[lg policy] Re: lgpolicy-list Digest, Vol 77, Issue 2
Kennedyper at aol.com
Kennedyper at aol.com
Wed Sep 2 15:33:26 UTC 2015
Hi Hal,
How are you doing?
Check out this Jeopardy question for tonight's show...compliments of the
NY Times...
SUBJECT: THE NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME
He gave his name to a pressure-ignited internal combustion engine and was
also a linguist
The correct response will be on the show tonight and in tomorrows paper.
Have a great day.
Tom
In a message dated 9/2/2015 11:28:35 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
lgpolicy-list-request at groups.sas.upenn.edu writes:
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Today's Topics:
1. North Carolina State Students Will Be PUNISHED For ?Sexist?
Language (Harold Schiffman)
2. South Africa: Classes temporarily suspended as EFF members
lock lecture halls (Harold Schiffman)
3. South Africa: Lessons From India On Decolonising Language and
Thought At Universities (Harold Schiffman)
4. Linguist List Issue: The Making of Vernacular Singapore
English: Bao (The LINGUIST List)
5. Linguist List Issue: Germanic Heritage Languages in North
America: Johannessen, Salmons (eds.) (The LINGUIST List)
6. Foreign Language Policies: Is Everyone Else Really Speaking
English? (Harold Schiffman)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2015 15:18:58 -0400
From: Harold Schiffman <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
Subject: [lg policy] North Carolina State Students Will Be PUNISHED
For ?Sexist? Language
To: lp <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Message-ID:
<CAB7VSRDVsFYKSd+2FcMt_ehxAyLShpWFxvuS0g0YOimrDT2R+w at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
NC State Students Will Be PUNISHED For ‘Sexist’ Language
<http://license.icopyright.net:80/rights/oneButtonTag.act?tag=3.16718?icx_id
=31553>
By Blake Neff
A professor at North Carolina State University is warning students in her
gender studies class to refrain from using any “sexist language†in
their
writing, or else face penalties to their grades.
The sexism that professor Nancy Bishop hopes to squelch includes words such
as “mankind†and the word “he†when used to describe a
non-gendered person.
“Thanks to evolution, generalized pronouns and other biased references
are
no longer acceptable in any class,†warns Bishop in a syllabus obtained
by
The College Fix <http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/24025/>. “You may
*NOT* use
‘he’ or ‘him’ or ‘man’ to refer to both men and women. â
€˜Mankind’ can be
replaced by ‘humans’ or ‘humankind,’ and ‘he’ can be ‘
she or he.’â€
The College Fix reached out to Bishop to ask why she was pursuing such a
strict language policy. Bishop replied by saying the rules were necessary
for proper “time management†and to prevent more significant slurs
against
women.
“When addressing women in an academic setting—especially an online
one [the
class is online-only], some students feel that by being behind a computer
keyboard they are ‘free’ to address women and even women addressing
men as
something other than what is really respectful,†Bishop told them. “I
have
had students call women ‘bitches’ and ‘gold digging ho’s’
or label women as
‘maid’s or the dishwasher,’†she said.
Bishop argued that with strict rules she will spend less time “putting
out
fires†while also training students that they can “live and function
in a
world without sexism.â€
Bishop’s approach is hardly unprecedented at colleges these days. At
Washington State University, one faculty member has abolished use of the
word “female,†while another has threatened to slash students’
grades if
they ever use the term “illegal alien.†*(RELATED: Taxpayer-Funded
Professors Censor Words ’Female,’ ‘Illegal Alien’)
<http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/31/taxpayer-funded-professors-censor-words-f
emale-illegal-alien-and-make-white-students-defer/>*
Read more:
http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/nc-state-students-will-be-punished-for-sex
ist-language/#ixzz3kW4H3Hjq
Follow us: @TheLibRepublic on Twitter
<http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=agbceMWC8r5i0Nacwqm_6r&u=TheLibRepublic>
--
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2015 15:21:16 -0400
From: Harold Schiffman <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
Subject: [lg policy] South Africa: Classes temporarily suspended as
EFF members lock lecture halls
To: lp <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Message-ID:
<CAB7VSRBoHezJxESy_SdsyUtzWSTqBSCONo8ezn0JTukyPpyj2A at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
l
Classes temporarily suspended as EFF members lock lecture halls 2015-08-31
21:16
Mpho Raborife, News24
[image: (Alexander Joe, AFP)]
(Alexander Joe, AFP)
<http://www.news24.com/Multimedia>
Johannesburg - A group of EFF members disrupted classes at the Elsenburg
Agricultural Training Institute on Monday by locking students out of
classrooms, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture said on Monday.
