Philippines has no plans to soften impact of brain drain, study says

MANILA, February 10, 1011—Despite the continued exodus of Filipino skilled workers and professionals, the Philippines has not taken adequate measures to prevent it from affecting the country’s over-all economic development, a study of the University of the Philippines (UP) showed.

The study, “Migration of Skills, Talents and Expertise: Development Challenges for the Philippines”, said that the outward flow of “critical skills, talents and professionals” has been jeopardizing the growth and sustainability of local industries.

According to Dr. Rene Ofreneo of UP-School of Labor and Industrial Relations, other nations in similar situation “have been identifying and strategizing their current and future skills needs in relation to their overall economic development.”

But the Philippines, the study stated, “has not undertaken a similar forward-looking exercise.”

“Such exercise is imperative as there are alarming concerns, specifically in relation to the impact of the skills, talents and professionals (STP) drain or outflow on Philippine-based industries, whether producing for the home or export markets,” the study revealed.

“This means local industry is becoming less and less competitive due to ‘HRD (human resource development) shortages’ in critical areas of business or production performance,” the study showed.

The study revealed that the exodus could “kill” the economy at least in two ways.

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Foreign student' population in Philippines is swelling

MANILA, February 10, 2011—Bureau of Immigration (BI) Acting Commissioner Ronaldo Ledesma the other day said that there are 19,121 foreign students currently taking up college courses in the country, which is 768 higher than those of the previous school year.

Ledesma said that for school year 2010-2011, there were 19,121 foreigners who enrolled in different colleges and universities nationwide, compared to the 18,383 in school year 2009-2010. The data was taken from their Alien Certificates of Registration Identity-Cards (ACR I-Cards) that the BI has issued to holders of student visas and which remain valid.

“The fact that many foreigners are studying here means that the quality of our educational system is continuously improving. Our schools are competing with the best of their counterparts in Asia in attracting foreign enrollees,” Ledesma adds.

South Koreans topped the list with 6,000 followed by the Chinese with 3,395; the Iranian, 2,980; and Americans with 1,004.

The other nationalities studying in the country are Indonesians, Indians, Taiwanese, Kuwaitis, Nepalese, Thais, Sudanese, Vietnamese, Nigerians, Kenyans, Japanese, Pakistanis, Timorese, and from Myanmar.

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DOLE launches career and work guides for students, jobseekers

MANILA, February 11, 2011 (PNA)—To help address the perennial problem of skills and jobs mismatch, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through its Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), launched recently two guides on planning for a career and preparing for employment both for high school (HS) and college students who are beginning to seek jobs.

Career Guide for High School Students: Trainer’s Manual is a 40-page, 21 cm. x 27.5 cm perfect-bound printed reference material on bookpaper, printed in black.

Meanwhile, Employment Guide for College Students and Job Seekers: Trainer's Manual is a 31-page, 21 cm x27.5 cm perfect-bound printed reference material on bookpaper, also printed in black.

"The production of the two guides is part of our initiative to address the job mismatch problem. The guides are envisioned to help students and jobseekers aim or study courses which will provide them skills needed by the industry," Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said.

She said that career and employment guidance, which is one of the three pillars of employment services, together with labor market information and employment facilitation, is a major component of BLE's job search assistance that aims to link jobseekers to employment opportunities.

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Tagum butchers, electricians get English training before deployment abroad
 
TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, February 6, 2011—Butchers and electricians trained by the city government for jobs in Australia and Canada are being given additional competitive edge: enhanced skills in written and spoken English.

For at least eight Saturdays, graduates of the city’s various community-based skills training are to undergo module-based lectures on basic English to help improve their listening, speaking and writing abilities before their deployment abroad, according to Darwin Suyat, head of the city’s special programs division.

In partnership with the Department of Education, the Technical Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and the University of Mindanao-Tagum College, the city government on Saturday launched its Skilled Workers English Enhancement Program (Sweep) in a bid to boost the global competitiveness of its overseas-bound locally trained skilled workers, Suyat said.

“We want to equip our local workers not only the hands-on skills related to their respective fields but also the basic ability to communicate using the language of their employers and their workplace,” Suyat told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The city has been deploying locally trained electricians and butchers to countries like Canada, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, through its skills-training program given for free by the local government.

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Kindergarten now a must for 5-year-olds in the Philippines

MANILA, February 2, 2011—Kindergarten will be compulsory for five-year-olds starting this school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) has announced.

DepEd is already collating data from last Saturday’s one-day pre-registration for incoming kindergarten students to see if it reached its target 2.4 million children.

