Comments on: German: OFF the curriculum but ON the VLE http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615 Technology and Education Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:52:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Graham Davies http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-1854 Graham Davies Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:07:31 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-1854 Let's face it, most kids will only pick up a smattering of Mandarin. Only high flyers are capable of studying it up to GCSE level. We have enough problems getting kids to study much easier European languages up to GCSE level. I've had a crack at learning Mandarin. It's a fascinating language, and I found it a real challenge learning completely unfamiliar words and mastering the tone system. I got nowhere with the script, however. My visual memory is simply not up to it. The grammar of Mandarin, on the other hand, is fairly straightforward and much simpler than, say, German grammar. And compared to Hungarian, it's a pushover. The script is the biggest obstacle, but there is some good software around that teaches the script systematically and offers lots of practice exercises in recognising and writing the characters. Ed Balls is out of his tree. He gets a pasting here: http://www.furnessacademy.com/2010/01/ed-balls-dumb-surely-not.html Graham Let’s face it, most kids will only pick up a smattering of Mandarin. Only high flyers are capable of studying it up to GCSE level. We have enough problems getting kids to study much easier European languages up to GCSE level. I’ve had a crack at learning Mandarin. It’s a fascinating language, and I found it a real challenge learning completely unfamiliar words and mastering the tone system. I got nowhere with the script, however. My visual memory is simply not up to it. The grammar of Mandarin, on the other hand, is fairly straightforward and much simpler than, say, German grammar. And compared to Hungarian, it’s a pushover. The script is the biggest obstacle, but there is some good software around that teaches the script systematically and offers lots of practice exercises in recognising and writing the characters.

Ed Balls is out of his tree. He gets a pasting here:

http://www.furnessacademy.com/2010/01/ed-balls-dumb-surely-not.html

Graham

]]> By: Graham Davies http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-3012 Graham Davies Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:07:00 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-3012 Let's face it, most kids will only pick up a smattering of Mandarin. Only high flyers are capable of studying it up to GCSE level. We have enough problems getting kids to study much easier European languages up to GCSE level. I've had a crack at learning Mandarin. It's a fascinating language, and I found it a real challenge learning completely unfamiliar words and mastering the tone system. I got nowhere with the script, however. My visual memory is simply not up to it. The grammar of Mandarin, on the other hand, is fairly straightforward and much simpler than, say, German grammar. And compared to Hungarian, it's a pushover. The script is the biggest obstacle, but there is some good software around that teaches the script systematically and offers lots of practice exercises in recognising and writing the characters. Ed Balls is out of his tree. He gets a pasting here: http://www.furnessacademy.com/2010/01/ed-balls-dumb-surely-not.html Graham Let’s face it, most kids will only pick up a smattering of Mandarin. Only high flyers are capable of studying it up to GCSE level. We have enough problems getting kids to study much easier European languages up to GCSE level. I’ve had a crack at learning Mandarin. It’s a fascinating language, and I found it a real challenge learning completely unfamiliar words and mastering the tone system. I got nowhere with the script, however. My visual memory is simply not up to it. The grammar of Mandarin, on the other hand, is fairly straightforward and much simpler than, say, German grammar. And compared to Hungarian, it’s a pushover. The script is the biggest obstacle, but there is some good software around that teaches the script systematically and offers lots of practice exercises in recognising and writing the characters.

Ed Balls is out of his tree. He gets a pasting here:

http://www.furnessacademy.com/2010/01/ed-balls-dumb-surely-not.html

Graham

]]> By: José Picardo http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-1846 José Picardo Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:17:37 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-1846 Will he be getting a load of Mandarin teachers over then...? We've tried to offer Mandarin but have found finding teachers who can take students to GCSE is not that easy. Will he be getting a load of Mandarin teachers over then…? We’ve tried to offer Mandarin but have found finding teachers who can take students to GCSE is not that easy.

]]> By: Guest http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-3011 Guest Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:17:00 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-3011 Will he be getting a load of Mandarin teachers over then...? We've tried to offer Mandarin but have found finding teachers who can take students to GCSE is not that easy. Will he be getting a load of Mandarin teachers over then…? We’ve tried to offer Mandarin but have found finding teachers who can take students to GCSE is not that easy.

