy</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">-- <br clear="none">**************************************<br clear="none">N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its<br clear="none">members<br clear="none">and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or<br clear="none">sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<br clear="none">disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write<br clear="none">directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this<br clear="none">may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br clear="none"><br clear="none">For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br clear="none">listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br clear="none">*******************************************<br clear="none">-------------- next part --------------<br clear="none">An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<br clear="none">URL: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://groups.sas.upenn.edu/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20151203/79ba7c07/attachment-0001.html">http://groups.sas.upenn.edu/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20151203/79ba7c07/attachment-0001.html</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">------------------------------<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Message: 3<br clear="none">Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2015 11:15:34 -0500<br clear="none">From: Harold Schiffman <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com">hfsclpp@gmail.com</a>><br clear="none">Subject: [lg policy] South Africa: Stellenbosch Uni?s defence of<br clear="none"> Afrikaans wins day; but what?s true motive?<br clear="none">To: lp <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a>><br clear="none">Message-ID:<br clear="none"> <CAB7VSRC_5uO6+uuSw7DLm4wK90PLTrMtF_=<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:Eia_L-t54eYF9dg@mail.gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:Eia_L-t54eYF9dg@mail.gmail.com">Eia_L-t54eYF9dg@mail.gmail.com</a>><br clear="none">Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Stellenbosch Uni’s defence of Afrikaans wins day; but what’s true motive?<br clear="none"><?subject=Stellenbosch%20Uni%E2%80%99s%20defence%20of%20Afrikaans%20wins%20day;%20but%20what%E2%80%99s%20true%20motive?&body=<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://www.biznews.com/leadership/2015/12/02/stellenbosch-unis-defence-of-afrikaans-wins-day-but-whats-true-motive/">https://www.biznews.com/leadership/2015/12/02/stellenbosch-unis-defence-of-afrikaans-wins-day-but-whats-true-motive/</a>><br clear="none"><br clear="none">*Afrikaans is under sustained attack. Its antagonists, led by a group<br clear="none">calling itself Open Stellenbosch<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.biznews.com/briefs/2015/12/01/open-stellenbosch-language-changed-rejected-opposes-transformation/">http://www.biznews.com/briefs/2015/12/01/open-stellenbosch-language-changed-rejected-opposes-transformation/</a>>,<br clear="none">believe their actions are justifiable. Behind the rhetoric is the<br clear="none">retribution for the Apartheid Government’s idiotic 1976 attempt to push the<br clear="none">language deeper into Sowetan schools. That the riots it sparked happened<br clear="none">almost 40 years ago, seems to matter little to the revenge seekers. Because<br clear="none">on any rational assessment, that is the only motive which would have driven<br clear="none">the concerted attempt to eject the language from the tribe’s spiritual<br clear="none">heart at Stellenbosch University. Afrikaners are critically important<br clear="none">contributors to the health of the South African economy, providing the<br clear="none">biggest slug of private income tax and playing an enormous role in keeping<br clear="none">the country’s wheels turning. Although many Afrikaners have emigrated, by<br clear="none">far the majority have committed themselves to a long term future in the<br clear="none">land of their forefathers. Needlessly attacking their language and the<br clear="none">institutions they created and hold dear, is irrational. Historian and<br clear="none">academic Hermann Giliomee applied his mind to the attack on Afrikaans – and<br clear="none">the spirited defence. This piece is republished with kind permission of<br clear="none">Giliomee and Politicsweb. – Alec Hogg *<br clear="none"><br clear="none">*By Hermann Giliomee**<br clear="none"><br clear="none">“Enjoy the war, the peace will be much worse”. These words were spoken by a<br clear="none">member of the Council of Stellenbosch University (SU) during a seven hours<br clear="none">debate yesterday on a future language policy.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">A very ugly peace would have broken out had the university’s top management<br clear="none">succeeded in getting their proposal accepted to make English the primary<br clear="none">medium of instruction and communication and the compulsory medium of<br clear="none">discussion at all university committees and assemblies. Afrikaans would<br clear="none">have been driven out from the class and committee rooms, leading to a<br clear="none">vicious backlash.<br clear="none">[image: The Ou Hoofgebou (Former Main Administration building, now the Law<br clear="none">Faculty) on Stellenbosch University campus.]<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.biznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Stellenbosch_University.jpg">http://www.biznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Stellenbosch_University.jpg</a>>The<br clear="none">Ou Hoofgebou (Former Main Administration building, now the Law Faculty) on<br clear="none">Stellenbosch University campus.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">A year ago Council endorsed a policy in terms of which Afrikaans and<br clear="none">English would enjoy equal status as a medium of instruction and<br clear="none">communication. On 12 November the management suddenly drew a line through<br clear="none">that language policy to come up with one that one that installed English –<br clear="none">which it called “the common language of the country” – in a paramount<br clear="none">position and even insisted that it could be implemented from early next<br clear="none">year.