And if you tolerate this, then your children will be next.

Hello Everyone,

After a couple of months training adults in the corporate sector, Smart Talkers India is back, blogging to you all about the state of play with the English language, here in India.  And there are no surprises that YOUNGISTAN (the term coined for India being the land with the largest youth population) were still making mistakes in basic English, even those with MBAs and Post grads.

The Hindu newspaper tells us, "The readers for whom English is a second language, or a foreign language, will never acquire the skills or the finesse of the ‘elite' (first-language learners) if they never strive to learn the correct language. The gap will never be bridged".  

Does the problem begin at school level?  Yes, I believe it does, having experienced this with my 6 year old and his education of English in India.  Another issue is, parents do not use English early enough with the child.  Do not mistake my intentions - I have a strong belief in also using the mother tongue and speak Bengali, too, to my child, but he had an advantage from the start, in that he was surrounded by 3 languages, namely Hindi, English and Bengali.  He continues to be a good speaker and this has been noted in his school reports.  And this is an important criteria of language - that it is to be spoken first, before it is read.  However, spoken English is not uniform throughout India, and virtually obsolete in government schools.

It seems, that those who had a convent education had fantastic use of grammar.  My own father had a Jesuit education before he set off for the UK almost 50 years ago.  His English is impeccable, as are many people who have had this education in India.  Some people feel it is because the foundations of the English language were carefully and correctly laid to the young students.  Nowadays, there is so much available on line such as grammar checks, spell checks and talking dictionaries, such as Cambridge on line (no excuses please for mispronunciation either in UK or US English).

Take a look at the following articles  from The Hindu newspaper, and former BBC correspondent, Mark Tully which have much to say on this subject:

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article1155559.ece

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15635553

The wonderful Manic Street Preachers (band of UK fame), clearly express the "sins of the father" in the song, "And if you tolerate this, then your children will be next" ; that is, that those of you who persistently, misuse or ignore that which is the correct path or method, will pass this on to your children.  In the case of the English Language in India, I continue to lament at its abuse, even at school level.

Smart Talkers India: International schools: A growing choice

Smart Talkers India: International schools: A growing choice: Dear All, Take a look at the excellent article by Expatia.com on the benefits of International schools and, hence, the importance of Engli...

Smart Talkers India: International schools: A growing choice

Smart Talkers India: International schools: A growing choice: Dear All, Take a look at the excellent article by Expatia.com on the benefits of International schools and, hence, the importance of Engli...

Dear All,

Take a look at the excellent article by Expatia.com on the benefits of International schools and, hence, the importance of English as the medium of instruction:

International schools: A growing choice

International school continues to gain a reputation for preparing international children well for English-speaking higher education opportunities throughout the world.

 

Ten years ago, the chance of finding an international school in your new relocation destination was, at best, sporadic. Today, most major cities have at least one good international school, if not several. Most international schools cater to a healthy mixture of expatriate and local children. In addition, international schools continue to gain a reputation for preparing international children well for English-speaking higher education opportunities throughout the world.

International schools: The facts

 
In 2000, there were 2,584 international schools teaching close to 1 million students -- mainly expats. Today that number stands at 5,676 international schools teaching over 2.5 million students, and by 2020 the prediction is for over 11,000 international schools with over 5 million students.

The growing desire to send local children to international schools is based on the quality of teaching and learning that many of these schools provide, coupled with the recognition by local wealthier families of the value of an English-medium education.

These figures and trends are all tracked by ISC Research -- the only independent organisation dedicated to mapping the world's international schools and analysing developments in the market -- who predict continued opportunities for parents wishing to provide an international education for their children wherever they may be living in the world.

"Asia (including the Middle East which is Western Asia) has dominated the growth since January 2006 and with 3,000 schools, accounts for 53 percent of all international schools worldwide," says Nicholas Brummitt, Managing Director of ISC Research.

"The leading countries for international schools currently are China, India, Pakistan, the UAE and Thailand. Europe has also grown significantly and now has 1,324 international schools. We expect future growth to be centred in Southern Asia, particularly in India and Pakistan; in Western Asia, in parts of the UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; in Eastern Asia, especially China, Hong Kong and South Korea; and in South East Asia, in Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore," he says.

The demographics of international schools
So why the growth in local children attending international schools? It's mostly been fuelled by a significant increase in the wealth of local families says Nick. "In many cases, an English-medium education for their children is very high on their list of priorities."

