Comments on: AZN RULE OK

By: NR 44

NR 44 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:48:02 +0000

I think it’s a great idea. There are a lot of advantages to learning more than one language. I live in the Netherlands and my Aussies kids to a local (Dutch) school.

I suspect the biggest barrier to kids in Australia learning a second language (other than heritage languages) will be the attitude of many parents. Kids won’t learn a language unless they consider it useful (and unless they are regularly exposed to it). It is therefore important that the government will need to win over Andy B’s etc of the world (well, actually just the Andy B’s of Australia).

By: Scott Bridges

Scott Bridges — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:35:27 +0000

Because we pick up our native language(s) almost by osmosis through listening to others talk, and (hopefully) learn the grammar and technical stuff later in a written form, learning a non-native language from scratch once we’re fluent in our native language(s) forces us to better understand the way our native language(s) are structured. A lot of people “just get” the sentence structure and other technical features of their native languages “because it sounds right” with little or no understanding of the rules that govern those features. It’s very, very hard to learn a new language without explicitly learning those rules.

Plus, what Stace said.

By: stace

stace — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:49:07 +0000

How would learning a second language actually assist? For students with learning difficulties it would probably be more confusing.

And those Swiss who have to learn French, English and German are dumb as dipsticks.

I learnt two languages, other than English, at school and (apart from making me really up myself) it hasn’t hindered my English at all. The earlier you learn a language, the easier it is to learn other languages later.

There’s something in learning the different syntax of another language that seems to aid in general learning. It actually opens up neural pathways that would otherwise remain closed.

By: Andy B

Andy B — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:28:54 +0000

Scott Bridges : Learning a non-English language actually assists with English learning. I think it’s crucial for all school children to learn a foreign language, and doing so won’t detract from English learning.

How would learning a second language actually assist? For students with learning difficulties it would probably be more confusing.

By: Mr Pastry

Mr Pastry — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:39:32 +0000

Best way to get second languages into a family is marry someone who’s first language is not English – the kids become fluent as they can speak the tongue at home and in everyday situations, rather than the ridiculous “the cat is by the umbrella” technique. Apologies to those who quite like their English speaking spouse, but I think they will understand the reason for divorce is noble.

By: Scott Bridges

Scott Bridges — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:27:36 +0000

Learning a non-English language actually assists with English learning. I think it’s crucial for all school children to learn a foreign language, and doing so won’t detract from English learning.

By: Andy B

Andy B — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:45:38 +0000

I actually kinda agree with those comments posted. If they are going to focus so much on teaching kids a second language, equal (if not more) effort should be going to English skills.

Call me crazy, but I suspect that learning English is as much as important as learning things like Maths, Science, Computers and whatever other subjects there are in schools these days. Focus on those first, THEN worry about a second language.

By: zombiemao

zombiemao — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:14:12 +0000

speak the NATIVE language ? Well the native language of the South West is Nyoongar, well Nyoongar dialects anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noongar

By: Carla

Carla — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:15:51 +0000

ahhh Tim of Wollongong.. you’re a keeper

By: Mr Pastry

Mr Pastry — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:27:12 +0000

Rudd is behaving as Mark Latham did. Rudd can speak a second language and as it has made him absolutely marvellous, everyone should be, as marvellous as he. Latham did the same espousing that Reading had made him marvellous and he was going to make sure all children could be as marvellous. I can’t wait till we will get our first porn star prime minister.