“Beginning school year 2011-2012, kindergarten [will] become compulsory in all public schools to better prepare pupils for the rigors of regular schooling,” DepEd said in a statement.

The move is part of the government’s efforts to upgrade Philippine basic education under the so-called “K (kindergarten) plus 12” program. This means that aside from compulsory kindergarten, two more years will also be added to the current 10-year primary and secondary basic education system.

Compulsory kindergarten, is one of DepEd’s early intervention schemes to help students better cope with the basic education curriculum and curb the incidence of early dropouts.

The proposal is up for public consultation in the next three months.

Advocates of K+12 point out that the program would put Philippine education on par with those in other countries. On the other hand, some critics say the government should first improve the existing 10-year basic program before adding two more years.

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Education department to hire 15,000 new teachers this year

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, January 27, 2011—At least 15,000 new public elementary school teachers are expected to be recruited for this coming school year as part of the national government’s effort to lessen the shortage of teachers in public elementary schools.

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) here said the hiring of new teachers had been assured by Education Secretary Armin Luistro during his recent visit in Isabela to assess the damages on school buildings in the province during last year’s onslaught of super typhoon “Juan.”

The national government is annually recruiting 10,000 new public elementary teachers in previous years, but for this year at least 15,000 new teaching positions have been allocated based on DepEd’s budget in the General Appropriations Act of 2011.

 Luistro said that despite the increased quota as well as those being hired by local government units to augment DepEd’s teaching force, there is still a big shortfall of public school teachers in the country. 

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Mayor allocates 42 new classrooms to Zamboanga City High School

ZAMBOANGA CITY, February 1, 2011 (PNA)—Mayor Celso Lobregat has allocated 42 new classrooms for the Zamboanga City High School (ZCHS)-main to help resolve classroom shortage of the school.

Of the 42 classrooms, Lobregat said Monday, 15 have been completed and are expected to be turned over soon to the Department of Education (DepEd) while the 27 classrooms will be housed in a new three-storey building that will rise inside the ZCHS-main complex soon.

Lobregat said the three-storey 27-classroom building, costing P23 million, has been bidded out and its construction is set to start soon.

Lobregat said the construction of new school buildings is in line with his aggressive education program.

Recently, he inspected the newly-completed 15-classroom which now form part of a five-storey school building.

The 15 classrooms were constructed on the roof deck, which now is the fifth floor of an existing school building at the ZCHS-main campus.

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More Chinese expected in Davao to study English

DAVAO CITY—More people from China are expected to travel to Davao City to learn English this year and their numbers may eventually surpass the South Koreans, according to the head of one language school here.

There are an estimated 5,000 Koreans learning English in various schools here and their numbers continue to grow.

Joji Ilagan-Bian, chair of the JIB Foundation who also runs the JIB e-Academy that caters to foreign students studying the English language, said that in the next five to 10 years, they expect the number of Chinese nationals learning English here to reach 10,000.

JIB Foundation, which has partner schools such as the Rizal Memorial Colleges, Davao Doctors College, and the Davao Medical School Foundation, has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Manila-based iStudy Brainmaster Philippines, Inc. for processing applications from Chinese for study visas here.

"The number of mainland Chinese visitors here was expected to double from our initial projection because their families and relatives would also certainly visit them," she said.

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BPOs dial SOS over English

February 11, 2011—The flight of voice processes to countries like the Philippines is making BPO companies in India jittery. Certain segments of the industry are now demanding that the government introduce a mandatory spoken English and business communication course in regional language schools that would ensure a higher supply of employable talent while moderating soaring wage expenses.

Employability of candidates applying for international voice business has emerged as a key challenge over the last few years and is perhaps affecting the perception of the buyer as to how well India can do vis-a-vis other emerging destinations. Out of every 100 people interviewed in BPO firm 24/7 Customer, only three get hired. In Hinduja Global Solutions Limited, only 10 make the cut while Aditya Birla Minacs ends up hiring about 20 for every 100 candidates considered.

Industry leaders say it is time for the government to intervene since it is not possible to make candidates who have studied in vernacular schools fluent and confident in business communication with a few weeks of training. BPOs are unwilling to invest more time in education since employees have little loyalty — all investments in the employee go waste because he is soon head-hunted by a rival. The BPO industry therefore argues it requires government help just like the IT industry.

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An “English goddess” for India’s down-trodden
By Geeta Pandey, BBC News

UTTAR PRADESH, February 15, 2011—A new goddess has recently been born in India. She's the Dalit Goddess of English.

The Dalit (formerly untouchable) community is building a temple in Banka village in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to worship the Goddess of the English language, which they believe will help them climb up the social and economic ladder.

