I am all for my children learning a second language but I would prefer they learn a more useful European language. Why are we having more Arabic culture forced on us?
2007-02-09 23:52:26 · 24 answers · asked by ANON 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Study of any other language/s is important for those who have the appetite for them.
Arabic is a very important language not only because its one of the few international languages, nowadays, but also because the Arab World is growing in its importance; trade wise as well as political and cultural wise.
Arabic language therefore should be tought as a choice and not a compulsary subject.
All the best.
2007-02-09 23:59:47 · answer #1 · answered by Ebby 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
I agree with Lulu (or is it Lolo ?) Nobody is proposing that we should be forced to learn Arabic - just that the option should be there if we want our children to learn it or they want to learn it themselves.
There is a practical problem though: there aren't all that many teachers in this country capable of teaching Arabic. Schools who decided to teach Russian in the past faced a similar problem: even if they managed to get a Russian teacher, if that teacher left after, say, two years, it was often not possible to find a replacement. So, many pupils finished up feeling that they had more or less wasted two years, as they hadn't learnt enough to take them through any exam.
2007-02-10 09:12:00 · answer #2 · answered by deedsallan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who says that European languages are useful? The most "useful" languages to learn would be ones that would allow you to either 1. communicate with the most people or 2. profit most from being able to communicate to different people. Chinese and Japanese fit both 1 and 2. Spanish fits well with 1 and Arabic, Indian, or Korean fit well with 2.
It's not a matter of forcing a culture on them but more about actually allowing them to experience the culture. I've never heard of K-12 schools offering Arabic and I think that it's great for our society to learn more about their culture since we don't really understand them.
2007-02-10 00:01:52 · answer #3 · answered by Mienk 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
teaching children more than 1 language is a good idea.
my choice wouldnt fall on arabic, but if you live in a western country it is a good idea to have your children be educated about other cultures. teaching them a european language wont do this since it is also a western culture, and therefore too much alike.
p.s. culture cant be forced on someone with an open mind.
2007-02-09 23:58:53 · answer #4 · answered by mrzwink 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Learning Arabic will not be forced. The news story simply said that Arabic and Urdu will be an option. I think that is a very nice decision because it broadens pupil's options and gives variety. I speak Arabic myself and I feel that it's a useful language to be able to speak and I only wish that they offered the option in my school because I'm not very strong grammatically in Arabic and I would love to widen my knowledge in it.
A language is a language - no one is forcing the Arabic culture on to anyone. I'm sorry if you feel like that but if you do not want your children to learn Arabic then they don't need to - they can opt for a European language if they wish. You said that that YOU would prefer them to learn a European language - well it's them that's going to be learning so let them choose what they want.
2007-02-10 01:27:49 · answer #5 · answered by don't stop the music ♪ 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
My daughter will have to learn Arabic at school, she already is learning English and Malay, but more advantages in business later on I want her to learn mandarin, Italian, maybe German and possibly Japanese.
She's now 3 and is grasping 2 languages, by the time she's 10 she'll have 3 languages so I'd love to pursuade her to learn the others too. The younger I start with her the better.
I think having knowledge of more languages gives us power, we should all learn as many as possible.
Starting with Welsh for the British, how can we live in a country that has a whole sub-country [for want of a better expression] with its own language yet we aren't taught one word of it? It's appalling!
2007-02-10 00:18:27 · answer #6 · answered by SEJ71 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
i think it's a pointless language to learn, what for? To haggle over diminishing oil in arabic or to further prime the country for islamic doctrines. If anyone wants to learn another language other than the european then it should be optional not compulsory. Learning chinese is another pointless language in school although it would make more sense than arabic seeing as the far east (china) is a growing world economic power. Forcing any totally alien foreign language is dictatorial and means other agendas lie beneath the surface.
2007-02-10 01:03:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I think it is very important to learn at least 2 of the un languages and arabic is one of these languages. arabic is the third language as far as users is concerned so why not?? i dont thing the government is trying to force anything here. one problem i have seen in english speaking countries is that very few ppl speak second languages...so it is about time
2007-02-10 07:20:05 · answer #8 · answered by peace 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
It should be an option, to choose as an elective in schools, along with the choice of any other language that may be possible depending on who they can find to teach.
And it's not only a matter of how you will use it, communication or otherwise, it actually helps your brain from falling apart so quickly!
It's a proven fact, it delays the onset of dementia in elders.
2007-02-10 06:47:21 · answer #9 · answered by cyan876 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think schools should have a few languages to choose from - French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese/ Madarin, and some Arabic languages but you shouldnt be forced to do one - you should have the choice of which one you want to study.
2007-02-10 00:04:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