The magic of ignorance - English a false prophet?

[hsmr at pacific.net.hk]

> From: Moses Samuel <mosess at um.edu.my>
> Date: Jan 24, 2005  03:32 PM
> To: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
> Subject: RE: The magic of ignorance - English a false prophet?
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> Anthea is right on target. And in Malaysia (and in many other countries in Kachru's 'outer circle' I guess) it looks like Phillipson's 'linguistic imperialism' auguments against English may not have widespread support.  Here,  many people would regard English working as a 'partner language' with Malay, the national language, not necessarily against it.
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> Moses Samuel
> University of Malaya
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> On 24.01.2005 02:36:41, Anthea Fraser Gupta <A.F.Gupta at leeds.ac.uk> wrote:
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> >Stan said,  "I wonder how much of this push for English comes from "an
> >ignorant,
> >self-serving elite". Maybe the the intelligent, outward-looking masses
> >are
> >pushing for English as well."
> >
> >Absolutely.  It's important to say  that probably everyone in Malaysia
> >agrees that all schoolchildren should be taught English and Malay (the
> >controversy is in the how). And a large proportion of the population of
> >Malaysia already speaks very good English (and most of the rest speak a
> >useful amount of English).  We are NOT looking at a place where English
> >is known only by a tiny 'elite', but one where English is already known
> >by the majority.
> >
> >Schools have to teach all sorts of stuff, some of which some of the
> >learners will never use again (I personally have not done a
> >differential equation since the age of 16). Education is about offering
> >children opportunities and choices, not about limiting those
> >opportunities. I say, keep on teaching differential equations and
> >English and history and all sorts of other stuff too. However, in
> >Malaysia, lots of people need English for all sorts of work and social
> >reasons, because English is a Malaysia language, not a foreign one.
> >
> >Anthea
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> >
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