About two feet tall, the bronze statue of the goddess is modelled after the Statue of Liberty.

"She is the symbol of Dalit renaissance," says Chandra Bhan Prasad, a Dalit writer who came up with the idea of the Goddess of English.

"She holds a pen in her right hand which shows she is literate. She is dressed well and sports a huge hat - it's a symbol of defiance that she is rejecting the old traditional dress code.

"In her left hand, she holds a book which is the constitution of India which gave Dalits equal rights. She stands on top of a computer which means we will use English to rise up the ladder and become free for ever."

Considered to be at the bottom of the traditional Hindu caste system, the Dalits have been oppressed and discriminated against for centuries.

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Primary teachers vouch for easier English
Sruthy Susan Ullas, TNN, Jan 31, 2011, 12.18am IST

BANGALORE, January 31, 2011—Sixty four years since the British left the country and at a time when English has almost become the mother tongue of GenY in urban India, the Karnataka Primary Teacher's Association (KPTA) has a problem with the standard of English in textbooks, which it feels is very high for children to understand.

KPTA has requested the primary and secondary education minister to lower the language standard and tone it down for students of primary classes to easily understand subjects. "Children coming to government schools directly join class 1. They usually have no one to tutor them at home. The sentences in English texts are usually long with high-sounding words, which the kids find difficult to learn," said Narayan Swamy, secretary, KPTA.

G S Mudambadithaya, coordinator of the textbook preparation committee, said that during a review it was found that the standard of language was a little high for the age of the students. "Besides, the content was also difficult for children to understand. They did not have an Indian background, which made the cultural setting alien to the children, besides the language itself. This becomes difficult for children as they cannot relate to the content," he said…

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If you can write English, you can speak it, says public service commission

MUMBAI, February 4, 2011—If you can write in English, you are expected to talk in English, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) told an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) aspirant who had alleged bias over interviews being conducted in English.

Chittaranjan Kumar, who appeared for the written part of the 2008 civil services examination in English, had moved the Bombay high Court, claimed he had become a “victim” of the language policy.

Advocate Rui Roderigues, counsel for the UPSC, denied any bias and said that candidates who chose to answer the written examinations in Hindi or a local language, had the option of choosing the interview round in the same language or English. However, candidates who had opted to answer the written part of the examinations in English, could only choose that language for the interview/personality test round.

"A candidate who is capable of clearing the written part of the civil services examination by writing in English in as many as seven descriptive papers of different subjects apart from language papers is expected to have adequate communication skills to express oneself before the interview board," said M Mukhopadhyay, under-secretary, UPSC in an affidavit submitted by Roderigues.

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“English? Just another Indian language,” says notable poet-philosopher in India

January 29, 2011—The inaugural address of Karan Singh, Rajya Sabha member and President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the Chandigarh Festival of Letters 2011 left nobody in the audience in any doubt as to why he is referred to as India’s poet, philosopher and politician.

In a free-ranging talk, Dr Singh held forth on the importance of literary and linguistic evolution and referred to English as just another Indian language contributing equally to the richness of the Indian ethos.

“We have to preserve our literature and culture no matter what happens,” he stressed.

The keynote address — on Language issues in India — was delivered by Manushi Founder-Editor Madhu Kishwar at a session chaired by Prof Meera Mullick, who was formerly with the Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University. Kishwar rued the fact that English has become our language of intimacy even though it is a language that a majority of Indians are not comfortable with. She stressed the necessity of communication skills that enhance rather than detract from the importance of ideas.

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Job anguish for immigrants as English language courses face cuts

February 13, 2011—Shalina Parveen is a model Muslim in David Cameron's Britain. She left Bangladesh a decade ago, settled in Rochdale, and is now learning English 16 hours a week at college. She is married to a minicab driver, has two young children, and is determined to find her own job. "I want to do a child care course," she says. "I really want to do it. But I have to improve my English to get accepted."

A week ago Cameron made a controversial speech declaring that state-sponsored multiculturalism had, in his view, failed. He blamed the radicalisation of some Muslim youths and the phenomenon of home-grown terrorism on a sense of alienation that can build among young people living in separate communities with no anchor in the culture of their homeland.

There were practical things that could be done, he said. "That includes making sure that immigrants speak the language of their new home and ensuring that people are educated in the elements of a common culture and curriculum."

Shalina agrees. "You have to speak English, because it helps with everything. If you want to go to the doctor, or if people ring you. It makes you feel more relaxed in the community."

Unfortunately for her and thousands like her, the government is about to pull the plug. From September ministers are cutting back on public funding of English for speakers of other languages (Esol).

