All students may be required to study a second language. (1 Viewer)

[iamsickofyear12]

Try competing in a world market flooded with multilingual workers. We should be churning out multilingual high school grads if we want to keep up.

If your English isn't up to scratch it doesn't matter how many other languages you speak. No doubt being multilingual can be a good thing but it is not that big of a deal if you aren't.

Not all languages are equal either, so as long as we are forcing people to do a language we may as well force them to choose between the ones that are actually important... those spoken in China and India... It may be nice to be able to speak German, French or Spanish but in terms of business and the economy it is essentially useless in comparison.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

If they had it when I was at school I would have learnt American English so I could work in America for a bit. Now I'm going to need to learn it in my own time

You say it as a joke but Americans are incredibly stupid... if you try to explain to them what a ute is their heads will explode.

 

[circusmind]

If your English isn't up to scratch it doesn't matter how many other languages you speak. No doubt being multilingual can be a good thing but it is not that big of a deal if you aren't.

Not all languages are equal either, so as long as we are forcing people to do a language we may as well force them to choose between the ones that are actually important... those spoken in China and India... It may be nice to be able to speak German, French or Spanish but in terms of business and the economy it is essentially useless in comparison.

Sure, English is going to always be the most important, in our lifetimes. However, you gain a massive edge in any dealings with foreign English-speakers if you speak their language as well. Learning a foreign language tends to make you better at English anyway, since you actually get taught some grammar....

You're not wrong about the choice of languages--Mandarin et al should be pushed hard. On the other hand, any foreign language is an amazing asset to have. Even if we ignore the economic/business reasons for teaching foreign languages, having more than one language gives you fairly profound insight into the world outside your own little bubble.

PS: Germany is Europe's largest economy, and an enormous proportion of the world's books and academic research is produced in German. Got Deutsch?

 

[Tulipa]

Sure foreign languages are great! So are heaps of things we could be teaching students more of. Just don't force it on people!

Again they force you to learn English, they can force you to learn another language.

I'm repeating this because even though you've acknowledged it, the "They're not giving us freedom of choice!" when they already aren't.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

Sure, English is going to always be the most important, in our lifetimes. However, you gain a massive edge in any dealings with foreign English-speakers if you speak their language as well. Learning a foreign language tends to make you better at English anyway, since you actually get taught some grammar....

You're not wrong about the choice of languages--Mandarin et al should be pushed hard. On the other hand, any foreign language is an amazing asset to have. Even if we ignore the economic/business reasons for teaching foreign languages, having more than one language gives you fairly profound insight into the world outside your own little bubble.

PS: Germany is Europe's largest economy, and an enormous proportion of the world's books and academic research is produced in German. Got Deutsch?

There are other ways besides learning another language to improve your English and learn about the world.
In comparison though it isn't all that important... especially considering the number of people in Germany and Europe in general that speak English anyway.

I did German for a while. It is very boring. I can still count to 10, somewhat understand basic things, and say 'it's time for revenge, we must exterminate the jews'.

 

[HotShot]

It should be like this,

for every 1% less than 100% you get in English- you doubly that and deduct it from you total marks.

So if you do well in a second language you will get 10% bonus. But if you fuck up english say only 70% - then you will lose 60%. So you will lose 50% altogether of your total mark.

 

[Tulipa]

So why don't we make them abolish compulsory English first?

In a world that is shrinking in terms of business and travel, it makes more sense to know more than one language. Like Kami and Circusmind have pointed out, there are a number of countries that do it. To be so arrogant as to say that you only need to know English is absurd with the level of immigration we have as well as the global business world that we should be cracking into.

 

[HotShot]

So why don't we make them abolish compulsory English first?

In a world that is shrinking in terms of business and travel, it makes more sense to know more than one language. Like Kami and Circusmind have pointed out, there are a number of countries that do it. To be so arrogant as to say that you only need to know English is absurd with the level of immigration we have as well as the global business world that we should be cracking into.

In a world where more people are learning English - it makes more sense to to be better at English.

More and more people understand English than before, so it only makes sense to focus on english.

I srs dont understand why you need to know a second language. YOu can survive easily in any other country if you know english. But can you survive in another country if you knew only Japanese? You wouldnt last a minute in Russia.

 

[circusmind]

There are other ways besides learning another language to improve your English and learn about the world.

You're never really going to understand another culture without a grasp of their language.

I did German for a while. It is very boring. I can still count to 10, somewhat understand basic things, and say 'it's time for revenge, we must exterminate the jews'.

Language is only boring when it's taught in an abstract environment. If it's just an intellectual exercise, sure, yawn-fest. On the other hand, if you're an exchange student at a German Catholic girls' school....

 

[iamsickofyear12]

In a world where more people are learning English - it makes more sense to to be better at English.

More and more people understand English than before, so it only makes sense to focus on english.

I srs dont understand why you need to know a second language. YOu can survive easily in any other country if you know english. But can you survive in another country if you knew only Japanese? You wouldnt last a minute in Russia.

That's exactly right.

We shouldn't learn other languages.. other people should learn English - the result is the same.