"When we got there, a small group of [EFF members] had padlocked the
classrooms and prevented students from attending classes," spokesperson
Petro van Rhyn said.
She said the institution's management and officials from the department
tried to speak to the group of no more than 20, but they would not budge.
"Classes resumed after 12:00, after the Public Order Police were called in
to break the locks."
Van Rhyn said the group was made up of a few students and a number of
"outside parties".
No arrests were made, but any students involved in the incident would face
the repercussions for bridging the institution's Code of Conduct, she
said.
There has been an ongoing dispute over a policy about the language of
instruction at the institution.
The college's Student Representative Council (SRC) say they felt that
non-white, non-Afrikaans speaking students were still being victimised.
Classes were disrupted two weeks ago by students unhappy with the
implementation of the institution's dual English/Afrikaans language policy.
SRC chairperson Sabelo Ngcobo has previously said Afrikaans was being
prioritised. They wanted classes to be in English only.
On Monday, AfriForum Youth accused the group of swearing at white students
and spitting in their faces during their protest.
"It is clear that today's riot did not focus on language issues, but rather
on provoking a racial incident," AfriForum Youth's national chairperson
Henk Maree said.
An urgent court interdict would be launched to force the institution's
management to call in police reinforcements on the campus, he said.
"The safety of students and access to education are the most important
priorities and we will do everything in our power to enforce this and see
that students' rights are protected."
Third year student and EFF member Liphelo Mpumlwana said locking the
classroom doors was a symbol of the students' stance on the oppressive
"Afrikaner" culture at the college.
"Today we decided to protest, part of it was locking the lecture halls. It
was part of a signal of our [frustration] against the culture [here]."
She said the group of protesters was not violent and only reacted when
provoked.
"We didn't spit in their faces, we only responded to words that were said
to us."
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Classes-temporarily-suspended-as-EFF-
members-lock-lecture-halls-20150831
--
**************************************
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2015 15:25:25 -0400
From: Harold Schiffman <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
Subject: [lg policy] South Africa: Lessons From India On Decolonising
Language and Thought At Universities
To: lp <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Message-ID:
<CAB7VSRBByFwmUn2H-w-1mX3m9qKv8EBoV=YKnG2HfRh9JnUMNQ at mail.gmail.com>
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South Africa: Lessons From India On Decolonising Language and Thought At
Universities
By Dilip Menon, University of the Witwatersrand
Foundation essay: Our foundation essays are longer than usual and take a
wider look at key issues affecting society.
Susa lo-mtunzi gawena. Hayikona shukumisa lo saka
"Move your shadow. Don't rattle the bag." - JD Bold, Fanagalo Phrase Book,
Grammar and Dictionary, the Lingua Franca of Southern Africa, 10th Edition,
1977
In South Africa's bad old days white people spoke English or Afrikaans.
These were the languages of command. When needing to engage with those who
didn't speak English, whites could use Fanagalo - a pidgin based on Zulu
and peppered with English and some Afrikaans. It was developed on the
country's mines and was good for giving orders, if not having a
conversation.
In this piece I want to look in particular at the question of knowledge and
our universities in South Africa. There is a struggle afoot to change the
racial composition of the faculty and students at universities to move
towards transformation.
It is abundantly clear that equal attention is not being paid to the
questions of both the language of instruction and the content of syllabi in
South African universities. English still dominates instruction at the
major universities, as does Euro American knowledge.
There are some small steps towards change. The University of Witwatersrand,
where I work, recently tabled a multilingual policy. It will incorporate
Sesotho and isiZulu as co-languages, along with English as an official part
of campus life, in and outside the classroom.
Are there any lessons that South Africa's universities can learn from India
on this journey? After all, from the very moment of independence in India,
a debate began about the landscape of language in the university space.
A three-language policy
India's three language formula - mother tongue, regional language and
English - was hammered out in 1956. It represented a whittling down from
the original six language formula which envisaged the learning of Sanskrit,
Persian/Arabic, and a European language.
