Singapore: Let's not forget our multilingual roots

[Francis Hult]

Via lgpolicy...

Let's not forget our multilingual roots
Thursday, 10 December 2009, 9:35 am
Jamie Li Chou Han


In the recent public debates over the future direction of Singapore's
Chinese language education policy, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is
right in noting that much of the discussion has revolved around
emotional responses regarding what level the language should be
pitched at ('Help every child go as far as possible', The Straits
Times, 4 Dec 2009). Such emotive reactions are to be expected when it
comes to discussions on language issues in general, as shown by the
recent furore over the English language standards of Singaporeans.
This is because language is perceived by many to be, rightly or
wrongly, a cornerstone of one's cultural and ethnic identity.  German
philosopher Martin Heidegger even goes so far as to proclaim that the
essence of our being is to be found in language.

Full story:
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/12/lets-not-forget-our-multilingual-roots/


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