<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">L O W L A N D S - L - 10 January 2008 - Volume 11</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
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From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);"><a href="mailto:heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk">heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk</a></span>
<span class="lDACoc"><<a href="mailto:heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk">heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk</a>></span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">LL-L "Language education" 2008.01.10 (06) [E]<br><br></span><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" face="Arial">
Ron wrote: " Not too long ago children were physically and mentally punished for using their languages in schools."</font>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I once heard a brilliant lecture by Eric Hawkins,
Professor Emeritus York University on the development of language
teaching across the centuries.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">He started with the medieval Latin & Greek
schools which taught by immersion i.e. the moment you stepped through
the gateway, you spoke only Latin or Greek. This was seen as the only
way in bringing pupils to the level of language that woudl be required
on them in the jobs they were aiming for - the Church or the Court -
and or course it worked . By the time they left as young adults they
were fluent in all 4 skills.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">When national schools in the 19th century decided
to use a standard English across the country, they plumped for the same
method - immersion i.e. once you stepped through the gateway you spoke
in standard English.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Strange how the same technique can be positive or
negative depending on how it is delivered ( Better minus the unfairness
of the Welsh or Norfolk or Somerset or Irish Not), whether it is
explained fairly ( The way you speak is fine - around here but if you
want to go to X or Y, it would be better to speak like this) and
whether the politics of the person speaking and being spoken to is well
and truly removed!</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I witnessed a Welsh speaking friend up sticks and
and move to Liverpool ( i.e. out of Wales) rather than tolerate ever
again having her children coming home from school and saying " Teacher
says you mustn't say it like that / use that word. Correct Welsh is
.....". She was a native born speaker, Welsh was her main language and
she was made to feel illiterate/ ill taught/ badly spoken by those
very people who were trying to encourage Welsh.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it!</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Heather</p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(91, 16, 148);">Bryan E. Schulz</span> <span class="lDACoc">
<<a href="mailto:bryans@glregister.com">bryans@glregister.com</a>></span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">LL-L "Language education" 2008.01.10 (06) [E]</span><span class="HcCDpe"><br><br></span><div><font face="Georgia" size="2">Gael wrote "so that we can shape a
better future for our children—one locality at a time".</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Georgia" size="2">Interestingly, I have been called a nay-sayer(and
much worse) when I sharply criticize some very popular children's shows
such as <em>Sesame Street </em>and <em>The Muppets</em> along with others on
U.S. public television. Some of the animated characters are specifically
scripted to 'speak' vulgar English. Most of the animated cartoons on
television today also use a very limited vocabulary, gutter slang and very
poor grammar. No one believes that all programs will use perfect English
all the time however, the programs I am referencing intentionally denigrate
foriegn accents, mock precise speakers and lack any redeeming
quality in the realm of early language education. Diversity is an
elemental strategy of survival for without it, we are doomed to remain as we are
today. No one should want that! All is not lost,
however! Today there is a premium in the job market where
the prospective employee who can write and read both effectively and
efficiently, will be hired before the more technically skilled
applicant for a job. Hollywood, Cannes and others have sold their
linguistic soul for a few lines of trash talk that may have put a few more coins
in their pockets at the expense of the children in the world. Some local
cultures and families have stubbornly refused to give up their beautiful
languages. Everyone needs to encourage these groups to continue
using their languages. 'Public' media cannot be given a free pass
when they stoop to the level of their commercial competition.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Georgia" size="2">Bryan E. Schulz</font></div><br>