2010-03-22 - Jon Ford
Learning a second language is important for several different reasons. At an intellectual level, it has been proven that children who learn a foreign language in their formative years demonstrate improved intelligence, concentration and school results. For those learning a second language at a more advanced age, the process can still bring about advancement in many cognitive and life skills. Learning a second language helps increase mental flexibility and creativity, as well as problem-solving and reasoning skills. It broadens the learner’s horizons, equips them to deal with unfamiliar situations effectively and exposes them to unfamiliar cultural ideas and experiences.
Knowledge of a new language can open up an entirely new culture to the learner and offer up a wealth of new opportunities. Travellers to a foreign country invariably find that their experience is considerably enhanced if they are able to communicate in the local language. It allows them to participate more fully in the day-to-day life of the community, to navigate all kinds of situations successfully and to gain a truer understanding of the place they are visiting. Knowledge of a second language enables the traveller to communicate more completely, to build lasting friendships, and undoubtedly makes for a more worthwhile and satisfying travel experience.
On an economic level, learning a second language significantly improves employment potential across every profession. Any company intending to do business abroad will always require bilingual or multilingual employees. If a business intends to compete on an international level, it will need people who can communicate effectively in the locations where it plans to operate. Thus, an applicant with second language ability will often have an advantage over a monolingual applicant for the same job.
The requirement for language skills is by no means limited to the corporate world, however. All manner of government departments have need of people with second language ability, as do the fields of education, engineering, communications, scientific research, economics, public policy and international law. There is no doubt that competence in a second language opens up an array of previously unavailable employment opportunities.
Since cultures define themselves through language, it is only by learning to understand and communicate with that culture on its own terms that one can begin to appreciate its values and beliefs. In a globalised world where nations are increasingly dependent upon each other for trade and security, such understanding and communication has become of paramount importance. People competent in a second language can help promote international diplomacy, successfully engage in international trade, help bridge the gap between cultures and thus contribute towards wider global understanding and reconciliation.
Showing posts with label foreign language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foreign language. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Preserving Linguistic Diversity
2010-03-22 - Jon Ford
Language is one of the fundamental characteristics of what it means to be human. To learn a new language is to discover a new culture, a new means of expression, and a new way of thinking about and looking at the world. Therefore every time a language becomes extinct a whole culture is lost and humanity’s global memory and experience is impoverished.
This realisation has led, belatedly, to some concerted efforts to preserve the rich variety of linguistic diversity found all over the world. Minority and regional languages have always been in danger of being eradicated by more widely-spoken languages of power and commerce. In the United Kingdom, for example, minority languages such as Gaelic, Manx and Cornish receded quickly between the 17th and 19th centuries under pressure from English. By the middle of the 20th century, when some of these languages were in danger of becoming extinct, a concerted effort began among volunteers to bring them back into use. This involved holding language classes, publishing books and articles, broadcasting radio and television programmes and educating young people about their linguistic heritage.
In addition to the efforts of enthusiastic volunteers, government support is necessary if minority languages are to be preserved. The development of the Cornish language revival, for example, has been facilitated by the allocation of resources from local and national government, and recognition by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Some national governments, however, particularly those under budget restraints, may not view the preservation of minority and regional languages as a priority. It then becomes necessary for the speakers of the minority language to convince the government that their language is worth preserving. It should be argued that the regional language is an important cultural icon and that it contributes to a sense of regional identity. A regional language contributes to the image and economy of that area and can help to raise the profile of the region and increase tourism.
The best way to preserve a language is to keep it alive and in use. One method for safeguarding an endangered language is to teach it to younger generations as they are growing up, in the hope that they will continue to use it in their everyday lives and in turn pass it on to their own children. For many languages, however, this is not a feasible option as numbers of speakers continue to decrease. Technology can also be used to document and catalogue the global variety of linguistic diversity. The internet can be used to translate and archive languages while audio and video recordings can preserve their spoken forms. It has been estimated, however, that only 10% of the world’s languages are currently used online. The next step, therefore, in the development of language preservation should be to establish comprehensive online repositories for all minority, regional and endangered languages. A record of such languages would therefore be preserved should they ever become extinct.
Language is one of the fundamental characteristics of what it means to be human. To learn a new language is to discover a new culture, a new means of expression, and a new way of thinking about and looking at the world. Therefore every time a language becomes extinct a whole culture is lost and humanity’s global memory and experience is impoverished.
This realisation has led, belatedly, to some concerted efforts to preserve the rich variety of linguistic diversity found all over the world. Minority and regional languages have always been in danger of being eradicated by more widely-spoken languages of power and commerce. In the United Kingdom, for example, minority languages such as Gaelic, Manx and Cornish receded quickly between the 17th and 19th centuries under pressure from English. By the middle of the 20th century, when some of these languages were in danger of becoming extinct, a concerted effort began among volunteers to bring them back into use. This involved holding language classes, publishing books and articles, broadcasting radio and television programmes and educating young people about their linguistic heritage.
