...Max Muller Bilingualism is the ability to speak or write more fluently in 2 languages. In Canada this term has particular meaning it means the ability to communicate in both Canada’s official language i.e. English and French. Official language act it declares the equality of status, for English and French, for all government and federal departments. According to linguistic census there were almost five million Canadians who speak their mother tongue other than English and the number has risen since then. There are almost 338000 students who study in school based French immersion program and almost 1.5 million students are taking core courses in other languages. Each province has increased their enrollment in immersion program by 1 to 5 percent since 2000 but eastern Canada has shown the maximum progress, British Columbia has their policy of first come served signup, which delayed their growth in bilingualism. Status of bilingualism showed a decline growth over past few years due to rise of other multicultural groups in Canada. Given the rise of different language group over the last years there is growing movement toward creating Canada as a multilingual nation. I totally support bilingualism, English and French school in Canada but I feel that there should be more options for other language as second language education. Metropolitan cities school has more options of second language courses. Courses like Spanish, Mandarin or Punjabi, for example – have been multiplying...
Words: 766 - Pages: 4
...Increasing Education Diamond Whatley Eng103 May 4, 2015 We are all aware that learning a foreign language as benefits. But are we overlooking the benefits when it comes to processing higher education? There are many reasons why people learn a foreign language: it can may help you obtain a career in the path of your choosing, increases chances of a promotion, and helps you connect and communicate with many people. However, these benefits tend to be realized after the early stages of one’s education journey. Moreover, a student’s overall interest in learning; in general dwindles over time. By the time a student reaches high school they tend to do the bare minimum to graduate, and that includes taking a foreign language. A student’s interest and attitude toward education greatly effects their success in school and/or life. “We need to get kids interest in learning, to show how it relates to life in the real world...they don’t see the significance …” (Wilson, R. 1988) even though Wilson’s statement is in regards to employment after graduating high school. The same can be applied to, learning a foreign language. Form experience, while in a conversation about learning languages; I often hear “Why are you learning that? You don’t need it right now. Everybody’s learning English.” However, I can see overall benefits beyond the, obtaining a career in the path of your choosing, increases chances of a promotion, and helps you connect and communicate with many people. ...
Words: 626 - Pages: 3
...ever considered learning a new language? In America, English is the only language needed. For this reason many people stick with English alone. Other languages open opportunities for different conversations. What can come from learning another language? There are many different benefits from taking on a second language. If you want to travel to another country for business or a vacation, it is important to know what language the natives speak. A person’s lifestyle is improved due the ability to communicate with locals while vacationing. Without this knowledge communication will be very difficult. If you cannot speak with people in a foreign country you will never get what you want and your trip will be a disaster. One alternative of this is to hire a translator. However hiring a translator can be more of a hassle than an asset. If you know you will be working with foreign people, the best route is to learn their language. In fact, some countries like France think it is rude not to attempt speaking to them with their language. There are different options available when learning to speak a new language. Some people try to use Rosetta Stone which is a computer program that teaches its students by using pictures and computerized voices to teach you the basics of the language. This method of learning can be effective, but it is not recommended to start with. Rosetta Stone is extremely pricy and it doesn’t teach properly. A better way to learn a language is through a course. Classes...
Words: 1044 - Pages: 5
...in the United States, some of the typical jobs and studying abroad programs, you can see that being bilingual, especially with English and Spanish is a very marketable resource. By observing the population at large in the United States, one can see that Caucasian is not the only ethnic background being represented. In fact, the United States is the fourth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. In the past twenty years there has been an increase in the number of Spanish speakers needed in the US. As the Hispanic population grows we need to do our part by learning the second language of the US. By taking a look at journals and newspapers, one can see that Spanish is slowly and surely working its way in as a part of the culture. Companies are trying to foster an interest in Spanish among the native English speakers and to communicate to those Spanish-speakers who can’t understand English. To get a true idea of the Hispanic population, one should take a look at an individual city to see just how many changes are taking place. The Latino population is high in many towns and cities throughout the United States; one such city is Miami. It doesn’t just stop with television either, but can be seen throughout other medias as well. Radio Unica is the nation’s first 24-hour Spanish-language radio network. In years past, The Miami Herald, a newspaper in Miami, had an insert within it in Spanish. Now, due to increasing...
