'We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us' - chicano quoted about three minutes ago on CBC radio ... morning's programme all articles on areas of the US
'Talk about going way too far with bilingual-- ' - actually it's reversion to unilingual, through lack of education resources or poor quality teaching, the 'competition between schools' she mentions, taking the easy way out, whatever, it's not adequate schooling ... minimum standard everywhere should be bilingual fluency, imho .... and for reasons far beyond their immediate utility in the various regions - obviously spanish is basic to much of the US, english to all of it, fr/eng both basic to Canada, but chinese, german, japanese, russian, arabic and a hundred others would be of great value .... which value lies in the two languages together in the same mind ... and to get those two thoroughly, the roots must be to some extent explored, so with all european languages you need a little latin, and arguably less greek
A major reason for the second tongue - you only really get to know the first from outside looking back in |