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Migrants must teach their children English, Britain’s PM demands

February 3, 2011—Migrant families have an obligation to teach their children English before they start school, David Cameron has said.

And the Prime Minister pledged that he would bring forward tougher rules to ensure those arriving in the UK had a reasonable standard of English.

One in six children do not speak English as their first language.

Ministers believe that children brought up here stand a better chance of succeeding if their parents have a good grasp of the language.

Mr. Cameron spoke out after a Commons exchange with Yorkshire Tory MP Kris Hopkins, who said: “Sadly in Keighley, too many children start school and don’t speak English.”
He then asked Mr. Cameron: “Do you agree with me that there is a responsibility and an obligation upon parents to make sure their children speak English?”

Mr Cameron replied: “I completely agree with you. The fact is, in too many cases this isn’t happening.”

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English becomes a must at schools

February 14, 2011—Foreigners looking for a bus stop or a museum in Copenhagen or Stockholm do not usually hesitate to ask a local resident for help since they are almost certain to get a reply in fluent English. This, however, is not yet the case in Bratislava according to English teachers in Slovak schools who have welcomed the initiative of the Education Ministry to strengthen the English-language skills of current and future generations of Slovaks. But some teachers have also expressed doubts whether the legislation passed by the Slovak parliament, overriding a veto by President Ivan Gašparovič, that makes English instruction compulsory at primary schools will be enough to do the job.

Education Minister Eugen Jurzyca believes that giving preference to English, as the contemporary lingua franca, over other languages in the mandatory curricula of primary schools will bring fruit in that every secondary school graduate will be tasked with mastering English at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. With that aim in mind, the Education Ministry was able to push an amendment to Slovakia’s Schools Act through parliament.

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UN partners with West African nations to boost information technology in universities
 
February 11, 2011—The United Nations agency tasked with promoting education and the West African monetary union today signed an agreement to launch a $12 million project to boost the information and communications technology (ICT) capacity of universities by creating a regional virtual library network.

Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Soumaïla Cissé, the President of the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), which is providing the funds, signed the agreement in Paris.

The project is part of a wide-ranging cooperation plan initiated in 2006 by the two bodies, aiming to develop the use of ICTs to support an ongoing reform of higher education in the member countries of the UEMOA - Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Mali, Senegal and Togo.

"Higher education is a vital force for development. Funding this project shows the commitment of your organization to reforming and modernizing higher education by creating centres of excellence," said Ms. Bokova.

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“We will produce globally competitive graduates,” says university chancellor

Dayo Johnson11 February 2011

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Akure, February 11, 2011— Professor Olufemi Mimiko, the vice chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, has vowed to ensure that the institution produces graduates that are globally competitive.

Prof. Mimiko said this while playing host to participants of Senior Course 33 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji who visited him.

Listing some of the measures adopted to bring about quality graduates, he said these included "merit-driven admission policy, all courses accredited, teaching, examinations and result administration, overall improvement in attendance at lectures."

Others "are quality of teaching, proctoring; result administration etc, entrepreneurship and general studies programmes and self-financing centre being reconfigured, consultancy for Internally Generated Revenue, IGR and internal capacity building, among others."

He added that the university pays utmost attention to research, staff development, staff welfare, student support services.

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Teaching immigrants a growing challenge for Nashville schools
By Julie Hubbard, The Tennessean

February 6, 2011—It's Kyaw Teh Too's first day of school in Nashville, and the teacher just plopped a yellow tape measure in his hand for a math lesson.

At 15, he's bewildered by it.

He's never spoken English. Never multiplied by pi. Never had a textbook of his own. And because the Mae La refugee camp back in Thailand didn't have regular schooling, he can barely read and write his own Karen language.

Throughout Metro Nashville Public schools, these stories are becoming more common as refugees from Africa and Asia and immigrants from Mexico and Central America show up at the schoolhouse gate. Nashville has more of these students than the state's other three largest districts combined.

Students whose first language isn't English were 15 percent of Metro's public school enrollment in 2005. They're 22 percent today. The majority require special services that, a decade ago, local educators barely knew existed. In 2008, after a state Office of Civil Rights violation over foreign-language speakers' treatment, the district was forced to rethink its approach.

The state commissioned George Washington University to study how Metro taught students categorized as English Language Learners…

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New English translation alters familiar language of the Catholic Mass

OREGON, January 29, 2011—Catholics whose memories of Mass are mostly in English will be asked to relearn their lines when a new translation of the English Mass debuts later this year.

Parishioners who have worshipped, wed and buried loved ones to what have become familiar phrases may find the new language inspiring, jarring or confusing.