]]> By: Graham Davies http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-1844 Graham Davies Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:10:01 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-1844 And now I've just read that Ed Balls has declared that all children should be allowed to study Mandarin under a Government plan to resurrect foreign languages in schools: Daily Telegraph, 4 January 2010: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6931688/Mandarin-for-all-pupils-says-Ed-Balls.html Well, it could be useful, couldn't it? :-) Graham And now I’ve just read that Ed Balls has declared that all children should be allowed to study Mandarin under a Government plan to resurrect foreign languages in schools:

Daily Telegraph, 4 January 2010:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6931688/Mandarin-for-all-pupils-says-Ed-Balls.html

Well, it could be useful, couldn’t it? :-)

Graham

]]> By: Graham Davies http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-3010 Graham Davies Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:10:00 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-3010 And now I've just read that Ed Balls has declared that all children should be allowed to study Mandarin under a Government plan to resurrect foreign languages in schools: Daily Telegraph, 4 January 2010: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6931688/Mandarin-for-all-pupils-says-Ed-Balls.html Well, it could be useful, couldn't it? :-) Graham And now I’ve just read that Ed Balls has declared that all children should be allowed to study Mandarin under a Government plan to resurrect foreign languages in schools:

Daily Telegraph, 4 January 2010:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6931688/Mandarin-for-all-pupils-says-Ed-Balls.html

Well, it could be useful, couldn’t it? :-)

Graham

]]> By: Graham Davies http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-1843 Graham Davies Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:02:52 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-1843 I did postgraduate research on medieval German literature. I read medieval German fluently but I have never met a medieval German with whom I could practise speaking. I was just interested in the language and its literature. I don't entirely agree with José re perceived usefulness, although I believe he has a point. Learning a language is an intellectual challenge, it exercises the brain and gives one insights into intercultural understanding. But finding a need to study a language is probably what drives people on to master it. English is perceived as useful, indeed essential, by most Europeans, which is the main reason why they learn it so well. Most people in this country don't perceive a need to learn a foreign language, and this is confirmed when they travel abroad and find that English is spoken widely in most tourist resorts. Graham I did postgraduate research on medieval German literature. I read medieval German fluently but I have never met a medieval German with whom I could practise speaking. I was just interested in the language and its literature.

I don’t entirely agree with José re perceived usefulness, although I believe he has a point. Learning a language is an intellectual challenge, it exercises the brain and gives one insights into intercultural understanding. But finding a need to study a language is probably what drives people on to master it. English is perceived as useful, indeed essential, by most Europeans, which is the main reason why they learn it so well. Most people in this country don’t perceive a need to learn a foreign language, and this is confirmed when they travel abroad and find that English is spoken widely in most tourist resorts.

Graham

]]> By: Graham Davies http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-3009 Graham Davies Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:02:00 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-3009 I did postgraduate research on medieval German literature. I read medieval German fluently but I have never met a medieval German with whom I could practise speaking. I was just interested in the language and its literature. I don't entirely agree with José re perceived usefulness, although I believe he has a point. Learning a language is an intellectual challenge, it exercises the brain and gives one insights into intercultural understanding. But finding a need to study a language is probably what drives people on to master it. English is perceived as useful, indeed essential, by most Europeans, which is the main reason why they learn it so well. Most people in this country don't perceive a need to learn a foreign language, and this is confirmed when they travel abroad and find that English is spoken widely in most tourist resorts. Graham I did postgraduate research on medieval German literature. I read medieval German fluently but I have never met a medieval German with whom I could practise speaking. I was just interested in the language and its literature.

I don’t entirely agree with José re perceived usefulness, although I believe he has a point. Learning a language is an intellectual challenge, it exercises the brain and gives one insights into intercultural understanding. But finding a need to study a language is probably what drives people on to master it. English is perceived as useful, indeed essential, by most Europeans, which is the main reason why they learn it so well. Most people in this country don’t perceive a need to learn a foreign language, and this is confirmed when they travel abroad and find that English is spoken widely in most tourist resorts.

Graham

]]> By: Mary http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-1839 Mary Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:12:43 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-1839 True - I mean - I never went to study Norwegian thinking it might be in any way useful - and indeed, it has been of no use to me whatsoever -but I absolutely loved learning it :) True – I mean – I never went to study Norwegian thinking it might be in any way useful – and indeed, it has been of no use to me whatsoever -but I absolutely loved learning it :)

]]> By: Mary http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615&cpage=1#comment-3008 Mary Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:12:00 +0000 http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1615#comment-3008 True - I mean - I never went to study Norwegian thinking it might be in any way useful - and indeed, it has been of no use to me whatsoever -but I absolutely loved learning it :) True – I mean – I never went to study Norwegian thinking it might be in any way useful – and indeed, it has been of no use to me whatsoever -but I absolutely loved learning it :)

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