Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Q&A about words losing our language
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
I wholeheartedly agree with much of your perspective, Bridget, particularly the quote from Han Suyin. You bring up an interesting point: the difference between multicultural and multilingual. It seems that multiculturalism would be instructed in the discipline of Geography and not Languages. I guess it is presumed that if one learns a foreign language that one is also learning about the culture and that is only true to a very limited extent. Multiculturalism, if it is being taught in the subject of Geography, is failing miserably as evidenced by school test scores and knowledge of the general public. Climate and location are intrinsic to any culture. Cultural practices must be taught with meaning and substance. Cultural behavior characteristics, e.g, they eat with chopsticks vs they eat with forks, do not in themselves convey culture but the meaning and history behind them do.
Oddly, I find myself questioning whether *any* culture is instructed in school outside of university.
My conclusions:
1) Multicultural instruction is good.
2) Multilingual instruction is not multicultural instruction.
3) *If * multiculturalism is indeed being taught, *then* its instruction is failing.
4) Multilingual instruction, of one's choice, is desirable if not essential for a global perspective.
michaelo
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted losing our language tsuwm 08/05/00 08:01 PM Re: losing our language jmh 08/06/00 11:10 AM Re: losing our language michaelo 08/09/00 03:58 AM Re: losing our language Bingley 08/09/00 04:22 AM Re: losing our language wsieber 08/09/00 07:53 AM Re: losing our language michaelo 08/12/00 05:41 AM Re: losing our language Bridget 08/13/00 05:15 AM Re: losing our language michaelo 08/15/00 04:33 AM Re: losing our language tsuwm 08/15/00 07:38 PM Re: losing our language Bridget 08/16/00 09:02 AM Re: losing our language Bridget 08/16/00 08:55 AM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,913Posts229,372Members9,182 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 1 members (A C Bowden), 729 guests, and 1 robot. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 25
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613wofahulicodoc 10,561tsuwm 10,542LukeJavan8 9,919Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org