Beginning Nov. 27, Catholics reciting the Nicene Creed—the statement of faith many memorized as children—will no longer describe Jesus as "the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father" but as "the only begotten son of God, born of the Father before all ages."

Instead of saying Jesus is "one in being with the Father," they'll say he is "consubstantial with the Father."

And those are just two of thousands of changes in the Roman Missal, the massive book of prayers used during Catholic services. Most are in the words recited by priests.

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Quebecers don’t need Bill 101 to protect French, says minister

MONTREAL, February 5, 2011—Former Conservative cabinet minister Maxime Bernier has found himself in hot water after publicly declaring that Quebecers "don’t need" Bill 101 to ensure the survival of the French language in the province.

Bernier made the comments during an interview last week on News 95.7, a Halifax-based radio station. The program’s host, Jordi Morgan, was speaking with Bernier about the broader issue of government enacting legislation in order to maintain a sense of national identity. Bernier said he didn’t believe such legislation was necessary.

“It’s like in Quebec — we don’t need Bill 101 to protect the French language over there,” Bernier is quoted as saying. “They know we speak French in Quebec and we will speak French for a long time, I believe it.”

The remarks, which were quickly picked up by numerous French media outlets in Quebec, are not likely to boost Bernier’s popularity among his fellow Conservatives, who currently hold 11 seats in the province and are looking to maintain or even increase that number in the next federal election.

Bernier, MP for the riding of Beauce, also drew the ire of many Quebecers back in September when he wrote on his personal blog that he could not "in good conscience" support a plan to build a $400-million NHL arena in Quebec City.

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State policy restricting admission to English schools a failure, says political group 
 
QUEBEC, January 29, 2011—Bill 101's restrictions on admission to English schools, considered the most important part of the language legislation when it was adopted 34 years ago, aren't working.

Even after immigrant children are required to attend French schools for 12 years of compulsory primary and secondary education, they still aren't assimilating into the French-speaking community.

So let's take what has been proven over 34 years not to work at the elementary and high-school levels, and also apply it to the CEGEPs.

Because where 12 years of compulsory schooling have failed, only two or three years of optional post-secondary education will do the trick.

That's the logic of the proposal of Pauline Marois and the rest of the Parti Quebecois executive to extend to the college level Bill 101's restrictions on admission to publicly funded English elementary and high schools.

Despite the reservations of former PQ premier Jacques Parizeau and a couple of the party's current members of the National Assembly, the proposal will probably be adopted as the policy of a future PQ government at the party's convention in April.

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Returnees of English-language program key to Japan-U.S. ties

WASHINGTON, February 5, 2011 (Kyodo)—When current participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program gather, the discussion often focuses on English teaching methods. When the program's U.S. alumni get together, however, talk often turns to a weightier subject: U.S. foreign policy towards Japan.

Since the program was established in 1987, it has brought tens of thousands of young Americans to Japan to engage in cultural exchange, with a focus on teaching English.

Although the program has an uneven track record when it comes to improving Japanese students' English, it has quietly and unexpectedly become a powerful tool for achieving another objective: grooming the next generation of American leadership in U.S.-Japan relations.

Michael Auslin, a former participant of JET and prominent Japan expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said recent attacks on the program by the Japanese government's budget screening have focused on the quality of its English teaching, while ignoring a more important feature as one of Japan's most valuable tools for conducting "public diplomacy" both with the United States and other countries.

JET's success in this regard is perhaps best demonstrated by the number of former JETs occupying Japan-related positions in both the academic field and the U.S. government…

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English classes mostly in Japanese

January 22, 2011 (Kyodo News)—Only 20 percent of teachers of English oral communications at public high schools were giving classes in the language in 2010, despite the "100 percent" target three years from now, a governmental survey showed Friday.

The ratio was also low among teachers for cross-cultural understanding classes included in English language courses, with only 35 percent of them found to be using English, the survey by the education ministry indicated.

As new high school education guidelines will start in the academic year beginning in April 2013 that basically require all teachers of English classes to use the language, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said it intends to instruct schools to raise the level for a smooth transition.

The survey was conducted in August, targeting all full-time public high schools. The teachers polled did not include special aides such as foreign assistant language teachers, according to the ministry.

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Japan far behind in global language of business
By Mizuho Aoki, Japan Times

Keiko Suezaki in October began sending her 7-year-old daughter to an English school in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, once a week, hoping to give her more exposure to the de facto international language.

Although her daughter, Rina, has a 45-minute English activity class at her elementary school once every two weeks, Suezaki didn't think it was enough.