Words: 946 - Pages: 4
...Foreign Language Academy is an immersion school that services students kindergarten to eighth grade. The mission of Foreign Language Academy is that they prepare students to enter high school having met or exceeded state standards in all tested areas; to be proficient readers, writers and speakers of the target language; and to be responsible citizens. There are currently 644 students enrolled in Foreign Language Academy. Of the 644 students 40% of the students are African American, 50% are Hispanic and 10% are White. Of those enrolled 63% speak English, 35% speak Spanish and the other 2 % speak other languages. According to enrollment requirements of students speaking a language other than English at home, 38% of the students are classified as ELL students. Which is ironic since Foreign Language Academy teaches students a foreign language exclusively in Kindergarten and 1st grade so that by the...
Words: 2042 - Pages: 9
...Sefora Guillen Prof. Seif C.A.R 2 March 27, 2012 Response to “Why Bilinguals are Smarter” Researchers have discovered people who are bilingual are smarter. The profound effect of bilingualism improves cognitive skills not related to language and helps prevent against dementia in old age. Bilingualism was considered an interference that hindered a child’s academic and intellectual development. The interference happens because the brain activates both languages so they obstruct each other. However, this interference is in fact a blessing in disguise because it actually forces the brain to resolve internal conflicts which gives the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles. Some instances were bilinguals surpass monolinguals in intelligence are at solving certain types of mental puzzles. The article explains a 2004 study conducted by psychologists Ellen Bialystok and Michelle Martin-Rhee were “bilingual and monolingual preschoolers were asked to sort blue circles and red squares presented on a computer screen into two digital bins. In the first task, the children had to sort the shapes by color, placing blue circles in the bin marked with the blue square and red squares in the bin marked with the red circle. Both groups did this with comparable ease. Next, the children were asked to sort by shape, which was more challenging because it required placing the images in a bin marked with a conflicting color. The bilinguals were quicker at performing...
Words: 958 - Pages: 4
...Anyone can speak English. Now it is your turn! To begin with, language is a tool of communication to transfer information. It has obviously distinguished mankind from the rest of the animal world (Barber, Beal, and Shaw: 2012). Learning a language is a matter of language acquisition. When we learn a language, it means we make an attempt to acquire a language. That is why you need to know how humans acquire languages. Language can be acquired by two ways, viz. spontaneous learning and guided learning (Kleine:1986). Since English is not our mother tongue, we need to take a great deal of effort to master it. Therefore English is acquired by guided learning for native Indonesians. English is a lingua franca in a lot of countries which means English has become a global language nowadays. What is a global language? Crystal (2012:3) describes, that a language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a special role that is recognized in every country. Lingua franca can be described as a language for day-to-day public communication in a country whose official language is not English. ‘Sorry’, ‘thank you’, ‘bye’, etc. are commonly used everyday almost all over the world. It is an evident reality that through entertainment a language can influence local culture. Therefore you can also easily find quite a few English loanwords in our official language. Wherever you go, even in the countryside, you can easily find English signs and advertisements. Whenever you enter a restaurant...
Words: 1551 - Pages: 7
...Wilkinson English 100 05 May 2015 Bilingualism One in seven or 31.8 million people speak a language other than English in their home, according to the United States Census. (United States Census, 2009). People use this term in different ways. For some, bilingualism means an equal ability to communicate in two languages. For others, bilingualism means the ability to communicate in two languages but with the possibility of greater skills in one language. There is a lot of criteria that goes along with bilingualism. For this research paper, the criteria I focused on were: The history of bilingualism laws in the United States, pros/cons of bilingual education in America’s school system, who benefits the most from bilingual education programs; youths in elementary or the youths in high school, bilingualism in the labor market, and bilingualism in the media. In the society that we live in today, Bilingualism has become just as it is important to learn as to learn the language from the country of a person’s ethnical background. Bilingualism has come a far way in the last 20 years to where it is today. Whether we notice it or not bilingualism plays a part in every person’s day to day life. Bilingualism is highly researchable subject is given a lot of political, as well as ethical attention. Twenty years ago in the school system bilingual education programs were almost never heard of much in elementary schools for English speaking students to have to learn another language. Most...