--
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or
sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write
directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this
may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)
For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2015 11:20:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: The LINGUIST List <linguist at linguistlist.org>
Subject: [lg policy] Linguist List Issue: The Making of Vernacular
Singapore English: Bao
To: lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
Message-ID: <500753903.1141441207212779.JavaMail.railo at server>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
HFS thought you might be interested in this item from the LINGUIST List
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
HFS says ...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Message1: The Making of Vernacular Singapore English: Bao
Date:01-Sep-2015
From:Katie Laker klaker at cambridge.org
LINGUIST List issue http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-3857.html
Title: The Making of Vernacular Singapore English
Subtitle: System, Transfer, and Filter
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
http://cambridge.org
Book URL:
http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/languages-linguistics/asian-language-and-linguistics/making-vernacular-singapore-english-system
-transfer-and-filter?format=HB
Author: Zhiming Bao
Hardback: ISBN: Pages: Price: U.S. $ 110.00
Hardback: ISBN: Pages: Price: U.K. � 69.99
Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
Historical Linguistics
Sociolinguistics
Subject Language(s): English (eng)
Written In: English (eng)
See this book announcement on our website:
http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=89773
Also you can take a look at it by visiting
http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-3857.html
Read other LINGUIST List posts:
http://linguistlist.org/issues/index.cfm
Get your own free subscription to The LINGUIST List:
http://linguistlist.org/LL/subs-index.cfm
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2015 11:24:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: The LINGUIST List <linguist at linguistlist.org>
Subject: [lg policy] Linguist List Issue: Germanic Heritage Languages
in North America: Johannessen, Salmons (eds.)
To: lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
Message-ID: <1007676202.1151441207453583.JavaMail.railo at server>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
HFS thought you might be interested in this item from the LINGUIST List
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
HFS says ...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Message1: Germanic Heritage Languages in North America: Johannessen,
Salmons (eds.)
Date:01-Sep-2015
From:Karin Plijnaar karin.plijnaar at benjamins.nl
LINGUIST List issue http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-3860.html
Title: Germanic Heritage Languages in North America
Subtitle: Acquisition, attrition and change
Series Title: Studies in Language Variation 18
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: John Benjamins
http://www.benjamins.com/
Book URL: https://benjamins.com/catalog/silv.18
Editor: Janne Bondi Johannessen
Editor: Joseph C. Salmons
Electronic: ISBN: Pages: Price: U.S. $ 0.00 Comment: Open Access
Hardback: ISBN: Pages: Price: U.S. $ 158.00
Hardback: ISBN: Pages: Price: U.K. � 88.00
Hardback: ISBN: Pages: Price: Europe EURO 111.30
Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
Historical Linguistics
Language Acquisition
Sociolinguistics
Subject Language(s): Dutch (nld)
English (eng)
Frisian, Western (fri)
German (deu)
Icelandic (isl)
Norwegian Bokm�l (nob)
German, Pennsylvania (pdc)
Swedish (swe)
Yiddish, Eastern (ydd)
Yiddish, Western (yih)
Language Family(ies): Germanic
Written In: English (eng)
See this book announcement on our website:
http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=89814
Also you can take a look at it by visiting
http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-3860.html
Read other LINGUIST List posts:
http://linguistlist.org/issues/index.cfm
Get your own free subscription to The LINGUIST List:
http://linguistlist.org/LL/subs-index.cfm
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2015 11:28:17 -0400
From: Harold Schiffman <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
Subject: [lg policy] Foreign Language Policies: Is Everyone Else
Really Speaking English?
To: lp <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Message-ID:
<CAB7VSRDdso5VT3PFEi9U7fYx3fSKEASNKRHs6340G8d9AoNi+A at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Foreign Language Policies: Is Everyone Else Really Speaking English?
By Heather Singmaster
<http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/> on September
1, 2015 7:00 PM
Only 25%
<http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/13/learning-a-foreign-language
-a-must-in-europe-not-so-in-america/>
of Americans speak a second language. We rest on our laurels as speakers
of
English, believing that everyone else is learning our language—the
language
of business. And in many countries across the globe, English is being
taught. However, studying English doesn't always equal fluency or even a
conversational speaking level (think back to your one or two years of high
school Spanish or French!). Plus, not everyone is on the English
bandwagon—by some estimates, 75%
<http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=6466>
of the world does not speak English.