"If you live in Europe, or maybe in India, you become conscious of the necessity of learning English, but it's different in Japan. So I just want my daughter to know that there is an important language called English and it's fun (to learn)," said Suezaki, a 38-year-old Tokyo resident. "Besides, I think there will be more chances to use English in business situations (in the future). When such a time comes, it's better if one can use English."

With the economy expected to shrink due to the low birthrate, Japan has no choice but to seek markets outside the country, which will mean working more with non-Japanese, experts say.

For a country without much in the way of natural resources, manpower will be key to future survival. Japan, however, appears to be falling behind its neighbors in nurturing personnel who can compete in a globalizing world.

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A nation lost in translation
By Ainslie Macgibbon, The Sydney Morning Herald

February 7, 2011—For a country with such a rich mix of cultures, Australia has a poor record of encouraging its students to learn a second language. Now there's a new push for change, writes.

Australia may be multicultural, yet English remains the dominant language spoken. Teachers and parents are hoping that the release last week of the draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages for comment may be one step towards a more multilingual society.

The paper, released by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), says students in NSW should have access to 300 hours to 400 hours of language education from kindergarten to year 6; 130 hours to 160 hours in year 7 and year 8; 130 hours to 160 hours in year 9 and year 10 and 200 hours to 240 hours in year 11 and year 12.

The draft says the Australian curriculum for languages is being developed on the assumption that all students will learn languages across the kindergarten to year 8 span. It also says the curriculum will provide for continuing learning through to the senior secondary level.

Learning a language in NSW is an area where many teachers and parents felt the state was lagging. It's mandatory in Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia but not in NSW, Western Australia, Tasmania or the Northern Territory.

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Northern Territory schools stick to English despite attendance falls

January 18, 2011—The Northern Territory government has defended its policy of requiring all schools to teach the first four hours of each day in English, despite figures showing a decline in attendance among indigenous students since its introduction.

Advocates of bilingual education have linked the slide in attendance rates to the policy, introduced in January 2009 in a bid to lift numeracy and English literacy.

Two schools that had used bilingual approaches have recorded some of the largest drops in attendance. At Lajamanu, 550 kilometres south-west of Katherine, attendance rates have slipped from 60 per cent in November 2008, before the ''First Four Hours'' policy was introduced, to 47 per cent in November last year. At Yuendumu, 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs, attendance rates have fallen from 59 per cent to 34 per cent over the same period.

Before 2009 both schools used the Warlpiri language as the predominant language of instruction for beginning students, gradually increasing the proportion of English-language instruction until it was the primary language of teaching.

Greg Dickson, a linguist who has researched the impact of the policy in Warlpiri schools, said while the First Four Hours policy was not the only cause for the decline in attendance rates, it appeared to have been a factor.

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France wants to “reinvent” English language teaching from age three

February 8, 2011—Children could start learning English in France's nursery schools from age three as part of a strategic review of language education launched by education minister Luc Chatel.

Chatel announced last month that he wanted to "reinvent the learning of English" in schools. He said a team of specialists were examining a range of options aimed at boosting young people's skills in English and other foreign languages.

Specialists would investigate starting learning from age three, he said. "We have been experimenting with this and there have been some good results," he said.

He also wants to develop online language learning and to encourage more secondary school children to go on language-study trips to English-speaking countries.

But the minister's commitment to high-quality language teaching has been called into question. As part of cuts to education budgets announced last month, schools are likely to lose up to 1,000 specialist language assistants from classrooms from the start of the next academic year.

According to the Le Monde newspaper, educationalists are skeptical about using computers for language learning from such a young age…

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Education Ministry to enhance English skills of university entrants

COLOMBO, February 10, 2011—The Sri Lanka Ministry of Higher Education has decided to subject the undergraduates selected from the 2010 GCE Advanced Level examination results to enter the universities to follow three special training courses in English, computer, and human skills development.

Before the courses are commenced a grading test will be held to assess the level of the students' English language knowledge.

The Ministry announces that sitting for the General English paper will be made compulsory from this year for the Advanced Level students to qualify for the university entrance. However, the Ministry has not made a pass essential yet.

The Ministry requests the students of the remote schools who do not have English teachers of to indicate that on the test paper. This move is taken to prevent some students skipping the examination since a pass is not compulsory.

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China orders etiquette classes for schoolchildren

BEIJING, January 24, 2011 (AFP)—China has mandated that all schoolchildren undergo lessons on etiquette—the the latest expression of concern over uncultured manners in one of the world's oldest civilizations.

Teachers will be required to instruct primary school students in the intricacies of basic decorum, respecting elders and proper table manners, according to guidelines posted on the education ministry's website.