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Since the Council, according to the Statute, has the final say on the<br clear="none">language matters the administration seemed to show it a middle finger. To<br clear="none">make matters worse the Senate, made up of university professors, backed the<br clear="none">executive, although it must have known that its vote was out of order.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">The Council, to its credit, refused to be intimidated. One-fifth of Council<br clear="none">members were elected by the Convocation of alumni and the donors and they<br clear="none">run the risk of being thrown out at the next election if they appear weak<br clear="none">on maintaining Afrikaans on the campus. In recent times some illustrious<br clear="none">public figures have suffered painful defeats in Convocation elections.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Read also: Stellenbosch University: 30 000+ in bid to retain Afrikaans as<br clear="none">default language<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.biznews.com/briefs/2015/11/30/stellenbosch-university-30-000-in-bid-to-retain-afrikaans-as-default-language/">http://www.biznews.com/briefs/2015/11/30/stellenbosch-university-30-000-in-bid-to-retain-afrikaans-as-default-language/</a>><br clear="none"><br clear="none">In the Council meeting the threat of the executive being repudiated hung in<br clear="none">the air but in the end sanity prevailed. It decided not to censure the<br clear="none">Executive and to revert to the 50-50 policy for Afrikaans and English.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">What was completely unanticipated in 1994, when South Africa made its<br clear="none">transition to an inclusive democracy, was that at the campuses of the<br clear="none">Historically Afrikaans Universities Afrikaans-speaking academics and top<br clear="none">executives would take the initiative in steadily reducing the Afrikaans<br clear="none">offer. Narrowly pursuing their own individual or corporate interests, this<br clear="none">group did not feel accountable to students, parents, clients or the<br clear="none">Afrikaans community.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Referring to their actions, Gerrit Komrij, a Dutch literary critic, in 2003<br clear="none">described Afrikaans as*lewenddood *(alive-dead). He pointed out that an<br clear="none">elite was busily amputating limbs from Afrikaans despite the fact that the<br clear="none">body was healthy, and indeed alive and kicking. He concluded that as far as<br clear="none">the future of Afrikaans was concerned, the greatest threat to Afrikaans was<br clear="none">Afrikaans-speakers themselves. Over the next twelve years<br clear="none">Afrikaans-speakers had a leading hand in smothering Afrikaans on campuses<br clear="none">where they were in a position of power.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">The mistake the present SU executive made was to try to get rid of<br clear="none">Afrikaans as university language as soon as possible. One could also call<br clear="none">it a *blitzkrieg*. What would have happened had the executive got its way?<br clear="none">A pointer is a poll conducted in 2008 by Lawrence Schlemmer.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Commissioned by the SU Council, he conducted a comprehensive attitude<br clear="none">survey of the language preferences of Stellenbosch students. It found that<br clear="none">only 15 per cent of Afrikaans would accept a policy that would make English<br clear="none">the only medium of instruction and more than two-thirds would be very<br clear="none">dissatisfied. More than 40 per cent of English speakers would regret it.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">At the other end of the spectrum stands Open Stellenbosch, a small,<br clear="none">predominantly black pressure group that was instrumental in forcing US<br clear="none">management’s hand. One spokesmen responded to Monday’s decision to revert<br clear="none">to the 50-50 policy by calling the Council “incompetent” and “ignorant<br clear="none">about transformation.” Another spokesman said that Council missed the<br clear="none">chance to start the process of transformation but had chosen to preserve<br clear="none">the status quo.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">It is a mystery how the US Executive could have allowed itself to be backed<br clear="none">into in a position where it was seen to have capitulated to this small<br clear="none">group. Piet le Roux, one of the younger Council members did not hide his<br clear="none">delight about Council’s decision. “This is victory for Afrikaans …it would<br clear="none">have been unthinkable that a few months after the Council adopted the plan<br clear="none">to give Afrikaans and English equal status to relegate Afrikaans to an<br clear="none">inferior position.”<br clear="none"><br clear="none">In Monday’s meeting Council also withdrew its complaint against Le Roux who<br clear="none">had tweeted “Blade Nzimande and transformania will not triumph. Support the<br clear="none">new Afrikaans Alumni Association.”<br clear="none"><br clear="none">In a certain sense we have a return of history. During the 1920s and 1930s<br clear="none">when the two white communities referred to themselves as two different<br clear="none">“races”, some English newspapers and politicians criticized the growing<br clear="none">demands of Afrikaners for single-medium institutions as a form of ‘racism’.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">The Afrikaans language was of lesser importance than the task of welding<br clear="none">the two races into a nation. At some point in the 1920s the writer C.J.<br clear="none">Langenhoven replied by asking an English politician the simple question:<br clear="none">‘Why is my politics always racism and your racism always politics?’<br clear="none"><br clear="none">He satirized the approach of the nation-builders as follows: ‘Friends, let<br clear="none">us make peace and keep the peace. Let the lion and the lamb graze together,<br clear="none">the lamb on the pasture and the lion on the lamb … The lamb will soon be<br clear="none">part of the lion. The lamb will get the honour and the lion the pleasure.”