Comments on: More English and More Non-English http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/ Meandering Musings on Globalization Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:29:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Giri http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16642 Giri Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:17:02 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16642 Basab and friends I've just blogged at <a href="http://bolii.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">http://bolii.blogspot.com</a> on my article "From mother tongue to many tongues" which appears in the current issue of Teacher Plus. Comments welcome! Basab and friends

I've just blogged at http://bolii.blogspot.com on my article "From mother tongue to many tongues" which appears in the current issue of Teacher Plus. Comments welcome!

]]> By: Shefaly http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16616 Shefaly Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:00:01 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16616 Basab: Your Aug 2007 post on Being Articulate comes to mind instantly. Perhaps both together articulate a higher point about competence and its relationship with linguistic abilities. Basab: Your Aug 2007 post on Being Articulate comes to mind instantly. Perhaps both together articulate a higher point about competence and its relationship with linguistic abilities.

]]> By: srivats http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16559 srivats Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:03:59 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16559 Language, yes, is a huge barrier. It would be best to allow a person to think and understand in the language he knows or understand. Is that the reason the world stopped big inventions by the 80's? I was told by my pediatric that a child can learn 10 languages at a given time. I need to confirm this though. Now my daughter can talk / understand about 5 that includes english, tamil, malayalam, hindi & spanish. I am sure if we travel to europe she may pick up german and french too. I can just manage 3, english, hindi & tamil. Would it be better to just teach them the language and build charecter till they are ten and start with science etc after 10 in a language a child selects? Language, yes, is a huge barrier. It would be best to allow a person to think and understand in the language he knows or understand.
Is that the reason the world stopped big inventions by the 80's?
I was told by my pediatric that a child can learn 10 languages at a given time. I need to confirm this though. Now my daughter can talk / understand about 5 that includes english, tamil, malayalam, hindi & spanish. I am sure if we travel to europe she may pick up german and french too. I can just manage 3, english, hindi & tamil.
Would it be better to just teach them the language and build charecter till they are ten and start with science etc after 10 in a language a child selects?

]]> By: Abhishek http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16554 Abhishek Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:18:50 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16554 Whenever I get some time I read your blog. I think that English is a business language in India and it will remain so, thus one need to produce those products for which there will be always demand in the market. It is easier to create a product suitable for a job rather than to create a job out of nothing. We run English medium school (<a href="http://www.rnspublicschool.com/new)" target="_blank">www.rnspublicschool.com/new)</a> in the village and our experience tells us that today every parent wants to teach their child in english medium as they know that if their child knows english then it can enhance employability of his child manifold. Whenever I get some time I read your blog. I think that English is a business language in India and it will remain so, thus one need to produce those products for which there will be always demand in the market. It is easier to create a product suitable for a job rather than to create a job out of nothing. We run English medium school (http://www.rnspublicschool.com/new) in the village and our experience tells us that today every parent wants to teach their child in english medium as they know that if their child knows english then it can enhance employability of his child manifold.

]]> By: Basab Pradhan http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16545 Basab Pradhan Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:48:40 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16545 "Pranav Mistry of Sixth Sense fame studied in a GUJARATI medium school till Class 7." Doesn't that statement indicate your own belief that it is difficult to be successful if you don't study English medium? And yet for many Indians, an English medium education is difficult because they can't understand and speak English well enough. I think English needs no encouragement because it is aspirational and the market takes care of it based on demand. But opportunities for non-English educated students is what needs encouragement. There isn't enough of it. "Pranav Mistry of Sixth Sense fame studied in a GUJARATI medium school till Class 7." Doesn't that statement indicate your own belief that it is difficult to be successful if you don't study English medium? And yet for many Indians, an English medium education is difficult because they can't understand and speak English well enough.

I think English needs no encouragement because it is aspirational and the market takes care of it based on demand. But opportunities for non-English educated students is what needs encouragement. There isn't enough of it.

]]> By: ila http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16543 ila Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:04:11 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16543 Why blame a language for human deficiencies? Pranav Mistry of Sixth Sense fame studied in a GUJARATI medium school till Class 7. Agreed not everyone would have had his abilities but in a country where speaking English is aspirational, to not encourage it is foolish. Those who say that dont have the pulse of the people. Ila Why blame a language for human deficiencies? Pranav Mistry of Sixth Sense fame studied in a GUJARATI medium school till Class 7.
Agreed not everyone would have had his abilities but in a country where speaking English is aspirational, to not encourage it is foolish. Those who say that dont have the pulse of the people. Ila

]]> By: lakshmi ramachandran http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16535 lakshmi ramachandran Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:35:29 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16535 We should not be creating jobs just for the purpose of employing non-English speakers. But, I am sure there is so much to be done in India, in agriculture, infrastructure, food processing and many other sectors where there will jobs which will not require much knowledge of English. They will only depend on the person's skill and competency in that area - it is just that nobody creating such jobs :-) We should not be creating jobs just for the purpose of employing non-English speakers. But, I am sure there is so much to be done in India, in agriculture, infrastructure, food processing and many other sectors where there will jobs which will not require much knowledge of English. They will only depend on the person's skill and competency in that area – it is just that nobody creating such jobs :-)

]]> By: Basab Pradhan http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16532 Basab Pradhan Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:08:39 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16532 Ved - the primacy of English has many other deleterious effects. In another country which taught its students in their mother tongue you would do well in a class based upon how well you did in that subject. In India, English can shuffle the deck in other ways. It can have a huge impact on the confidence of a child (and adults) when their proficiency in their mother tongue doesn't carry over to English. Ved – the primacy of English has many other deleterious effects. In another country which taught its students in their mother tongue you would do well in a class based upon how well you did in that subject. In India, English can shuffle the deck in other ways. It can have a huge impact on the confidence of a child (and adults) when their proficiency in their mother tongue doesn't carry over to English.

]]> By: Bala Girisaballa http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16530 Bala Girisaballa Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:21:53 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16530 Agree with your view. While E2--> E1 is important, like you said the market forces are heavily leaning towards it. Accommodating regional language is also good for harmonized growth. I see this tension in Bangalore (where I live) between Kannada speaking (and taught in public schools predominantly even today) and the rest. Most employment opportunities except for blue collar skilled jobs require considerable English proficiency and that need not be the case. Its the momentum & insensitivity that drives this behavior today. Agree with your view. While E2–> E1 is important, like you said the market forces are heavily leaning towards it. Accommodating regional language is also good for harmonized growth. I see this tension in Bangalore (where I live) between Kannada speaking (and taught in public schools predominantly even today) and the rest. Most employment opportunities except for blue collar skilled jobs require considerable English proficiency and that need not be the case. Its the momentum & insensitivity that drives this behavior today.

]]> By: Ved http://6ampacific.com/2009/12/13/more-english-and-more-non-english/comment-page-1/#comment-16527 Ved Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:18:58 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/?p=550#comment-16527 Very well said, i fully agree wih you. I am one of those who, well kind of, broken the cycle. But I sitll remember my 1st year in IIT, when I did not understand anything taught in L-7. Thanks god courses were primarily continuation +2 Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics otherwise it would have killed my spirit. Still, it did enough damage to my confidance and i don't remember speaking anything during the lecture either to ask a question or to answer a question. Very well said, i fully agree wih you. I am one of those who, well kind of, broken the cycle. But I sitll remember my 1st year in IIT, when I did not understand anything taught in L-7. Thanks god courses were primarily continuation +2 Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics otherwise it would have killed my spirit. Still, it did enough damage to my confidance and i don't remember speaking anything during the lecture either to ask a question or to answer a question.

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