Middle-schoolers, meanwhile, will learn how to hold polite conversations, be courteous to others, dress properly, and how to observe etiquette in telephone, email, text-messaging and other correspondence.

In high school, the basics of polite one-on-one conversation, adequate grooming and standing in orderly queues will be among the subjects stressed.

Many of China's down-to-earth citizens are notorious for practices such as queue-jumping, spitting and littering, which are seen as obnoxious in the country itself as well as abroad.

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New website offers wealth of material for English teachers

JAKARTA, January 29, 2011—English language teachers across the country can now share ideas on Virtual Teacher Support Network (VTSN), a free virtual service providing information on English teaching methods.

Created by the National Education Ministry and the British Council, the virtual service has four products: www.teachingenglish.org.uk and h2te.jardiknas.kemdiknas.go.id for teachers, www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglishkids for children and parents and www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish for teenagers, adults and professionals.

The websites provide text material and audio visual teaching tools. The website also has teaching strategies.

While www.teachingenglish.org.uk was created by British Council and BBC, h2te.jardiknas.kemdiknas.go.id is the result of a cooperation between the British Council and the ministry’s Information Technology and Communication Center for Education (Pustekkom).

The British Council said it hoped the program would be able to reach and support the more than 133,000 English language teachers and 41 million students across Indonesia.

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German language finds English voice

BERLIN, February 1, 2011—Germans already "chillen" in their downtime, "surfen" the Internet and, when they leave a nightclub, they may go on to "ein Afterparty."

But the latest English word to creep into the deutsche Sprache is the verb "leaken," which has just been voted Anglicism of the Year in Germany.

Proving the international influence of WikiLeaks, Germans have quickly shunned their old way of describing information being secretly passed on to others and adapted the English verb "to leak." So they talk of the "geleakte Dokumente" released by the controversial site as an alternative to the somewhat unwieldy "durchgesickerte Unterlagen" of yore.

The jury awarding the inaugural prize for Anglicism of the Year was chaired by Anatol Stefanowitsch, a professor in linguistics at Hamburg University.

He said: "The word has really established itself in the German language over the past year and has enriched our vocabulary."

Another WikiLeaks-inspired word made third place – "whistleblowers", a category of people for whom there was previously no precise German term.

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Improving the standard of English in Pakistan

KARACHI, January 30, 2011—Creative approaches to teaching English, introducing new learning technologies, designing innovative material, encouraging research in teaching English language, and supporting continuous professional development are all needed to improve the standard of English in Pakistan.

This was underscored by speakers on the first day of an international seminar on teaching English language organized by Aga Khan University, Centre of English Language (CEL) at the university.

Introducing the seminar, CEL Head Dr Graeme Cane said that the two-day event will give language teachers more awareness of recent developments in teaching/learning methodology. It is also an opportunity for delegates to meet with leading theorists and writers, and to exchange ideas with fellow professionals from all sectors of English Language Teaching (ELT).

Chief guest British Council Director David Martin shared that English language teaching is a ‘live’ issue for educators, politicians and the general public in Pakistan. He highlighted the research conducted by Leeds University, UK’s Dr Hywel Coleman on language policy and shared that several discussions on the recommendations of his study have been held in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

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Enriching lessons
By Kang Soon Chen, TheStar.com.my

January 23, 2011—With more than 25 years of teaching experience under her belt, SMK Cheras English teacher Helen Merlyn Dodampe knows a thing or two about what makes students pay attention during English lessons.

“Teachers will be able to catch students’ attention if they can relate their lessons to the latest happenings and trends,” she says.

Newspapers, Dodampe explains, come in handy when teachers need to look for these topics.

 “I’ve been using the NiE pullouts in my lessons since 2000,” says Dodampe, adding that several teachers in the school also share her passion for enhancing English lessons with the pullouts.

As variety is the key which sustains students’ interest in learning, Dodampe says her experience attests that the pullouts are very effective teaching aids in the classroom.

“The assortment of exercises in the pullout certainly appeals to the students. Most of my students enjoy doing the hands-on activities which require them to use the newspapers as a source for answers,” Dodampe shares.

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Newspaper-in-education program in Malaysia now on 14th year

January 16, 2011—This year, The Star’s NiE (Newspaper-in-Education) programme turns 14 and we have an exciting line up for teachers, students and parents.

The Star-NiE programme consists of a wide range of activities, including English language pullouts, workshops, contests, books and more.

Along with our partner in NiE, Pizza Hut, we’ve revamped our programme to make learning English an upbeat and interactive experience for both students and teachers.

Star-NiE is now open to school subscription, with two effective reference books on offer with the purchase of the pullouts. The New First Aid in English and Chambers School Grammar are comprehensive and practical guides for students with numerous exercises and tips to enhance knowledge and language skills.