<br clear="none"><br clear="none">In recent times a similar dynamic had developed with bodies like Open<br clear="none">Stellenbosch demanding the pleasure of devouring the Afrikaans lamb at<br clear="none">Stellenbosch. For the moment the US Council has managed to ward off the<br clear="none">threat.<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://www.biznews.com/leadership/2015/12/02/stellenbosch-unis-defence-of-afrikaans-wins-day-but-whats-true-motive/">https://www.biznews.com/leadership/2015/12/02/stellenbosch-unis-defence-of-afrikaans-wins-day-but-whats-true-motive/</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">-- <br clear="none">**************************************<br clear="none">N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its<br clear="none">members<br clear="none">and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or<br clear="none">sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<br clear="none">disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write<br clear="none">directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this<br clear="none">may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br clear="none"><br clear="none">For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br clear="none">listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br clear="none">*******************************************<br clear="none">-------------- next part --------------<br clear="none">An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<br clear="none">URL: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://groups.sas.upenn.edu/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20151203/c4833ad6/attachment-0001.html">http://groups.sas.upenn.edu/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20151203/c4833ad6/attachment-0001.html</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">------------------------------<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Message: 4<br clear="none">Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2015 11:20:04 -0500<br clear="none">From: Harold Schiffman <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com">hfsclpp@gmail.com</a>><br clear="none">Subject: [lg policy] Rise of the multilingual boss creates a ?monoglot<br clear="none"> ceiling?<br clear="none">To: lp <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a>><br clear="none">Message-ID:<br clear="none"> <CAB7VSRCii-SF3qw6EnvrDozZ2fU+<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:YAEvUf-cGUbhPZ4HgM6ikQ@mail.gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:YAEvUf-cGUbhPZ4HgM6ikQ@mail.gmail.com">YAEvUf-cGUbhPZ4HgM6ikQ@mail.gmail.com</a>><br clear="none">Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br clear="none"><br clear="none">High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this<br clear="none">article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article.<br clear="none">See our Ts&Cs <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms">http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms</a>> and Copyright<br clear="none">Policy <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/copyright">http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/copyright</a>> for more detail.<br clear="none">Email <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:ftsales.support@ft.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:ftsales.support@ft.com">ftsales.support@ft.com</a> to buy additional rights.<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0dbf22c2-9824-11e5-95c7-d47aa298f769.html#ixzz3tH7jIKgC">http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0dbf22c2-9824-11e5-95c7-d47aa298f769.html#ixzz3tH7jIKgC</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">[image: Financial Times] <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/">http://www.ft.com</a>><br clear="none">ft.com <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/">http://www.ft.com</a>>/management <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/management">http://www.ft.com/management</a>><br clear="none"><br clear="none">December 2, 2015 12:50 pm<br clear="none">Rise of the multilingual boss creates a ‘monoglot ceiling’<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0dbf22c2-9824-11e5-95c7-d47aa298f769.html#">http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0dbf22c2-9824-11e5-95c7-d47aa298f769.html#</a>><br clear="none"><br clear="none"> -<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Having another language can aid your brain. Not having one can hurt your<br clear="none">promotion chances<br clear="none"><br clear="none">When Isabelle Allen joined KPMG<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/topics/organisations/KPMG">http://www.ft.com/topics/organisations/KPMG</a>> in 1991, she says, the<br clear="none">professional services group valued, promoted and rewarded those people who<br clear="none">had deep expertise.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">“We were looking for people who were master of a task and getting better at<br clear="none">doing the same task year on year,” says the French executive, who is now<br clear="none">global head of sales and markets at KPMG.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Andrew Hill<br clear="none"><br clear="none">*irst*FT is our new essential daily email briefing of the best stories from<br clear="none">across the web<br clear="none"><br clear="none">These days, the company is looking for breadth as well as depth, seeking<br clear="none">staff “who thrive on change, people who are comfortable with ambiguity —<br clear="none">solvers of problems that didn’t even exist two years ago”.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Having studied the latest research into the cognitive benefits of<br clear="none">multilingualism, Ms Allen wonders whether knowledge of foreign languages<br clear="none">may be one hidden signpost pointing towards those future stars.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">“The multilingual brain might actually be better at doing business than the<br clear="none">monolingual brain,” says Antonella Sorace, professor of developmental<br clear="none">linguistics at the University of Edinburgh.