- Joined
- Dec 22, 2003
- Messages
- 3,351
I was sat in a hospital waiting room the other day whilst wife was being poked and prodded, and in walks a mother with her young son. She wasn't much older than me - 30 at most, and had a slight south african twang to her voice. Her child, 3 years old tops.
I took an instant dislike to the young lady, something I do with many South Africans until they prove unlike the cocky arrogant gits so many are. Not racist or anything - just cultural differences that make many of them appear like this.
She then started playing word games with her child, sounding out letters and basic 3 letter words as well as some simple and common longer words - please, thank you, hello, goodbye, offering encouragement and congratulation all the way - the boy was good. Then she started the same again - in French. And the boy repeated it, some off the cuff, word by word, letter by letter, and I sat there in admiration and awe.
From then I've wondered really what the English are lacking in education. All over Europe, these kids are taught English alongside their mother tongue from this early age and in the most cases this is very evident. I've been on Quakenet for 10 years now, and had been support staff for 6 of them, and the standard of english as a second language was often better than most English people.
So what are the English lacking? I can only start to blame things like taking it too slowly at nursery-infant levels, Tellytubbies and the like, but the difference between the average european and the average English person is astonishing in this manner.
Apologies for the serious thread, we don't get many - but I'm just rather curious, and knowing we have some europeans as part of our community and others who will know how the education system works elsewhere - might be able to find some answers.
Now -
I took an instant dislike to the young lady, something I do with many South Africans until they prove unlike the cocky arrogant gits so many are. Not racist or anything - just cultural differences that make many of them appear like this.
She then started playing word games with her child, sounding out letters and basic 3 letter words as well as some simple and common longer words - please, thank you, hello, goodbye, offering encouragement and congratulation all the way - the boy was good. Then she started the same again - in French. And the boy repeated it, some off the cuff, word by word, letter by letter, and I sat there in admiration and awe.
From then I've wondered really what the English are lacking in education. All over Europe, these kids are taught English alongside their mother tongue from this early age and in the most cases this is very evident. I've been on Quakenet for 10 years now, and had been support staff for 6 of them, and the standard of english as a second language was often better than most English people.
So what are the English lacking? I can only start to blame things like taking it too slowly at nursery-infant levels, Tellytubbies and the like, but the difference between the average european and the average English person is astonishing in this manner.
Apologies for the serious thread, we don't get many - but I'm just rather curious, and knowing we have some europeans as part of our community and others who will know how the education system works elsewhere - might be able to find some answers.
Now -