Words: 2979 - Pages: 12
...Chapter 1: First Steps Using your Learning Style Profile to Succeed This article exemplifies the importance of the four modes of learning and how it enables me to achieve better academic standards for the approaching years at Ryerson. The four modes can be used while choosing courses and majors by comparing and matching courses to modes. If you prefer mode four like I do, courses that can be applied to many situations in your daily life are suitable for you. However, you cannot always match a course to your learning style and therefore must be able to develop skills to become more open in all four modes. Using the learning styles enables you to also explore career paths one may wish to take. Again, one does not have to match a certain learning style to a career path because it is important to have a range of diverse learning styles when entering a workplace. One must learn to adapt to different styles since it benefits not only your education, but improves your skills with other people. As a result of reading this article, I intend to improve and accept changes in my modes of learning. I will take this opportunity to look deeper into all four categories and create new options in my ways of learning. The Master Student This article defines what mastery is and how one can achieve mastery through different skills and techniques. The definition of mastery means achieving a level of skill that goes beyond technique. Mastery is seen everywhere. While playing soccer, mastery...
Words: 4655 - Pages: 19
...Running Head: Overcoming Language Barriers in NC Pre-K Classrooms How to Overcome Language Barriers in NC Pre-K Classrooms FCS 711- Research and Inquiry in Family and Consumer Science Dr. Rosa Purcell Meisha Conrad April 28, 2014 Introduction Being a teacher at a Head Start/ Early Head Start program I have experienced the language barriers between teachers and students from different ethnic groups. I can say it is not easy when you and your students cannot communicate. Dealing with the situation makes you question yourself and how you can fix the language barriers in your own classroom and also the school. What can teachers do to overcome the language barrier in our classrooms with our Latino children? What are some activities, lessons, games, and etc., that we can do to make a connection and also help them learn? There are many ways I think we can put a stop to the language barriers in school. We may not be able to completely fix the problem but there are ways and things we can do to make our Latino children and parents feel welcome and comfortable when they walk into the schools. Communication is an important part of teaching because the children have to be able to understand the message that the teacher is trying to convey. Children also have to be able to communicate with each other. There are a number of factors in the classroom and many...
Words: 2910 - Pages: 12
...achieving Thai university students perceiving themselves as failures in English usage” by Dr. Kasma Suwanarak School of Language and Communication, National Institute of Development Administration and Asst. Prof. Dr. Sureepong Phothongsunan Faculty of Arts, Assumption University _________________________________ Abstract The study investigates the attributions of English language learning of 125 Thai undergraduate students in the last year of their study in International Business Management and Hotel Management at a university in Thailand. According to the programme requirement, these students have to study at least five selective English courses after passing the three compulsory foundation English courses. In response to the closed and open-ended questionnaire, 32 students perceived themselves as failures in English language learning and usage though obtaining highly satisfactory grades in English. 20 students were then selected for the interview in order to further explore reasons they rendered as failed learners and their views on how to become better language learners and on the benefits of learning English. Qualitative in nature, an interpretive approach is employed, taking into account the subjective meaning which the participants convey. Research findings indicate that there are various grounds why the students discern themselves as unsuccessful English learners. Implications are drawn regarding English learning and teaching as well as learners’ achievement, and for the...