 

[circusmind]

I srs dont understand why you need to know a second language. YOu can survive easily in any other country if you know english. But can you survive in another country if you knew only Japanese? You wouldnt last a minute in Russia.

Yeah. "Survive". But probably only in the cloisters of your hotel, tour bus and expat hang-outs....places which are filled with people just like you anyway.

 

[Tulipa]

That's exactly right.

We shouldn't learn other languages.. other people should learn English - the result is the same.

You're an arrogant, centrally minded, backward thinking idiot aren't you?

Other countries do learn English. If you ever want to work in a global market, learn an Asian language or French. Don't be so arrogant as to declare English as the only language to learn.

By doing that you lose other langauges and thus their cultures. What's so fascinating about the world is the different cultures. You want to make the whole world boring and homogenous?

 

[iamsickofyear12]

You're never really going to understand another culture without a grasp of their language.

Language is only boring when it's taught in an abstract environment. If it's just an intellectual exercise, sure, yawn-fest. On the other hand, if you're an exchange student at a German Catholic girls' school....

Maybe, Maybe Not.

And what this is trying to do is teach it in a boring classroom... which is why it is a stupid waste of time. I don't have any problem with learning to understand a language in a practical situation that requires it... but teaching it as part of the HSC is not that.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

You're an arrogant, centrally minded, backward thinking idiot aren't you?

Other countries do learn English. If you ever want to work in a global market, learn an Asian language or French. Don't be so arrogant as to declare English as the only language to learn.

By doing that you lose other langauges and thus their cultures. What's so fascinating about the world is the different cultures. You want to make the whole world boring and homogenous?

I am certainly arrogant...

I know they do. They should continue to do so... and anyone who still isn't should. If other people ever want to work in a global market they will learn English.

I didn't say they shouldn't speak their own languages... they should just also speak English. It is possible for two very different cultures to speak the same language. Wanting other people speak English does not destroy their culture.

 

[Tulipa]

Langauge is integral to culture. There are words in other languages to describe events for example that simply don't translate to English. It's a shame that we are losing other languages because it isn't a means to an end, it's a feature.

Then again perhaps I'm just too attached to being educated. And he is arrogant. He admits it consistently.

 

[HotShot]

You're an arrogant, centrally minded, backward thinking idiot aren't you?

Other countries do learn English. If you ever want to work in a global market, learn an Asian language or French. Don't be so arrogant as to declare English as the only language to learn.

By doing that you lose other langauges and thus their cultures. What's so fascinating about the world is the different cultures. You want to make the whole world boring and homogenous?

Culture has nothing to do with it. YOu can learn another language and your culture need not change. YOu can not learn another language and your culture need not change. Changing or abandoning happens when you choose to - not by learning or not learning things.

Not that note all languages have similarites especially English which is derived from other languages. So if you know English you can pretty much understand any other language, even if you dont know english you can still understand what is going on.

If you want to work elsewhere you shouldnt need to learn language - just rock up there and live there for few years and you will learn automatically. Just by observation rather than rocking up to classes. This isnt the way to learn a language.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

To be fair he wasn't suggesting that English is inherently superior or that other langauges worthless. Merly the very real trend that other countries are learning English and it is becoming increasingly prevelant. Good or bad it's the reality.

I was half suggesting English is superior, and half suggesting that other countries are learning English.

Langauge is integral to culture. There are words in other languages to describe events for example that simply don't translate to English. It's a shame that we are losing other languages because it isn't a means to an end, it's a feature.

And having to speak English to communicate with people from other countries destroys that culture how? It's like saying the Australian culture will be destroyed if we are forced to learn other languages as part of the HSC. I never said English should replace all other languages... although now that I think about it.....

 

[circusmind]

I disagree. The cultural differences that are worth preserving and that make the world interesting are not contained within languages. It is worth celebrating different culture, art, food, music, religion ect. But language. It's just a way of communicating these things. It's a means to an ends. Different languages just make life difficult. I think it would make the world a better place if we all spoke the one language.

You are monolingual, right?

Language is the key to a culture. You always hear people saying everyone speaks English these days. To an extent, though its always exaggerated by people who haven't actually travelled much, this is true. However, it should be noted that 95% of the world thinks in a language other than English.

It's depressing when people choose to be wilfully ignorant of the world outside their own little cultural bubble.

 

[circusmind]

Not that note all languages have similarites especially English which is derived from other languages. So if you know English you can pretty much understand any other language, even if you dont know english you can still understand what is going on.

Are you serious?

If you want to work elsewhere you shouldnt need to learn language - just rock up there and live there for few years and you will learn automatically. Just by observation rather than rocking up to classes. This isnt the way to learn a language.

You'll speak your target language very poorly if you learn that way. In any case, there's no such thing as learning a language "automatically". It's a hard slog however you do it.

 

[HotShot]

Are you serious?



You'll speak your target language very poorly if you learn that way. In any case, there's no such thing as learning a language "automatically". It's a hard slog however you do it.

Not really, if you have made up your mind that you want to stay in country where they dont speak english, then learning the language is a breeze. ITs only a problem when you dont like the place where are you staying.

English is derived from other languages -latin, french, german etc...