ELTWeekly Issue#8, Worldwide ELT news

Helping English Language Learners in the Classroom, New Report

Merit Software has just released a new report “ESL Reading: Strategies for Classroom Teaching.” The report addresses the challenges facing teachers when working with students from non-English-speaking homes.

(PRWEB) February 2, 2009 — Merit Software has just released a new report “ESL Reading: Strategies for Classroom Teaching.” The report addresses the challenges facing teachers when working with students from non-English-speaking homes.

The key problem is that English language learners, who are taught the basics of reading in the early grades, are faltering as they progress in school.

Read the complete news item here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb1940664.htm

Teaching across cultural lines

Student travels halfway across world, teaches young Chinese children, experiences cultural differences

A journey begins with a solitary step while an adventure begins with a jaunt into the unknown. Becoming certified to teach English as a second language is a journey, but to actually venture out and teach is the beginning of a true adventure. Ashley Galand, 20, anthropology major, began her epic adventure last year when a good friend of hers returned from Central America.

The two signed up for a course teaching English as a second language. Galand spent six weeks in China teaching elementary level children to speak English last year.

Read the complete news item here: http://media.www.nicsentinel.com/media/storage/paper1128/news/2009/02/02/Life/Teaching.Across.Cultural.Lines-3607956.shtml

Teaching a FL at early stages: A sign of modernity or ignorance?

The current trend in the academic circles is to learn another language, especially the ones which have a lot of potential in the job market. Therefore, many people are keen on their children learning a foreign language at an early stage, subordinating their mother tongue which carries their own identity as well as their culture. This may constitute a cultural threat to a child, because by the time a child is made to learn a foreign language, he isn’t acquainted even with the basics of his/her own mother tongue (MT).
But in consideration of the current international developments and in view of the so-called ‘globalization’ which gives an absolute authority for cultural invasion, such a move appears to be an endeavor to attract others’ attention as well as to control their attitudes of life, socially, economically, culturally and politically. It is advisable to learn one’s mother tongue before embarking on learning a new language. Because children are very open-minded, precedence of FL learning over their L1 might lead them to submission to the culture of the new language, as culture is embedded within language. Moreover, it is rightly said that MT indicates the greatness, glory, dignity, heritage, legacy and power of its own nation. In fact, no nation has reached the climax of progress and prosperity without the help of its own MT. 

Read the complete news item here: http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1230&p=education&a=3

Parties join forces to fight PPSMI

 

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Feb 2009: Literary figures and opposition political parties want the teaching of mathematics and science in English (PPSMI) to stop.

“We think that changing the language of instruction of science and mathematics from Bahasa Malaysia (the official and national language) to English is the wrong decision from every perspective,” said former director-general of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Datuk Dr Hassan Ahmad.

In a statement made on behalf of the Gerakan Mansuhkan PPSMI (GMP), Hassan urged the Education Ministry to return to teaching those subjects in Bahasa Malaysia, as was done from the 1970s to 2003.

Read the complete news item here: http://thenutgraph.com/article-1871.html

 

Tunisia: Launches English language teaching reform project

 

The Tunisian Ministry of Education and Training signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the British Council in London Tuesday, to prepare for a huge project aimed at English language teaching reform in all state primary and secondary schools in Tunisia.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Hatem Ben Salem, the Tunisian Minister of Education and Training; and Lord Kinnock, Chair of the British Council and former Leader of the Labour Party.

The project, known as ‘English for the Future’, seeks to design and introduce new English language materials and course books for primary and secondary education in order to produce output standards that are within the Common European Framework for Languages, and to equip learners of English with better vocational language abilities.

Read the complete news item here: http://africa.kongotimes.info/news/135/ARTICLE/1676/2009-01-27.html