Words: 6537 - Pages: 27
...------------------------------------------------- Business English From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Business English is English language especially related to international trade. It is a part of English for Specific Purposesand can be considered a specialism within English language learning and teaching; for example, the teachers' organisationIATEFL has a special interest group called BESIG. Many non-native English speakers study the subject with the goal of doing business with English-speaking countries, or with companies located outside the Anglosphere but which nonetheless use English as a shared language or lingua franca. Much of the English communication that takes place within business circles all over the world occurs between non-native speakers. In cases such as these, the object of the exercise is efficient and effective communication. The strict rules of grammar are in such cases sometimes ignored, when, for example, a stressed negotiator's only goal is to reach an agreement as quickly as possible. (See linguist Braj Kachru's theory of the "expanding circle".) Business English means different things to different people. For some, it focuses on vocabulary and topics used in the worlds of business, trade, finance, and international relations. For others it refers to the communication skills used in the workplace, and focuses on the language and skills needed for typical business communication such as presentations, negotiations,meetings, small talk, socializing, correspondence...
Words: 2055 - Pages: 9
...Ivarsson 1 Victor Ivarsson English 100 – 19 Professor Fisher Essay 4 – draft one December 9, 2014 Intro: The world we live in today is far more globalized than that of our previous generation. Before social media and other instant forms of communication existed, people did not need to worry about speaking a different language or the way it was spoken. Dialects and accents had little meaning because of the barriers that surrounded each community prohibited the inhabitants of much interaction with people from other societies. Today however, people can speak with each other regardless of location, which emphasizes the importance of the power of language. The negative consequences that come from this is that those who do not master a language perfectly or differ from perfect speech are discriminated against in the general community. A phenomenon, which writer Gloria Anzaldúa, who wrote the article “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” calls “Linguistic Terrorism.” According to her, linguistic terrorism negates not only the speaker, but also the experiences and culture behind that person (Anzaldúa). Thesis: Although language can be used as a tool of power, the use of faulty and imprecise language negates the speaker and causes negative consequences. Body 1, Tan: An accent is an example of imprecise English, which causes people to make negative or positive assumptions about the speaker based on the information that accent reveals. Example: In Amy Tan´s essay “Mother Tongue...
Words: 1241 - Pages: 5
...Chapter I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE Rationale of the Study Today's world, each is aiming to be globally competitive. To be competitive enough we need to be effective in our verbal communication which is a best medium for social relationship with others. Our national language is proved to be English and thus become a drive in international forces to be proficient in English language. Society today demands more than passive graduates, they are generating new forms of portrayal of outcomes and act as catalyst in advocating for educational change, reform and quality improvement. SJIT saw the importance of English Proficiency and thus, offers the said program for the benefit of its students in line with the Life Purpose of Saint Joseph Institute of Technology which is “To educate and equip students with knowledge, skills, English communication proficiency, right attitude, and values in technical and professional fields”. With this, a research is conducted on the performance of the verbal communication of 4th year Education students in Saint Joseph Institute of Technology to determine the improvement in English language proficiency as the effect of enrolling in JEEP Classes. Theoretical Background The most precious gift that God has given is the power of speech. It is this power that distinguishes man from animals. Man uses speech to communicate his thoughts, feelings, desires, and aspirations to his fellow beings with whom he interacts in communal living or in social...
Words: 6005 - Pages: 25
...Personal Pedagogy Statement: Being a Witness, Teaching English Cherise Mayes Azusa Pacific University November 4, 2013 Language and Second Language Acquisition Language is not fixed or limited to words and a series of rules that connect them together. Language is a rich form of communication and social practice involving interpretation and meaning making. Language is our system of communication before anything else; it bridges knowledge, beliefs, opinions, and emotions from one being to the next while creating a bond between them. To learn a language is to understand the relationship between language and culture. How people learn a second language varies systematically and involves the development of listening, speaking, writing, and reading skill sets in the target language. Penny Ur (2012) gives some theories and main ideas on how one acquires second or foreign languages. Intuitive acquisition, habit-formation, cognitive process, and skill learning are defined and probably some of these theories have truth in them. (p. 7) But not one of these alone can underline the complexity of the process of learning a second language. Concrete learning drills in writing and reading literature, acknowledges grammar, uses translation methods, and creating a learner-centered environment where naturalistic communication is utilized. Students and the Teacher: Playing their Parts The student role is being an active learner within all four skill sets, writing, speaking, listening...
Words: 2425 - Pages: 10