"It is now widely accepted that opportunities for students after international school are tremendous with the top universities the world over consistently competing for the best students. Many local families want this opportunity for their children and most schools see this as an enormous benefit for their expatriate intake; providing immediate and direct links with the local community that they're living in."

Although some international schools employ a small percentage of local teachers, the vast majority of teaching staff in international schools come from English-speaking countries around the world where education training and the teaching profession is revered. This includes teachers from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America and South Africa.

Currently there are 350,000 fully qualified teachers working in international schools and that number is anticipated to rise to 500,000 by 2020, to meet the demand from increased student intake and additional new schools.

"This is the biggest problem facing international schools today," says Nick Brummitt. "Not only to meet the demand of students, but also to maintain the high quality standards that most international schools currently hold."

New options
Nick points out that a recent new trend in international school options is the establishment of sister schools of top UK private schools. Harrow, Dulwich, Shrewsbury, Repton, Oxford High and Wellington College have all opened international schools and Epsom College, Oundle, Brighton College and others are preparing for imminent school openings in international locations.

"Excellent schooling options for expatriate families continues to grow," says Nick Brummitt. "In many internationally commercial cities you may have the choice of several international schools.

Making your choice may therefore require the consideration of curriculum as you may well have the choice of schools focusing on the UK curriculum (British international schools), American or other national curricula, or international curricula such as the International Baccalaureate or the International Primary Curriculum. Also bilingual international schools are becoming another alternative."

SPEAK EASY....

Good Morning, Good Day or Hello!

 

Everyone, everywhere in the world will use English according to the country they are from.  And India is no exception.  However, it becomes an issue if you are not universally understood, or you miss out words, such as articles or pronouns etc, which often happens in India.  It's great to see Indian words added to the English language e.g Jungle, , but "Hinglish" becomes a problem outside of India.  Parents should be aware that taking an initiative early, thereby ensuring correct usage of English, pronunciation and application of good grammar can save children, our future global citizens, a lot of issues later.

 

The Government of Singapore took initiative and began a campaign to improve their country's English. 

 

This article comes from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia:

 

The Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) is a Singapore Government campaign to "encourage Singaporeans to speak grammatically correct English that is universally understood". It was launched by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 29 April 2000. The purpose was to ensure that Singaporeans can recognise the importance of speaking Standard English and also to encourage them to use it.

Background

English was introduced in 1819 with the establishment of the modern port in Singapore. The port attracted migrants from neighbouring countries, such as China and India, resulting in a diverse linguistic landscape. Proximity to these various languages has, over the generations, influenced the local variety of English. The colloquial form of Singaporean English is called Singlish, and is largely characterised by the mixture of local expressions with English (e.g. the use of discourse particles such as lah). Singlish is commonly used by Singaporeans in informal contexts, however it can be incomprehensible to non-Singaporeans.

When the Speak Good English Movement was launched in 1999, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong described Singlish as "English corrupted by Singaporeans" and "broken, ungrammatical English". According to the local government, mastery of Standard English is imperative to raise living standards in Singapore, and Singlish causes problems when Singaporeans need to communicate in English, the "global language of commerce, business and technology". The movement thus campaigns for an improved standard of English used in Singapore. In hopes of extending its reach, the movement adopts a different theme and target group each year. Also, the movement collaborates with various partner organizations to provide programmes in line with the movement's goals.

Small Talk - Coffee and English Communication advice to help you, help your kids!

Hello All,

Are you a new mum not knowing how to begin communicating with your baby?

Perhaps you are a mum conscious of the importance that our kids in India are bilingual and need to maintain this quality, without compromising on their English.

May be, your child does not want to read books or speak English?

There are many reasons all children are different and need helpful, compassionate, constructive, fun methods and help!

Smart Talkers India will be holding morning sessions from 9 am - 11.45 am to offer advice and suggest techniques to assist you help your preschoolers and early readers (0 - 7 years old) with spoken English and written communications.

These "Communication Sessions" have come about from a request by parents and grandparents who have stopped me at school gates, bookshops, school bookshops and workhops; they all asked for advice to help their child improve or begin to speak English.
 
I decided to offer these informal sessions in a relaxed environment where you can bring your child if you wish.  Thus, I am available in Gurgaon or Delhi during the weekdays or from Gurgaon on most Saturdays.

