[connandoilee]

Uproar over English for French toddlers
Linguistic purists blast Sarkozy's plan, say he's dumbing down mother tongue

PARIS: President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to teach English to three-year-olds have sparked howls of protest among linguistic purists in France, who say he should focus instead on helping the young master their own language.

In 2009, Mr Sarkozy, a self-confessed Anglophile, declared that all French secondary schoolchildren should be at least bilingual - leading to English and other foreign languages being introduced from the age of seven.

The latest debate was sparked when Education and Youth Minister Luc Chatel said last week that the immersion should start even earlier, as it made no sense to resist the rise of English.

Announcing plans to teach English to three-year-old nursery kids using computers, he said: 'Not mastering English in France these days is a handicap.'

He told the local Europe 1 Radio that a committee would be set up to handle this.

Experts are divided over the merit of learning English at an age when toddlers are still grappling with the basics of their mother tongue.

In Britain, students tend to take on a foreign language at the age of 11, though some start earlier, a report in the Telegraph said yesterday.

In Singapore, students who are ranked among the top 10 per cent of the Primary School Leaving Examination and have a special ability in languages can apply for approval to study a foreign language - either French, German or Japanese - from Secondary 1, that is when they are about 12 or 13 years old.

'Three years old seems much too young to me,' said teacher and French linguist Claude Hagege. A better age would be five or six, he told the Daily Mail.

Others said the announcement was a fig leaf hiding the fact that Mr Sarkozy's reforms will see an estimated 1,000 language teachers lose their jobs this year, the Telegraph reported.

Before taking on foreign languages, the education system should improve standards in French, they added.

The French see the spread of English as synonymous with tough capitalist values, as opposed to the more socialist-leaning ones favoured in modern France.

One major proponent of the 'dumbing-down' of French, say critics, is the President himself.

Mr Sarkozy, who is from a Hungarian background with Greek blood on his maternal side, is regularly accused of not being French enough.

In a recent written parliamentary question, a member of the opposition Socialist Party said Mr Sarkozy 'mistreated' the French language.

His lax grammar and 'vulgar expressions', said Mr Francois Loncle, amounted to 'attacks on the culture of our country and its reputation in the world'.

France has traditionally taken the defence of its language deadly seriously.

The Academie Francaise, set up in 1635 to preserve the purity of the French language, is tasked with warding off the invasion of 'anglicisms' into the language. It has hit out at the increasing usage of 'Franglais' words such as 'le weekend' and 'le parking', as well as the unhealthy influence of Hollywood films on Gallic culture.

Mr Sarkozy's position is the complete opposite of the approach taken by one of France's most famous leaders, Charles de Gaulle, who refused to speak English in public as a matter of principle.

In 2006, then-President Jacques Chirac famously walked out of a meeting in Brussels when the French head of a boss' union started his address in English.

[beriarele]

parlez-vous anglais?

[CitsMoise17]

oui oui, bien sur.

Mr LKY a dit...l'influence de la langue francaise est en baisse...

[ElenaEvgeevna]

Look at Singapore and you should know why never to over-emphasize on English.

[CitsMoise17]

Look at Singapore and you should know why never to over-emphasize on English.

==

singapore is quite a different case...we have Chinese, Malay, Tamil...each with their mother tongue.

English is the only "neutral" language to adapt without being seen as favoring one race over the other.

partly also because we used to be a British colony - imagine we were a Dutch / Portugese colony...

[Aqgkvwzm]

monsieur, epee du hua ??

[ElenaEvgeevna]

==

singapore is quite a different case...we have Chinese, Malay, Tamil...each with their mother tongue.

English is the only "neutral" language to adapt without being seen as favoring one race over the other.

partly also because we used to be a British colony - imagine we were a Dutch / Portugese colony...

I mentioned "over-emphasize", not "emphasize". English is important but at the expense of eroding Chinese culture and the destruction of dialects? It is not a good thing. Learning English makes one wise and knowledgeable, but it should not be totally at the expense of mother tongue. I agree that English is a bridge for all races, but the damage done by the over-emphasis is too huge.

By the way, even when the British were around and did not forcefully introduce English, there were no bloodshed back then. People just got on with their daily lives.

[paulaglober]

Once they master language communication at 3,
they will move to exploration at 4 and sex at 5 .

[aaaaaaahabbbby]

I mentioned "over-emphasize", not "emphasize". English is important but at the expense of eroding Chinese culture and the destruction of dialects? It is not a good thing. Learning English makes one wise and knowledgeable, but it should not be totally at the expense of mother tongue. I agree that English is a bridge for all races, but the damage done by the over-emphasis is too huge.

By the way, even when the British were around and did not forcefully introduce English, there were no bloodshed back then. People just got on with their daily lives.

to co-exist peacefully and in harmony, it is more about not having sinkie behavior than speaking the same language.

[ditpiler]

to co-exist peacefully and in harmony, it is more about not having sinkie behavior than speaking the same language.

Suspect I ever met you at TD2 at Golden Miles Complex....that time you drag right???

[CitsMoise17]

I mentioned "over-emphasize", not "emphasize". English is important but at the expense of eroding Chinese culture and the destruction of dialects? It is not a good thing. Learning English makes one wise and knowledgeable, but it should not be totally at the expense of mother tongue.

By the way, even when the British were around and did not forcefully introduce English, there were no bloodshed back then. People just got on with their daily lives.

