ELTWeekly Issue#21, Worldwide ELT news

Teach English as a language

KUALA LUMPUR: Federation of National Writers’ Associations of Malaysia (Gapena) supports the teaching of English as a language in schools so long as this is not done at the expense of Bahasa Malaysia.

Gapena representative Borhan Md Zain said the government should make subjects such as Malay Literature and English Literature core subjects to improve students’ grasp of both languages.

Read the complete news at http://www.nst.com.my

Future depends on Asian languages

AUSTRALIANS risk being marooned in the dated jobs and industries of the 20th century unless a $11.3 billion mass Asian language literacy plan is acted on within a generation, according to Michael Wesley, a leading expert on international relations.

Ahead of today’s Sydney launch of a report documenting “a precipitous decline” in the study of languages at universities, Professor Wesley said it was not enough to rely on a fluent elite to project Australia’s interests in theregion.

Read the complete news at http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au

CESL Turns 40, Earns Maximum Accreditation Term

The UA’s Center for English as a Second Language is turning 40 and has also received national accredidation from the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation for the maximum 10-year term.

Four decades ago, The University of Arizona initiated a program to train more than 20 engineers visiting from a university in Hermosillo, Mexico, on English language skills.

Read the complete news at http://uanews.org

Work English classes a huge learning curve

A new training programme is boosting the language and literacy skills of migrants whose first language isn’t English.

English for Employees is funded by the Tertiary Education Commission and is for migrants who work and are permanent residents.

The two-and-a-half hour weekly training sessions have a wide focus – from employment contracts to cultural norms.

The programme was developed by English Language Partners New Zealand – formerly ESOL Home Tutors – and launched last month.

Read the complete news at http://www.stuff.co.nz

Teacher Helped Start English Program for Immigrants

Linnie H. “Linn” O’Donnell, 82, who helped start an English language program for Southeast Asian immigrants in Arlington County during the 1980s, died May 23 at her home in Alexandria of cardiac arrhythmia.

Mrs. O’Donnell was a member of the Arlington Extension Homemakers’ Council, which sponsored her efforts to start her teaching program in 1984.

The program, which later became part of Arlington’s Community Outreach Program, enabled elderly immigrants to learn enough English to communicate in their daily activities.

Read the complete news at http://www.washingtonpost.com

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