I am a mother of a 6 year old, an international communications training specialist of 24 years, a native English speaker and a fluent Bengali speaker (my child speaks English and Hindi with equal fluency, plus is now starting to speak Bengali).  In addition, I am cross cultural consultant and am aware of the effects of environment upon learning.  I will give you my own personal experience and my techniques for your child's success story with the English language.

If you would like to arrange a session with me either individual or group, please call or SMS on 9899008960.

My fee is Rs 300 per consultation per child.  I will focus for 1 hour and 30 mins.

I look forward to our coffee, tea and talk about your little one!

Finnish-ing Schools

 Motherhood changes you, doesn’t it?

I have seen (myself included) how career woman change after having their children.  We are very conscious that we cannot (ever again), give full concentration to our work since there is a greater need to focus on our child.  If you are one of the lucky ones who does not have to work full time, then you will grab the opportunity.

I met a friendly lady a few days ago called Rajee.  She is a fashion designer and she also has a 6 year old son like me.  She had a good career, but after the birth of her child, she knew it was no longer possible to concentrate on a full time career.  Although she took the decision to work from home, she realised she must now concentrate on her child’s education, health and happiness; in her words, she told me “I am designing my son’s life, now”.  And no doubt, she must be designing it with all the various Indian and international facilities available.

Being a person of two cultures, (i.e. India and the UK), I have always believed in synthesis – take what is best from both cultures and reject the rest.  I am a devotee, and believe in the principals of the great Indian saint and avatar, Ramakrishna.  His prominent disciple, Vivekanada travelled abroad and explained the truth of Vedanta, demystifying Hinduism to the Western world; it is his influence that helps me follow the philosophy of East meets West.

As I began to travel internationally in corporate organisations all over the world, I saw many aspects of various cultures that I added to my personal “portfolio”.  I wanted to be a global citizen with Vedanta as my rudder.  Many of our children will be based in India but will travel outside to work or study from time to time. It is important that their minds are not closed to other ideas.  India is leaping forward to offer a potpourri of choices, even with education boards such as the International Baccalaureate.

So, last year, I was curious to discover that Finnish schools were getting the best result in education in the developed world.  Tom Burridge a reporter of the BBC World News America, Helsinki wrote an article where more than 100 foreign delegations and governments visited Helsinki, hoping to learn the secret of their schools' success.  

Now, I am a curious sort of a creature, and, being a bit of a “Tiger Mother”, wanted to know what is the very best for my child – even if it is from a country I have never visited.  I wanted to know why, Finland's schools score consistently at the top of world rankings, yet the pupils have the fewest number of class hours in the developed world.  And I want to know how I can absorb some of this in my global portfolio for my child.

Burridge goes on to tell us that “In 2006, Finland's pupils scored the highest average results in science and reading in the whole of the developed world. In the OECD's exams for 15 year-olds, known as PISA, they also came second in maths, beaten only by teenagers in South Korea”.

And this is what I discovered:

·        No schools have ever failed in Finland.
·        The status of the teaching profession is highly regarded, and respected like a doctor.
·         The best students at university become teachers.
·         The strongest part of the Finnish system is the quality of schools.
·         The schools are the smallest in the world.
·         Pupils with learning difficulties sit with able-bodied ones; a second teacher manages any queries.
·         They invest a relatively large amount of money in Finland.
·         Finnish society has a very positive attitude to education and research.
·         The children speak their mother tongue at home.
·         Secondary and primary education is in one school so teachers develop relationships with the children. 
·         Learning foreign languages like English or French is seen as key.
·         Giving children extra help is important; in some classes, there are three teachers.
·         Teachers have to complete a Master’s degree if teaching science.
·         Acceptance of diversity in the classroom.
·         Immigration is low, thus, there are few language problems when children commence school.
·         Children will start school at 7 years old.
·         Schools decide how to teach – not the politicians.
·         Trust plays a large role between teachers and pupils, and teachers and politicians.

It is an incredible success story with a simple philosophy.  To me, it smacks of quality rather than quantity, and gives a huge respect for both educators and the education system.  The government in Finland seem to put a great deal of trust in the teachers, and the results show.

So, my dear friends and fellow mothers, how do you intend to nurture your young ones so they may bloom where ever they go?  Will you look carefully, and create global citizens? Will you add seeds from other countries to your child’s philosophy portfolio? 

Then, tell me - how does your garden grow?