==

bro, i agree with you...look at today's kids...become bananas liao...somehow, only the Chinese face this big issue. Malays continue to speak Malay and Indian - tamil / dialect. Its only chinese that we are losing our dialect - one and even chinese. Now the government try to arrest the problem but they cannot...even the Chinese immigrants ditch Chinese and piah English. This add on pressure for Singaporean parents to push their children more to English.

These Chinese immigrants can concentrate on English because their foundation in Chinese is there...they won't lose it. Whereas for us, ho ho, chum, we are neither strong in English nor Chinese...and forced to do one over the other.

but back then, the British din't push for England because they wanted to keep it that way...like that, they can continue to subjugate us. they want a distinct line between master & servants.

[ElenaEvgeevna]

==

bro, i agree with you...look at today's kids...become bananas liao...somehow, only the Chinese face this big issue. Malays continue to speak Malay and Indian - tamil / dialect. Its only chinese that we are losing our dialect - one and even chinese. Now the government try to arrest the problem but they cannot...even the Chinese immigrants ditch Chinese and piah English. This add on pressure for Singaporean parents to push their children more to English.

These Chinese immigrants can concentrate on English because their foundation in Chinese is there...they won't lose it. Whereas for us, ho ho, chum, we are neither strong in English nor Chinese...and forced to do one over the other.

but back then, the British din't push for England because they wanted to keep it that way...like that, they can continue to subjugate us. they want a distinct line between master & servants.

That is not the only sad part. They are proud to be bananas and think just because they are fluent in English means they are higher-class than those fluent in Chinese. In fact, now they think Chinese is low-class and failing Chinese is a sign of "coolness".

I agree with the Chinese immigrant part but as for the British, I believe it is not only subjugate but also, not to interfere with the local culture.

[aaaaaaahabbbby]

==

bro, i agree with you...look at today's kids...become bananas liao...somehow, only the Chinese face this big issue. Malays continue to speak Malay and Indian - tamil / dialect. Its only chinese that we are losing our dialect - one and even chinese. Now the government try to arrest the problem but they cannot...even the Chinese immigrants ditch Chinese and piah English. This add on pressure for Singaporean parents to push their children more to English.

These Chinese immigrants can concentrate on English because their foundation in Chinese is there...they won't lose it. Whereas for us, ho ho, chum, we are neither strong in English nor Chinese...and forced to do one over the other.

but back then, the British din't push for England because they wanted to keep it that way...like that, they can continue to subjugate us. they want a distinct line between master & servants.

My fren's baby boy about 5 years old was force to write chinese. Everytime he did that, the boy will cry and need a tissue box beside him.

I do understand why the boy dislike the chink language, it is nothing proud to learn that. TO learn chinese means to associate the scum of the earth who lies and cheat their way through: china chinks.

[paulaglober]

==

bro, i agree with you...look at today's kids...become bananas liao...somehow, only the Chinese face this big issue. Malays continue to speak Malay and Indian - tamil / dialect. Its only chinese that we are losing our dialect - one and even chinese. Now the government try to arrest the problem but they cannot...even the Chinese immigrants ditch Chinese and piah English. This add on pressure for Singaporean parents to push their children more to English.

These Chinese immigrants can concentrate on English because their foundation in Chinese is there...they won't lose it. Whereas for us, ho ho, chum, we are neither strong in English nor Chinese...and forced to do one over the other.

but back then, the British din't push for England because they wanted to keep it that way...like that, they can continue to subjugate us. they want a distinct line between master & servants.

For you to make this statement means you haven't participate in a Diverse Friends segment !

But it's a good enough observation .

[CitsMoise17]

My fren's baby boy about 5 years old was force to write chinese. Everytime he did that, the boy will cry and need a tissue box beside him.

I do understand why the boy dislike the chink language, it is nothing proud to learn that. TO learn chinese means to associate the scum of the earth who lies and cheat their way through: china chinks.

==

I am sad to read what you write. If you so hate Chinese, please do change your name, denounce your race and take an identity where you feel good - Thai? Not Thai chinese please, since you hated Chinks.

gosh, you are left with no roots.

[aaaaaaahabbbby]

==

I am sad to read what you write. If you so hate Chinese, please do change your name, denounce your race and take an identity where you feel good - Thai? Not Thai chinese please, since you hated Chinks.

gosh, you are left with no roots.

i do understand where i come from and i do understand the behavior of the chinese and i am honest to admit that.

It is not a universal rule that if you are born in a certain race, you must protect and guard your race like some precious gems.

If you are born in a country, that does not mean you have to stay there forever.

If your parents are fcuked up and it does not mean you cannot be honest about it since they give birth to you.


Let me ask you , who create those rules about protecting roots and learn your language. I dunno if there are some selfish person in the past who create this rule. People have choices to choose what they prefer regardless of what race or skin colour they are born in.

[Baromaro]

SMLJ ?


Please lengthen your cox to at least 10 inches.

[paulaglober]

Let me ask you , who create those rules about protecting roots and learn your language. I dunno if there are some selfish person in the past who create this rule. People have choices to choose what they prefer regardless of what race or skin colour they are born in.

If we cannot get over with the old regime and how it eats us .
They have won .
The old guard have got not much time .
He will be summoned soon .

[ElenaEvgeevna]

to co-exist peacefully and in harmony, it is more about not having sinkie behavior than speaking the same language.

After seeing the different side of some Singaporeans, I am inclined to agree.

[paulaglober]