In addition to the efforts of enthusiastic volunteers, government support is necessary if minority languages are to be preserved. The development of the Cornish language revival, for example, has been facilitated by the allocation of resources from local and national government, and recognition by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Some national governments, however, particularly those under budget restraints, may not view the preservation of minority and regional languages as a priority. It then becomes necessary for the speakers of the minority language to convince the government that their language is worth preserving. It should be argued that the regional language is an important cultural icon and that it contributes to a sense of regional identity. A regional language contributes to the image and economy of that area and can help to raise the profile of the region and increase tourism.
The best way to preserve a language is to keep it alive and in use. One method for safeguarding an endangered language is to teach it to younger generations as they are growing up, in the hope that they will continue to use it in their everyday lives and in turn pass it on to their own children. For many languages, however, this is not a feasible option as numbers of speakers continue to decrease. Technology can also be used to document and catalogue the global variety of linguistic diversity. The internet can be used to translate and archive languages while audio and video recordings can preserve their spoken forms. It has been estimated, however, that only 10% of the world’s languages are currently used online. The next step, therefore, in the development of language preservation should be to establish comprehensive online repositories for all minority, regional and endangered languages. A record of such languages would therefore be preserved should they ever become extinct.
How to preserve language
2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks
There are about 6,000 languages in the world at the present time. According to the National Geographic’s ‘Enduring Voices’ language survey, by the year 2100 more than half of these languages will have disappeared. In fact, this survey estimates that right now one language is disappearing every 14 days.
This erosion of language diversity has been going on for several hundred years, and the reasons for it are not hard to understand. Essentially, there are ‘big’ languages and ‘small’ languages. ‘Big’ languages belong to those countries whose size, economic power and cultural development enable them to promote their languages at the expense of others. This is a process which modern communications technology, in the form of print media, radio, TV and the Internet, has accelerated. The ‘big’ languages have greater prestige, and therefore the younger generation of minority language speakers will gravitate towards them, believing them to be the pathway to greater opportunity.
Against these social pressures the ‘small’ languages can only survive in those wilder, inaccessible places the global economy has yet to discover. It is no surprise then that the area of greatest linguistic diversity on the planet today are the deep, jungle-choked valleys of Papua New Guinea, where an astonishing 830 languages survive in a population of only five million people.
The question is, of course, how long can this variety of languages survive? Once, almost everywhere was as inaccessible as the mountains of Papua New Guinea. In England, the last monoglot speaker of Cornish died in 1665, and as a spoken language it disappeared altogether by the end of the eighteenth century. The development of coaching roads, and the enforced monopoly of English as the medium of government, law, and education, put an end to it.
What can be done to preserve these languages? And should they be preserved at all?
There are those who say that this loss is a natural process of evolution that should not be interfered with; that the survival of these languages is a barrier to progress and development. Others say that a people’s culture is embedded within, and only truly expressed, through their own language. The loss of a language therefore represents the loss of an entire culture.
The two keys to preserving minority languages appear to be: firstly, to preserve and record them in a written form; and, secondly, to protect their status through government intervention.
For example, Cornish is now beginning a slow revival, now that scholars have finally agreed on a written form. And recently, the EU gave Cornish the status of an official language.
In Thailand, Christian missionaries have created written forms for many of the ‘hill tribe’ languages of Northern Thailand; while some university scholars in Northern Thailand are promoting use of the local Thai Lanna dialect, and creating new fonts for its use on word-processing programs. Given the centralising impulses of the modern Thai state, however, government intervention on behalf of either of these projects will probably have to wait!
There are about 6,000 languages in the world at the present time. According to the National Geographic’s ‘Enduring Voices’ language survey, by the year 2100 more than half of these languages will have disappeared. In fact, this survey estimates that right now one language is disappearing every 14 days.
This erosion of language diversity has been going on for several hundred years, and the reasons for it are not hard to understand. Essentially, there are ‘big’ languages and ‘small’ languages. ‘Big’ languages belong to those countries whose size, economic power and cultural development enable them to promote their languages at the expense of others. This is a process which modern communications technology, in the form of print media, radio, TV and the Internet, has accelerated. The ‘big’ languages have greater prestige, and therefore the younger generation of minority language speakers will gravitate towards them, believing them to be the pathway to greater opportunity.
Against these social pressures the ‘small’ languages can only survive in those wilder, inaccessible places the global economy has yet to discover. It is no surprise then that the area of greatest linguistic diversity on the planet today are the deep, jungle-choked valleys of Papua New Guinea, where an astonishing 830 languages survive in a population of only five million people.
The question is, of course, how long can this variety of languages survive? Once, almost everywhere was as inaccessible as the mountains of Papua New Guinea. In England, the last monoglot speaker of Cornish died in 1665, and as a spoken language it disappeared altogether by the end of the eighteenth century. The development of coaching roads, and the enforced monopoly of English as the medium of government, law, and education, put an end to it.
What can be done to preserve these languages? And should they be preserved at all?
