LL-L "Language education" 2008.01.09 (05) [AE]

[Lowlands-L List]

=======================================================================

 L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226

 http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.php

 Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org - lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net

 Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html

 Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html

 Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]

 Administration: lowlands.list at gmail.com or sassisch at yahoo.com


 You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
 To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
 sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.


 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)

=======================================================================

L O W L A N D S - L  -  09 January 2008 - Volume 05
 ========================================================================

From: Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at icon.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Language education" 2008.01.08 (08) [E]

Hi all,

Thanks, Gael, for your interesting comments.
I am well informed about the US educational system through my extended
family consisting of a sister,
brother-in-law (both at Brown), their three teenage kids, and two
Afrikaans-speaking nieces; the one
involved with post-doctoral work on AIDS.

Yes, I was hoping to extract comments/information from Lowlanders about the
educational role of public
broadcasters in poor, yet super diverse multi-lingual countries, where
television, for example, as popular
public broadcasting tool, has been used successfully to teach correct
language usage, amongst other things.

Thirty years ago (before TV), we had the luxury of radio stations for most
language groupings, whether Xhosa,
Zulu, Afrikaans, Sotho or English, not unlike NPR in the USA. These played a
significant educational role.

Today, that marvellous educational tool has been replaced with TV, which
tends to broadcast mixed-language
kiddie shows, ANC propaganda, a mishmash of US soaps, Oprah, second rate US
programmes (not fit to be
broadcasted there), and the very occasional good BBC documentary.

Also, during the school year, pupils (or 'learners', as they are referred to
here), can watch extra maths lessons,
and also phone in to get answers to questions, but these are only presented
in English. So very often, the presenters
battle for five minutes to understand the pupil's question before it can be
answered!

The dilemma is that we cannot afford to 'weed out' people who cannot write
or speak proper English. It is a second, third or fourth language for the
majority of people here. At universities, first-year students are
practically illiterate, which forces universities (already strapped for
cash) to provide English language bridging courses, besides bridging courses
for maths and science. The drop out rate is very large.

It is against this background that I was dismayed that a public broadcaster
is so myopic as to use the supposedly catchy line Msanzi fo sho, to attract
its already illiterate viewers...

And if that was not enough, today my grandson and I watched an 'English'
kiddie story from the US of two boys who have a crush on their Cuban
teacher. I had to translate the Spanish conversational bits as well as I
could.

So the mind boggles.

Elsie Zinsser

•

==============================END===================================

 * Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.

 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.

 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.

 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")

   are to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at

   http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20080109/57e73a9d/attachment.htm>