With a subscription, students will receive 33 issues of the NiE pullout every Wednesday, four times a month at a discounted price.

The NiE pullouts, which focus on essential components of the English language — grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and reading — aim to solidify students’ language foundation and instil a passion for the language.

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Office workers’ English lacking

January 28, 2011—HELP NEEDED: When asked about which area of English they believed they needed most improvement in, most respondents to a survey replied that none were up to par

Only 15 percent of office workers have certification of their English language abilities, while most say they do not have such certification because they believe their English language abilities are not up to scratch, a survey shows.

The Council of Labor Affairs’ (CLA) online job bank, eJob, conducted an online survey from Dec. 1 to Jan. 10 asking 1,529 office workers about their English language certification and asking them to assess their English language abilities.

Only 15 percent of office workers said they had some form of certification indicating their English language abilities, while 84 percent lack any such certification, the survey showed.
More than 70 percent said they did not want to have their English language abilities tested because they thought they would not qualify for certification.

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Rabat spelling bee fosters English language learning
2011-01-24

January 24, 2011—The Moroccan Youth and Sports Ministry held an English spelling bee on Thursday (January 20th) for five high schools in the disadvantaged Rabat neighbourhood of Yacoub El Mansour.

"I never expected to win this contest. I even signed up at the last minute," student Khadija Idammou said. "However, I took part in some programmes under the auspices of the US Embassy, which are always very important since they help students master English within convenient conditions."

In addition to English classes in school, Idammou said she practiced the language "by watching movies or reading newspapers, magazines and stories written by native speakers".

"I also try to take part in such contests that take place outside the high school, so as to improve my level. It is an opportunity to compete against students from other schools," Idammou added.

"The goal of this initiative is to urge Moroccan young people to speak English and give them a good motive," said Veronica Boring, an official from the US Embassy in Rabat. "More and more young people are now speaking English or wanting to learn it. I was delighted to see that many young people in the room speak English."

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English language an important tool, says Luanda teacher

LUANDA, January 28, 2011--The university teacher, Alberto Kuzoma Nzuzi, said Thursday in Luanda that the English language is an essential instrument for Angolans, taking into account that the country is part of the Portuguese-speaking community and a strategic point in Africa.

The teacher was speaking to ANGOP on the fringes of the presentation of the academic work "Use e Será Anglófono" (Use to become Anglophone), comprising a book and a compact disc, for the teaching and learning of English language.

"The country needs this language and must have it as its second language. At workplace and at international conferences, English is necessary,” he stressed.

According to Alberto Nzuzi, the work comprises innovations and focuses on Angolans’ socio-cultural reality, in which names, expressions and local costumes as models are found,” stated the lecturer.

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More Saudi youngsters increasingly speaking English
By Renad Ghanem, Arab News

JEDDAH, January 21, 2011—In spite of Arabic being their mother tongue, there is a growing trend among Saudi youths, particularly those at high school and in university, to talk to one another in English. The tendency to speak English is borne from an urge to look professional and seem modern.

English is much in vogue nowadays, particularly since many employers consider the language a must when recruiting staff. The trend is such that many people are seen substituting common Arabic greetings, such as Assalam alaykum, with hellos and good mornings. However, many, particularly traditionalists, view the trend negatively, saying it is a threat to the Arabic language and the Kingdom’s Arab identity.

“My family often criticizes me for talking English and demand I speak Arabic since we are in Saudi Arabia,” said Dina Jamil, a 21-year-old university student who speaks English all the time with her friends.

Jamil speaks English in spite of criticism for not speaking Arabic because she wants to improve fluency in the language. “Many of my friends who work tell me that speaking English at work is an indication that the person is a professional and that is why I want to be fluent in it,” she said.

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Urdu press should project India’s growth story

NEW DELHI, January 16, 2011—Noted mediapersons and parliamentarians today made a strong pitch for projecting India's growth story in the Urdu press to broaden its reach and appeal across the country.

They said Urdu journalists should not shy away from English language, which is global now. Urdu press should also make full use of Information Technology (IT) revolution and hone the technical skills of the youth to compete in the rapidly-changing world.

They made these observations while interacting with upcoming Urdu journalists at an orientation course organised by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language here.

The programme was held with the objective to exposing Urdu journalists to modern techniques of reporting, editing and communication.

Stating that Urdu press commands a robust readership of 20 million people in the country, Rajya Sabha member Saifuddin Soz asked the Council to do content analysis of the Urdu press to find out why stories of helplessness and depression dominate it.

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