NSW Schools set to go bilingual
sydcarten
November 04, 2009, 12:35 PM posted in General DiscussionThis aricle in a local newspaper interested me:
CHILDREN in their first years of primary school will be required to learn and use an Asian language in the state's first bilingual classes.
Starting in kindergarten, students will take up Mandarin, Korean, Japanese or Indonesian for at least 90 minutes a day, across every class except English and mathematics.
Four government primary schools - Rouse Hill Public and Murray Farm in Sydney's northwest, Scotts Head Public on the North Coast and Campsie Public in Sydney's inner-west - have been selected as the first to specialise in an Asian language.
The Rees Government committed $2.25 million over four years to the Bilingual Schools Program.
"Young children have a far better chance of developing bilingual fluency from an early age," Education Minister Verity Firth said yesterday.
"These bilingual schools will teach two classes of students in kindergarten and Year 1 for 90 minutes each day and eventually will be expanded to all grades," Ms Firth said.
"By the completion of primary school, the students will have a solid foundation of the language and it's expected they will continue their learning into high school."
Rouse Hill Public deputy principal Graham Cooney said his school was chosen because it already had a strong commitment to teaching Mandarin as well as having direct links to a school in China.
"The kids really enjoy it . . . progress is slow but steady and down the track they will be holding daily conversations in Mandarin," Mr Cooney said.
Michelle Lao, 10, said: "Mandarin lessons are enjoyable. It's hard to learn but it's interesting. I speak it sometimes with my friends and we try to say words like pizza and hamburger in Mandarin."
Mandarin-speaking volunteers will assist teachers in class.
It is part of a major push by the Department of Education and Training to put Mandarin at the forefront of language teaching in NSW public schools.
Board of Studies data shows Chinese with 1243 enrolments in the HSC, is now the third most popular language after Japanese and French.
sydcarten
November 05, 2009, 11:54 PM@ christian
I can only guess at the possible reasons for the poll outcome.
One might be that voters feel the Rees govt could be spending their tax dollars on something a bit more vital to our infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, or public transport.
Another reason is a bit depressing. I have noticed in the last few years that xenophobia and anti-immigration views seem to be a lot stronger here in Sydney than I had previously imagined. I don't know if it was always this bad, or if some of the negative effects of immigration to Australia have changed some peoples opinions.
changye
November 04, 2009, 01:03 PMI didn't know that. I guess that Mandarin would become dominant in the near future. As a Japanese, I hope not, though.
zhenlijiang
November 04, 2009, 01:10 PMAn editorial in one of our major dailies not too long back criticized our government for having no vision and no plan and nothing going on to help people with an interest in learning Japanese study it (in the manner of Confucius Institutes having a presence everywhere). The editorial was written by a correspondent in Paris, so she was seeing the contrast there very clearly. No serious initiatives to train enough teachers, no help for schools to get started, etc. We're strange hey, us Japanese. I seem to remember reading in a (non-Japanese) poddie's comment from some time back, we seem to be doing everything we can to disappear from the face of the earth.
sydcarten
November 04, 2009, 01:19 PMOne interesting difference between learning Japanese in an Australian school and learning Mandarin
If a student learns Japanese they will have few, if any, opportunities to use the language in a real life daily situation, unless they travel to Japan.
Mandarin, on the other hand, can come in very handy on the streets of Sydney these days. Twenty years ago if you heard a Chinese language being spoken on the streets here the chances were more than likely it was Cantonese. Today there is a definite shift towards Mandarin.
bababardwan
November 04, 2009, 01:21 PMSydcarten,
I agree.I've noticed the same here in Brisbane.
ps.Though I can't say I've noticed it being handy [in any utilitarian kind of way...mainly because they all seem to have very good and functional levels of English ] here being able to speak Mandarin [though perhaps it would for some businesses...dunno].More like just a lot of fun for someone like myself with an interest and eager to practice,and a nice way to connect with people.
pps, Ah now come to think of it there was an occasion where it was handy..an elderly Chinese lady I was chatting to who didn't have much English.She did have her daughter to translate,so it wasn't essential ,but I think it helped me connect with her.
Yeah,I suppose it depends on the circumstances.
sydcarten
November 04, 2009, 12:59 PMNo, Japanese has been a popular choice for a few decades now, because so many people think there is a commercial future in it with tourism and trade between the two countries.
Similar motives are behind this latest state government-led drive for Asian languages in schools, which apparently favours Mandarin over Japanese, Korean and Indonesian.
bababardwan
November 04, 2009, 01:33 PMAh,just seen I was posting my pps at the same time [..mentioned the generation thing at the same time.Yeah,you're right mate. :)
Not noticed the younger thing here,but Brisbane isn't a tourist destination[I'm merely speculating of course as to why Sydney might be seeing this...but could be for any number of reasons I suppose...more people in general anyhow down there] to anywhere near the degree that Sydney is.I think the ones here by and large have either emigrated or are here for tertiary study and thus need to have a certain level of English.Just my observation.Actually I know there are schools here in Brisbane that just teach ESL to Chinese and other Asian kids.Something along those lines.I suppose it may depend on who you come across.I mainly strike young uni goers.
sydcarten
November 05, 2009, 12:02 AMThe other difference between teaching Japanese in NSW schools and teaching Mandarin is
Japanese is an elective subject some students choose to take in high school
Mandarin will be taught from primary school level and will be compulsory to all students at participating schools.
zhenlijiang
November 05, 2009, 12:18 AMThis guy is using his Japanese (in Japan).
No Dashan, but I guess he deserves praise for being as good as he is. I don't think it's easy.
He speaks (in Osaka dialect):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvssJUmgefw
And yeah of course he's an anomaly, not the norm!
changye
November 05, 2009, 01:26 AMAs far as a language goes, "quantity" talks in the end. Chinese are everywhere in the world, hehe.
christian
November 05, 2009, 10:23 AMThis is an interesting story and they seem to be on the right track. I remember reading somewhere that 90minutes is the minimum amount we should dedicate to something we are studying.
But I was surprised to find that in the poll next to the story, where people can vote whether or not they think this is a good idea, there seems to be a lot of skeptisism. I know this type of poll is non random, not representative and therefor entirely unscientific, but I would have thought that Chinese language fans like us would self select by having a greater tendency to read such an article, so the result is all the more puzzling.
Is there some local context to this story that us non-aussies aren't privy to?
sydcarten
November 04, 2009, 01:30 PMWhere I work we sometimes get older ppl who can't speak English. I am usually able to help them with enquiries.
Just lately we have been getting some younger ppl who surprised me by not speaking much English at all. This seems to be an unexpected recent trend.
changye
November 04, 2009, 12:54 PMBoard of Studies data shows Chinese with 1243 enrolments in the HSC, is now the third most popular language after Japanese and French.
Really? Is this because of Japanese anime?