There are those who say that this loss is a natural process of evolution that should not be interfered with; that the survival of these languages is a barrier to progress and development. Others say that a people’s culture is embedded within, and only truly expressed, through their own language. The loss of a language therefore represents the loss of an entire culture.
The two keys to preserving minority languages appear to be: firstly, to preserve and record them in a written form; and, secondly, to protect their status through government intervention.
For example, Cornish is now beginning a slow revival, now that scholars have finally agreed on a written form. And recently, the EU gave Cornish the status of an official language.
In Thailand, Christian missionaries have created written forms for many of the ‘hill tribe’ languages of Northern Thailand; while some university scholars in Northern Thailand are promoting use of the local Thai Lanna dialect, and creating new fonts for its use on word-processing programs. Given the centralising impulses of the modern Thai state, however, government intervention on behalf of either of these projects will probably have to wait!
Changing your career to teaching
2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks
Why would people want to change their career to teaching? Often you will hear of people who have given up on lucrative and long-standing career paths to embrace the teaching profession, to the amazement of colleagues, friends and family alike. There are a variety of reasons for such a change, although it is rarely done to increase their income or because there are better employment opportunities in teaching. Usually the reasons are less tangible and more to do with wanting a change in lifestyle, with ‘giving something back’ or ‘trying to make a difference’.
What, then, are the attractions of teaching? It suits those with a gift for communication and a desire to share knowledge. Teachers sometimes talk of the ‘rush’ of being the centre of attention, and it certainly brings out the performer in many of us. Then there is the satisfaction of bringing out the best in others, watching the development of understanding, above all of sharing in the achievements of your students.
How difficult is it to make the change? In fact, in many countries, governments actively encourage late entrants into the profession. They value the diverse skills, wider experience and emotional maturity that these people can bring to the classroom. Obviously, they prefer candidates with a university degree relevant to the subject they will be teaching. It is often possible for successful applicants to complete a post-graduate teaching course at a college near their home. These courses are often underwritten, or at least heavily subsidised, by the government.
There are other options too. Some governments have overseas volunteer programmes which allow people to share their specific skills and experience with people in developing countries. In many cases these volunteer programmes do not require much in the way of formal academic qualifications. This can provide a way for people with practical skills and experience, but few academic qualifications, to share in the joy of teaching.
Then there is the burgeoning growth of Teaching English, either as a Second Language or as a Foreign Language. The setting for this kind of teaching is either in a college in your home country, teaching English to recent immigrants, or (more usually) overseas in private language schools. This last option was often undertaken by younger people attempting to subsidise independent foreign travel and a freewheeling lifestyle in exotic places. These days, however, it is tending to be more and more regulated, with most national governments requiring private language schools to hire teachers with recognised qualifications, usually a degree in a relevant subject and a TESL/TEFL qualification. To be merely a native speaker in possession of a tie is now, I am afraid, not nearly enough! However, the good news is that initial TESL/TEFL certification can be achieved in just a few weeks at various colleges and private language schools both at home and abroad.
Why would people want to change their career to teaching? Often you will hear of people who have given up on lucrative and long-standing career paths to embrace the teaching profession, to the amazement of colleagues, friends and family alike. There are a variety of reasons for such a change, although it is rarely done to increase their income or because there are better employment opportunities in teaching. Usually the reasons are less tangible and more to do with wanting a change in lifestyle, with ‘giving something back’ or ‘trying to make a difference’.
What, then, are the attractions of teaching? It suits those with a gift for communication and a desire to share knowledge. Teachers sometimes talk of the ‘rush’ of being the centre of attention, and it certainly brings out the performer in many of us. Then there is the satisfaction of bringing out the best in others, watching the development of understanding, above all of sharing in the achievements of your students.
How difficult is it to make the change? In fact, in many countries, governments actively encourage late entrants into the profession. They value the diverse skills, wider experience and emotional maturity that these people can bring to the classroom. Obviously, they prefer candidates with a university degree relevant to the subject they will be teaching. It is often possible for successful applicants to complete a post-graduate teaching course at a college near their home. These courses are often underwritten, or at least heavily subsidised, by the government.
There are other options too. Some governments have overseas volunteer programmes which allow people to share their specific skills and experience with people in developing countries. In many cases these volunteer programmes do not require much in the way of formal academic qualifications. This can provide a way for people with practical skills and experience, but few academic qualifications, to share in the joy of teaching.
Then there is the burgeoning growth of Teaching English, either as a Second Language or as a Foreign Language. The setting for this kind of teaching is either in a college in your home country, teaching English to recent immigrants, or (more usually) overseas in private language schools. This last option was often undertaken by younger people attempting to subsidise independent foreign travel and a freewheeling lifestyle in exotic places. These days, however, it is tending to be more and more regulated, with most national governments requiring private language schools to hire teachers with recognised qualifications, usually a degree in a relevant subject and a TESL/TEFL qualification. To be merely a native speaker in possession of a tie is now, I am afraid, not nearly enough! However, the good news is that initial TESL/TEFL certification can be achieved in just a few weeks at various colleges and private language schools both at home and abroad.
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