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Multinational companies have long recognised the functional benefits of<br clear="none">multilingualism as a bridge between business cultures. Not speaking other<br clear="none">languages may even be a block to promotion these days, according to early<br clear="none">findings from the British Academy’s Born Global research<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.britac.ac.uk/policy/Born_Global.cfm">http://www.britac.ac.uk/policy/Born_Global.cfm</a>> into language policy in<br clear="none">the UK.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">“We are being told that there’s a ‘glass ceiling’ developing for monoglots<br clear="none">within global businesses,” says Richard Hardie, who chairs UBS in London<br clear="none">and heads the Born Global steering committee. Staff will not get into “the<br clear="none">more rarefied atmosphere” of the senior ranks unless they have had<br clear="none">“overseas experience, cultural awareness and probably have [another]<br clear="none">language”.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Increasingly, though, there are other ways to achieve operational<br clear="none">efficiency in foreign languages. Google Translate<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8cae0fec-3aac-11e5-bbd1-b37bc06f590c.html#axzz3t59QQKCm">http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8cae0fec-3aac-11e5-bbd1-b37bc06f590c.html#axzz3t59QQKCm</a>>and<br clear="none">other machine applications seem to be eroding one justification for<br clear="none">learning languages, by performing — adequately, if not perfectly — some of<br clear="none">the basic functions of translation. Native English speakers can simply take<br clear="none">advantage of the rest of the world’s desire to learn the lingua franca of<br clear="none">international business. Even non-English speakers can avoid the wearying<br clear="none">long route to fluency in English and take a short-cut to Globish<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/f1672ac0-69e4-11df-a978-00144feab49a.html#axzz3t59QQKCm">http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/f1672ac0-69e4-11df-a978-00144feab49a.html#axzz3t59QQKCm</a>>,<br clear="none">a system that teaches a basic working vocabulary of 1,500 words.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">If they do so, however, they may potentially miss out on the cognitive<br clear="none">advantages of learning and speaking other languages, according to much<br clear="none">recent scientific research.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">*How to talk the talk *<br clear="none"><br clear="none">• Build language training and hiring of multilingual staff into longer-term<br clear="none">strategic plans for executive development.<br clear="none">• As managers, set an example by learning and speaking other languages.<br clear="none">• Champion policies to support multilingual workers and language-learners.<br clear="none">• Include multilingualism as one attribute for members of diverse teams.<br clear="none">• Don’t forget the importance of written communication: develop or hire<br clear="none">people who can write as well as speak foreign languages.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Researchers at Barcelona’s Pompeu Fabra University found, for instance,<br clear="none">that people seem to make more rational decisions<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001002771300228X">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001002771300228X</a>> in<br clear="none">their second language — possibly because it distances them from the<br clear="none">decision. Other benefits could include a greater ability to negotiate —<br clear="none">because multilingual people can see others’ perspectives more easily<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3593058/">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3593058/</a>> — improved capacity<br clear="none">to switch between tasks, and a greater focus and ability to set priorities.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">It makes no difference whether the second language is widely spoken, such<br clear="none">as English or Hindi, or a less common language such as Gaelic, says<br clear="none">Italian-born Prof Sorace, who is also founder of Bilingualism Matters<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.bilingualism-matters.ppls.ed.ac.uk/">http://www.bilingualism-matters.ppls.ed.ac.uk/</a>>, set up to spread<br clear="none">science-based information about languages and language-learning.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Languages acquired later in life can have the same effect. As well as<br clear="none">hiring more multilinguals, companies should devote more time to training<br clear="none">language skills, work with universities to promote the research, and<br clear="none">support the workforce in raising multilingual families, says Prof Sorace.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Sending English-speakers to foreign postings, she points out, “is a<br clear="none">wonderful opportunity for the children to learn languages, rather than<br clear="none">being protected in an English-only environment”.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">It still takes time, though, to get fluent enough in a language to find it<br clear="none">useful in business — and linguistic ability is not a catch-all way of<br clear="none">overcoming cultural differences in business.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">When Jo Dawson, who studied German and Swedish at Cambridge university,<br clear="none">went to work in financial services, friends said, “You’re not using your<br clear="none">languages — you’ve given up. Why did you bother studying?” Now an executive<br clear="none">coach with The Alexander Partnership, she notices that senior managers with<br clear="none">English as a second language still cannot “read” a room of native<br clear="none">English-speakers or uncover others’ hidden agendas. They do not know “what<br clear="none">people are really saying”, she says.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Cultural blindness such as this may not have much to do with whether<br clear="none">executives speak another language, says KPMG’s Ms Allen: “I’ve met a lot of<br clear="none">people who are totally monolingual and can’t read a room.”