Education department issues corrections to 10 faulty English textbooks

MANILA—The Department of Education (DepEd) has issued a 28-page “Teaching Notes” to correct more than 450 errors found in 10 English textbooks issued in 2008 for use by Grade 1 to Grade 6 pupils in public schools. It also enjoined the country’s 500,000 public school teachers to be “critical” of the textbooks they use and to be vigilant in spotting errors.

Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador said the Teaching Notes was the summary of feedback from private individuals, reviewers of the education department, and the authors and editors in cases where their inputs were necessary.

“This is provided as your guide in improving conceptual development and organization of the lessons and in correcting errors that may be [found] in the textbooks you are using,” Labrador said in a memorandum to the teachers.

Labrador said the textbooks and teachers’ manuals had passed the four areas of content evaluation and were reviewed by an editorial board before these were printed. “However, feedback from stakeholders and users necessitates the issuance of this Teaching Notes,” she said.

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Serious grammar errors in six local English-usage textbooks

Filipino BBC news anchor moderates Clinton Global Initiative

NEW YORK—For the second time, Rico Hizon, a Filipino who works as world news anchor for the British Broadcasting Corporation, has moderated the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meetings. He moderated the first such meeting when the former US president hosted it in Hong Kong in December 2008, and was invited again to do the same for the 5th CGI conference in New York last September.

In the New York conference, he moderated the Emerging Markets session with renowned guest speakers President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, the World Bank's chief economist Justin Lin, and Nobel Prize Winner for Climate Change Rajendra Pachauri, together with President Clinton as the Guest of Honor.

"For me, both as an individual and in my professional capacity, these were two events I will never forget. The first invitation was an honor and the second a privilege. And in an event of this magnitude, not only am I representing my network, but more importantly raising the Philippine flag," Hizon said.

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New children’s learning assessment system focuses on key success predictors

BETHESDA, Md. (PRNewswire-USNewswire)—Teaching Strategies announced today that it is field-testing an innovative, seamless, birth-to-6 early childhood assessment system designed to measure those aspects of child development and learning most predictive of later school success.

The system, Teaching Strategies GOLD(TM), assesses key elements that research indicates are most predictive of school success in the areas of social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development, as well as learning in literacy and mathematics. The system also includes objectives to help teachers plan instruction in science and technology, social studies, and the arts.

The assessment tool includes two objectives to assess English language acquisition, developed by Dr. Patton Tabors, a researcher, formerly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and an expert on English language acquisition of young children.

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Limited-English-speaking patients closer to getting quality healthcare

WASHINGTON (PRNewswire)—Patients in the United States with limited English proficiency (LEP) continue to face language barriers that threaten their health and undermine their well-being. But today they are one step closer to quality, equitable healthcare with the launch of the first National Certification for Medical Interpreters.

A culmination of an over 20-year effort that included stakeholders from across the industry, this first-of-its-kind national interpreting standard provides professional interpreters working in the medical field with the opportunity to be tested and credentialed as "Certified Medical Interpreter" (CMI).

The CMI designation will first be available to Spanish language interpreters, with national certification rolling out for several other languages in 2010.

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Are British businesses relying on the English language too much?

By Richard Tyler, reviewer, Techbyte

The review made clear that while the device was useful, it was not a panacea. "Translators don't magically turn your spoken word into faultless French, German or Cantonese. You're thinking of Star Trek," noted Techbyte.

But Mike Hunter, chief executive of Betterlanguages Limited, questioned the tone of the review. "There is a world of difference between the example given of ordering bruschetta in a restaurant, and conducting complex business negotiations, or translating technical documents," he wrote.

"Taking a machine into a business meeting expecting it to solve language problems will potentially make you look ridiculous. Given the cost and time involved in conducting business overseas, a couple of hours' interpreting is by no means the largest expense, “ he said.

Mr Hunter's comments introduce one of the main barriers to international trade: neither party can understand the other.

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Obama becomes Japan’s English teacher

By Miki Tanikawa, The New York Times

TOKYO—When Utako Sakai was changing the background music in her beauty parlor recently, she did not opt for the classical piano pieces she usually chose. Instead, she picked her favorite CD: “President Obama’s Inaugural Address,” released by Asahi Press, a Japanese publisher of language books. She says the speech lifts her spirits and helps her to learn English all at once.

“All our customers love it,” said Ms. Sakai, who is based in Ayase City, in Kanagawa Prefecture, outside Tokyo.

The speech CD and its accompanying book have been a resounding success, selling 200,000 copies since its release in January. A compilation of President Barack Obama’s speeches has done even better, selling half a million copies since November, solidifying his role as Japan’s English teacher.

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State pupils helped over language barrier

By Kathryn Lewis and Hala Khalaf

ABU DHABI—As if the jump from state school to university is not daunting enough, thousands of Emirati students face another huge hurdle. Since university courses are taught in English, many simply do not have a good enough grasp of the language to progress.

Because state school pupils are taught almost entirely in Arabic, very few students are able to go directly into university. Most take foundation classes in English, which delay graduation and consume a large chunk of the higher education budget.

For instance, Zayed University last year spent about Dh40m (US$11m) on its so-called bridge programme, comprised of remedial classes, about 20 per cent of its academic instructional budget.

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