Let's explore some of the policies other countries have regarding
English—and why they matter to the U.S.
*We are losing money*[image: languages.jpg]A recent and well-publicized
report by the Pew Research Center
<http://qz.com/453297/many-european-kids-learn-two-foreign-languages-by-age-
9-most-americans-zero/>
showed that most European students are learning a second language, and for
a majority of them, this means learning English (over 90% of secondary
students and 73% of primary students). However—and this shouldn't come
as a
surprise—Ireland and Scotland, two native English-speaking countries,
are
the only countries in Europe that currently do not require students to
learn another language (but in fairness to Ireland, their students learn in
English and Irish).
Starting in 2016, taking language classes may be voluntary in Britain
<http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21645247-woeful-approach-language-edu
cation-continues-shout-louder>
as
well. But having the same arrogant attitude toward learning languages as
the U.S. could cost Britain. James Foreman-Peck of Cardiff University
estimates the potential income lost from international trade because of a
lack of language proficiency is around 3.5% of GDP or £59 billion ($90
billion
<http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21645247-woeful-approach-language-edu
cation-continues-shout-louder>)—something
he calls the "gross language effect." Can you imagine how much larger that
number would be if the same study was done on the U.S.? As Nick Brown
<http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/apr/14/seven-language-learning-uk
-multilinguilism>,
a business leader, said: "English is fine if you want to buy things, but
it's not the right language to use for people who want to sell things." In
other words, learning a language is your key into the local culture and
local economy.
Not all native English-speaking locales are waiting for the world to learn
our language. In New Zealand
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11438943>,
where 20% of students currently study a second language (the lowest
percentage since the 1930s), Auckland
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/67004998/auckland-council-gives-regional-la
nguages-strategy-thumbs-up>
is developing a regional languages strategy. This is seen as a first step
toward increasing language offerings in schools to build capacity to meet
increasing tourism and trade demands.
*Diversity*Canada
<http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/number-of-students-enrolled-in-tdsb-s-summer-lang
uage-programs-doubles-1.2500694>
is also ahead of the United States. We all know they speak French in
Quebec, but in Toronto, an extremely diverse
<http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2015/03/toronto_developing_e
quity_through_global_competence.html>
city, 2,000 elementary students were studying a second language for free
over the summer, courtesy of the Toronto District School Board. "It's not
only first generation newcomers, but it's second and third generation young
parents who want their children to understand their cultural and
linguistic
background," says Karen Falconer, the Executive Superintendent of
International Education.
Here in the U.S., our growing diversity
<http://asiasociety.org/mapping-nation/> is helping to drive the demand
for translation services, which is now our fifth fastest-growing
<http://articles.philly.com/2015-08-11/business/65419439_1_language-care-cam
bridge>
occupation. Just look at Houston
<http://www.chron.com/jobs/article/Houston-shows-a-translator-interpreter-st
affing-6377905.php>,
one of our most diverse cities, which is facing a shortage of local
interpreters. The Houston Independent School District
<http://www.hisdchoice.com/dual_languages> (HISD), recognizing these
challenges, is committed to the teaching of world languages. Arabic is the
second most spoken language in the city after Spanish, so it makes sense
that HISD opened a public Arabic immersion school this year, the first in
the country. But not everyone agrees: a dozen protestors outside on the
first day felt that these students should be receiving English-only
<http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/2015/08/24/hisd-open-arabic-language-i
mmersion-magnet-school-monday/32253827/>
education.
*We are limiting higher education*An increasing number of universities
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10369467/More-European-u
niversities-teaching-students-in-English.html>
across Europe and the world are mandating that at least some courses, if
not entire programs of study, be taught in English. But not all faculty
agree with these policies, which are usually set by the administration. In
Italy
<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/opinion/italys-
new-lingua-franca.html?_r=2>,
the Milan Polytechnic administration moved to teach masters degrees in
English only. But the faculty cried foul and are trying to block it. The
policy is currently under consideration by the Constitutional Court—the
highest court in Italy.