<br clear="none"><br clear="none">A more serious concern is that time spent learning a language could be<br clear="none">better spent acquiring other skills, some of which — such as learning to<br clear="none">play a musical instrument — also offer proven benefits for the brain<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/44993988-6f65-11df-9f43-00144feabdc0.html">http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/44993988-6f65-11df-9f43-00144feabdc0.html</a>>.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Bill Anderson, a senior vice-president at Pearson English, which recently<br clear="none">hosted, with the Financial Times, a discussion on bilingualism’s challenges<br clear="none">and opportunities, warns that tight annual operating budgets do not allow<br clear="none">for long-term language-learning goals. Make a “short-term commitment [to<br clear="none">language courses] and you will get very short-term benefits”, he says.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Pearson (until this week the parent company of the FT) is devoting energy<br clear="none">to measuring the return on investment from the language services it sells<br clear="none">but Mr Anderson says that clients claim an improvement in productivity of<br clear="none">45 hours a year for each staff member they put through English classes.<br clear="none">Prof Sorace says: “It is not an either/or choice: having languages can<br clear="none">benefit whatever one does.”<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Some research suggests that the effects of language learning on the brain<br clear="none">— specifically in improving multilinguals’ ability to screen out irrelevant<br clear="none">information and set priorities — may not be as dramatic<br clear="none"><<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/bilingual-advantage-aging-brain">http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/bilingual-advantage-aging-brain</a>><br clear="none">as first thought. One paper <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/26/1/99">http://pss.sagepub.com/content/26/1/99</a>> shows<br clear="none">academic journals prefer to publish positive studies about bilingualism.<br clear="none">Your opinion<br clear="none">Should companies spend more on teaching foreign languages to their staff?<br clear="none">YesNoOther:<br clear="none">VoteView Results<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Even so, there is no evidence that multilinguals are disadvantaged and, as<br clear="none">they become more interested in their staff’s cognitive potential,<br clear="none">businesses see an opportunity to reap any benefits. Ms Allen says companies<br clear="none">have not done a good job of “harnessing the huge pool of potential of all<br clear="none">the people around the world that are multilingual”.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">In countries where many languages and dialects are spoken — or among<br clear="none">immigrant communities — having to know more than one tongue is sometimes<br clear="none">regarded as a burden, rather than an asset.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Even those countries that take bilingualism for granted — Norway or the<br clear="none">Netherlands, for example — tend to focus on the most direct advantages.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Where does this cognitive and cultural head-start in business leave<br clear="none">citizens of countries that are more resolutely monolingual?<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Training in how to handle cross-border business is helpful in bridging the<br clear="none">gap, but, referring to the UK’s position as the EU laggard in language<br clear="none">skills, Mr Hardie warns against falling behind in the linguistic chase.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">“Others will continue to widen their language base,” he says, “but we can<br clear="none">at least get into third gear and give a reasonable proportion of the ‘born<br clear="none">global’ generation the chance to operate as global players.”<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0dbf22c2-9824-11e5-95c7-d47aa298f769.html#axzz3tH7J2aOo">http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0dbf22c2-9824-11e5-95c7-d47aa298f769.html#axzz3tH7J2aOo</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">-- <br clear="none">**************************************<br clear="none">N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its<br clear="none">members<br clear="none">and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or<br clear="none">sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who<br clear="none">disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write<br clear="none">directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this<br clear="none">may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br clear="none"><br clear="none">For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br clear="none">listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br clear="none">*******************************************<br clear="none">-------------- next part --------------<br clear="none">An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<br clear="none">URL: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://groups.sas.upenn.edu/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20151203/75673be0/attachment.html">http://groups.sas.upenn.edu/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20151203/75673be0/attachment.html</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">------------------------------<br clear="none"><br clear="none">_______________________________________________<br clear="none">This digest came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list:<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br clear="none">To manage your subscription, visit this web page:<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">End of lgpolicy-list Digest, Vol 80, Issue 4<br clear="none">********************************************<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div> </div> </div></div></div></div></div><br><br></div> </div> </div></div></body></html>