Dear Foxy,

<<Australian school children would be required to learn an Asian language under a proposal put forward by Julie Bishop.>>

If only forcing children to learn something they don't want had the same penalties as forcing them into sexual activities... I am pretty confident that many children, if given the choice between those two evils would have preferred the latter.

So Ms. Bishop, to fulfil her ambitions, effectively wants to rape children en mass, day in and day out, doing to their brains what paedophiles would do to their genitals. Having been thus treated, would it be a wonder if the first thing those children do when grown, will be to distance themselves from their molesters and leave Australia for good? This will be the only "benefit" which Ms. Bishop will reap when all her ambitions go up in smoke. A lengthy time in prison would be more appropriate for her.

Hi there FOXY...

A great topic, thank you. I say this with the greatest degree of sincerity FOXY - I'd like to see 'English' taught or re-taught, in our schools !

Having being placed in the invidious position of teaching and marking examination papers on law subjects in our Academy. I was astonished at the number of (adult) people, who were unable to reproduce a number of pages, of chrononologies, in answer form, in a clear and concise manner.

These people ostensibly, held a degree ? Most couldn't transcribe even basic conversational language, without a plethora of spelling errors ? There was little evidence that any of them had an understanding of syntax or punctuation etc. Yet as I said earlier, these people were graduates from eminent Australian Universities ?

When questioned, most replied; at University little weight was placed on our spelling or punctuation, rather they were marked more on their deductive or reasoning processes ? Well I was stunned, I really was ?

Ms Bishop is completely wrong on this topic, as I stated ages ago on this very forum. Take a heap of teenage boys, working class, not academically gifted, which is the bulk of kids. Sit them down and force them to learn something in which they have absolutely no interest and can see no purpose, week after week, month after month. Next you will express surprise when they bunk school, have no interest, cause trouble, act rebellious, leave school as soon as possible.

They tried to force me to learn French and the above is exactly what we did. Had you let them read books about cars, engines, or other topics which might interest them, you would likely have enthusiastic scholars! Next you wonder why they are rebelling and don't even notice that it is grown ups claiming to know best, who are the problem.

Spot on, Yabby.

"What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child."

George Bernard Shaw

The "cultural exchange" with Asians is entirely one way.
A guy I know went to Japan in the mid 90's on a one year deal to teach English, he ended up staying almost 15 years and marrying a Japanese woman. He barely spoke a word of Japanese when he arrived and even after 15 years living full time in Osaka he quickly hit a glass ceiling, he couldn't get a decent paying job and get ahead because even though he was fluent in Japanese he wasn't a native speaker and most importantly wasn't Japanese by birth.
None of his Japanese friends would vouch for him or go into business with him, as a westerner he was seen as a liability because of the racial prejudices of the Japanese establishment.
He and his wife returned to Melbourne in 2010 but even though she spoke excellent English she hated it here and left him after only six months, he ended up with nothing to show for his 15 years abroad save for a divorce and a fluency in a useless foreign language so he went back to his former, meagre existence doing extra work for TV and bartending.

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Dear Foxy,

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Thank you for your kind New Year wishes. Please accept mine in return for you and yours. May all your wishes come true.

As you are perhaps aware, I live in Paris and while the French are very shy about speaking English, most of them understand it fairly well because a foreign language is compulsory in France right from kindergarden (age 3 to 5) where the foreign language taught is invariably English . This obligation carries-on through primary school (age 6 to 10). Then in college (age 11 to 14), midway through (age 13 to 14), a second foreign language becomes compulsory. Traditionally, the better students take German as their second foreign language. The others take other European languages such as Spanish or Italian. Though, over the past few years, Mandarin is becoming more and more prevalent as the second language.

Students then go on to lycée (age 15 to 17) where two foreign languages remain compulsory, students having the choice of languages limited only by whatever languages the particular school they attend has to offer. Not all schools, whether public, private or public-subsidised private (mainly Catholic) schools offer the same languages. At present, not all colleges and lycées in France are able to offer Mandarin.

Having worked as a globe trotter in international business for half a century, living outside of Australia all that time, I appreciate the cultural value of being immersed in different languages, customs, cultures and legal environments. I find it extremely enriching from a purely personal, perhaps I should say human, point of view. Naturally, it is an advantage to be able to converse with potential business partners in their mother tongue but, to me, that is just the tip of the iceberg. There is much more to it than that.

I think it is important for Australia which is still very much a European nation, despite its growing Asian population, to acclimatise itself with its Asian environment. Cultivating understanding is a prerequisite to harmonious relationships.

It is not necessary to “love thy neighbour”. It is crucial to understand him.

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