WE PAY TUTORS TO TEACH IMMIGRANTS THEIR OWN LANGUAGe

Scottish Sunday Express:

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Tower Hamlets have continued the policy

Sunday April 15,2012

By Ted Jeory

TAXPAYERS are bankrolling private language lessons for children of migrant families to learn their parents’ native tongue, even though many can barely speak English.

Some of Britain’s poorest councils have spent millions of pounds providing after-school tuition in languages such as Bengali, Urdu and Arabic at mosques and community centres.

Despite problems with English literacy in their areas, they claim the policy “celebrates diversity”, promotes “community cohesion” and helps children prepare for early GCSEs in the language they speak at home.

In Tower Hamlets, east London, where the level of English is so poor among some pupils entering primary school that translators are needed, the council spends £185,000 a year providing free Bengali lessons after school hours.

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About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

6 Replies to “WE PAY TUTORS TO TEACH IMMIGRANTS THEIR OWN LANGUAGe”

  1. If the Brits are going to be that stupid then they deserve what they get. I can’t tolerate hearing about these ridiculous programs that pander to immigrants anymore. I’ve reached my limit but it appears Brits haven’t. Again either speak and do something about it or you get what you deserve. I’m disgusted.

  2. So they’re teaching people to suck eggs are they? Well, if you’re going to teach someone his own native language, then you might as well go the whole way and teach him how to make bombs, after all none of these ‘immigrants’ probably know how to do that, do they?

  3. Bilingual education is a human and civil right. Being bilingual and bi-cultural is an important resource in today’s global economy and the British government should be encouraging this rather than suppressing it. It is crucial that children feel secure in their bilingual identity. A research project at the Institute of Education, University of London, shows that five and six years olds cope well with biliteracy and gain advantages from it. If young people see their community language and culture is valued, they will feel integrated into British society. There is a great demand for individuals fluent in English and mother tongues by educational institutions, TV Channel, radio stations and service industries.

    Bilingualism has positive effects on children’s linguistic and educational development. The level of development of children’s mother tongue is a strong predictor of their second language development. Mother tongue promotion in the school helps develop not only the mother tongue but also children abilities in the majority school language. Spending instructional time through minority language in the school does not hurt children’s academic development in the majority school language. When parent’s culture are recognized by the school, their interest and involvement in the curriculum often increase dramatically.

    Children’s mother tongue is fragile and easily lost in the early years of school. Language lies at the heart of any culture. The different languages spoken provide clear links with the family and community traditions which enrich British culture. To reject a child’s language in the school is to reject a child. Children cultural and linguistic experience in the home is the foundation of their future learning and we must build on that foundation rather than undermine it. Increased cultural and language awareness could help to combat hooliganism.

    Languages, by virtue of their direct contribution to economic competitiveness, intercultural tolerance and social cohesion, should have the status of a key skill alongside literacy, numeracy and ICT. The government should establish a national strategy for developing capability in languages and a system capable of supporting such a strategy. A language supremo should be attached to the cabinet office and have direct access to the Prime Minister. He should persuade the notoriously monolingual British to learn a language. New languages supremo must persuade reluctant Brits to speak something other than English. British society is already a multilingual society. The first wave of immigrants arrived with two or three languages from the sub-continent but its young generation is unable to feel pride in its mother tongue. The government should declare a firm commitment to early language learning for all children at age five. The key to success in business, the law and politics in the future will be the mastry of at least one foreign language. Knowledge of more than one language demonstrates that a candidate has the ability to think across cultural boundaries. Bilingualism enhances children’s development.
    IA
    http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

  4. No, Ahmad, bilingual education is not a human and civil right. But you can certainly get it if you want it. Since the British are dumb enough to pay for what you should pay for yourself, you are getting a great deal.

    Aside from the benefits of being multilingual, you should do further research. In fact, it has been shone that children who learn more than one language early are actually academically delayed because they do not learn one language well. My advice , which non-English-first language speakers never listen to, is if the academic language is English then only English should be spoken at home and lots of books in English should be read at home. This is the single reason why native English speakers are better all around students. Yes, there are exceptions, but everyone can’t be doctors. It is not racism, it is simply that reading in English is encouraged to successful English language students. Parents of immigrant children have a drive to make sure their children learn their parents’ native language and 18 years later they don’t understand why the depth of the language that makes point differences on exams is not there. Remember in 18 years you were told.

  5. The whole world belongs to Muslims. A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village. He/she does not want to become notoriously monolingual Brit. He/she must be well versed in standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. At the same time he/she must be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with his/her cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. A child who has English as a second language is seen as having a special need – not as having a skill to be lauded from the rooftops. Bilingual children think in different way. Language has a profound effect in shaping the ways people think and act. State schools are slaughter houses and are not suitable for bilingual Muslim children. Muslim children in the UK may lose out when they join reception classes because the school’s values and language reflect those of the dominant native culture, rather than those of their. Almost all recent research literature agrees that if you want children whose home language is not English to excel in English –medium schools, it is important to nurture and acknowledge that first language along side their English development. Cultivating bilingualism could and should promote pupil’s linguistic development. Muslim children need bilingual Muslim teachers as role models.

    I’m not sure how learning English will help stop extremism either, many of those who have carried out/plotted atrocities have been highly educated. Speaking English does not promote integration into British society, and broaden opportunities. English speaking Muslims still face discrimination in jobs, education and housing. English speaking Muslim youths are angry, frustrated and extremist, thanks to English language. English language is not only a lingua franca but also lingua frankensteinia. Human right also covers linguistic right. Cultural and linguistic genocide are very common.
    IA