Even if university faculty agree with English language policies, that
doesn't mean that they can immediately flip a switch and teach with the
same degree of expertise in English—or that students will have the same
degree of comprehension. Take for example France
<http://www.thelocal.fr/20131112/english-proficiency-in-france-on-the-declin
e>,
where there was a huge uproar over allowing universities to teach courses
in English, which was outlawed until the summer of 2013. With many policies
in place to protect the French language, the country has the weakest
English skills of all European countries.
Anna Kristina Hultgren, a lecturer in English language and applied
linguistics at Britain's Open University, has studied Nordic countries
<https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/02/experts-consider-impact-engl
ish-global-language-instruction>
where there is a high degree of English ability. Even so, she found that
having to cope with English instruction meant professors and students
progressed much more slowly in their courses.
And in places like South Africa where there is still a huge disparity in
the education of blacks and whites, English instruction leaves behind black
students. "The young people who are from groups that were marginalized
under apartheid are still marginalized, and those who were privileged are
still privileged," says Russell H. Kaschula, a professor of African
language studies at Rhodes University, in South Africa
<https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/02/experts-consider-impact-engl
ish-global-language-instruction>
.
*Defense*Iran and Iraq are two of the lowest ranking countries on the
Education First English proficiency index <http://www.ef.edu/epi/>. If we
are going to be involved in security issues in these nations, we need to
speak their language—conversing with the locals opens many doors and
leads
to better intelligence information. CW2 Rachid Akhrid
<http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/31/u-s-military-cultural-awareness-i-was-a
-pro-saddam-protestor-was-called-a-camel-jockey-but-i-am-an-american-soldier
-2/>,
a Military Intelligence Officer in the United States Army, states that his
language and cultural abilities saved his unit more than once, including
the time they were lost and he was able to get directions from the locals
to get everyone back to base.
We continue to face large shortages in speakers of critical languages like
Arabic and Persian, not to mention Korean and Chinese. This could be the
motive for a bipartisan group of members of the House of Representatives
who recently asked the Department of Defense
<http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/15/lawmakers-seek-to-reverse-cut
s-to-foreign-language-training.html>
(DoD) to put more funding for world languages back into the 2016 budget.
The DoD wanted to cut $31 million
<http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/15/lawmakers-seek-to-reverse-cut
s-to-foreign-language-training.html>
out of the $261 million budget of the Defense Language Institute Foreign
Language Center <http://www.dliflc.edu/>.
*English may not always be number one*Malaysian
<http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/02/04/mastering-a-thi
rd-language-will-help-not-hinder-malays/>
parents are concerned that learning two languages—English and Malay—
is not
enough to be successful. So now many are pushing their children to learn a
third— this often means Mandarin, as it is seen as opening doors to
future
jobs. Some parents are even favoring Chinese over English as China's sphere
of influence grows in the region.
Malaysians aren't the only ones learning Chinese around the globe: 750,000
people took the Official Chinese Language
<http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/03/03/chinese-as-a-second-language-growing
-in-popularity>
Proficiency test in 2010. While Chinese is not going to replace English
anytime soon, it is growing in importance. In the U.S. alone, college
enrollment in Chinese courses has jumped up by 51% since 2002.
*Cognitive benefits*We should not forget about the many cognitive reasons
to learn another language, which I have outlined in a previous post (ward
off Alzheimer's
<http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2013/12/bilingualism_valuabl
e_for_the_brain_and_society.html?qs=singmaster+global+learning+langauges>,
plus grow a bigger brain!). Japan
<http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32013613> feels its students, who are
studying abroad less than in the past, are growing too insular and are seen
as bored and not very motivated, and therefore, less competitive in the
international economy. One way the government is combating this is by
lowering the age that students begin to learn English from age 13 to age 10
(5th grade). Rachel Sharp, Head of Languages at Cambridge International
School, agrees with this idea. She says that language study is a way
to overcome
apathy
<http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge-teacher-learning-foreign-language
s/story-26189049-detail/story.html>,
increase tolerance and acceptance of others, and enhance life skills. Why
wouldn't we too want this for our youth?
Not everyone is speaking English, and we can't expect them to. There are so
many benefits that we are currently missing out on in our monolingual
bubble: enhanced business opportunities, smarter kids, stronger national
defense, and better communication within our local communities just to name
a few. So what do you say, America: can we stop turning a deaf ear to the
rest of the world?
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2015/09/foreign_language_poli
cies_around_the_world_is_everyone_else_really_speaking_english.html
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