02-14-2011 17:08. By Robert J. Fouser

Language education policy rarely attracts headlines in Korea or elsewhere. English education policy makes the news on and off in Korea, but news about other languages is rare. This is regrettable because the language education policy needs greater coordination so that it can effectively promote individual development and the national interest.

An overview of the current situation reveals the lack of coordination. Two languages are required in the elementary school through the first-year of high school: Korean and English. Both languages are also an important component of the university entrance examination.

Korean is required as the national language and dominates the early years of elementary school education. Literacy in Korean, the native language of nearly all students, is essential for success in all school learning. This is similar to most other countries in the world where literacy in native and national languages is required for success in the educational system.

English has been required from third grade of elementary school since 1997; previously, it began in middle school. Like Korean, English has been required since 1945, though the reason has not always been as clear. Currently, the main reason appears to be promoting national competitiveness in an increasingly globalizing economy.
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Sun Feb. 06 2011 2:18:04 PM. The Canadian Press

Conservative MP Maxime Bernier has issued a lengthy statement explaining his opposition to Quebec’s language laws, saying he won’t be silenced by insults and mockery.

The former federal cabinet minister has been excoriated by Quebec politicians and pundits since telling a Halifax radio station on Friday that Quebecers don’t need Bill 101, the province’s landmark language legislation.

But Bernier has responded by going even further — today, on his personal blog, he published a long note in French and English explaining his opposition to a law that, in Quebec, has been considered sacrosanct by the political class for more than three decades.

Bernier says it’s important for Quebec to remain a predominantly French-language society, but that shouldn’t be achieved by restricting people’s rights and freedom of choice.

The 1977 legislation, which limited English on street signs and access to English public schools, is often credited with saving the French language from decline in the province.
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14 Julio 10 – Madrid

La Comisión de Reglamento del Senado aprobó ayer la propuesta de reforma sobre el uso de las lenguas cooficiales en la actividad de la Cámara Alta, que la semana que viene deberá ser ratificada por completo en el Pleno. Durante el debate, además, salió adelante una enmienda transaccional firmada por PSOE, Entesa, CiU, PNV y Grupo Mixto que establece, entre otras medidas, que los senadores puedan intervenir en el Pleno, con ocasión del debate de las mociones, en cualquiera de las lenguas que tengan el carácter de cooficial en el conjunto de España, informa Servimedia.

La propuesta de modificación señala que estas medidas serán efectivas a partir del 1 de enero de 2011 y que no supondrá incremento del gasto. El grupo socialista también apuntó al respecto que el uso de las lenguas cooficiales en el seno del Parlamento de España debe quedar limitado al Senado, cuya definición constitucional como Cámara territorial ampara el acogimiento en su seno de la pluralidad lingüística.

El PP, único partido que no apoyó la iniciativa, acusó a los socialistas de cambiar de posición con los años y de aceptar esta propuesta por «debilidad» ante los nacionalistas.

Source: http://www.larazon.es/noticia/9725-el-senado-aprueba-el-uso-de-las-lenguas-cooficiales

By BRYN WEESE, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU. Last Updated: July 12, 2010 6:44pm

OTTAWA – Canada’s official languages czar has launched an investigation into the federal government’s decision to make filling out the long-form questionnaire on the 2011 Census voluntary – not mandatory.

Graham Fraser announced his investigation into Industry Canada’s decision Monday.

“It is extremely important to see whether the government respected its obligations under the Official Languages Act when it made this decision,”

Fraser said in a news statement. “When it comes to making decisions on offering services in both official languages and to evaluating the size of official language communities, information about people’s mother tongue, language spoken in the home and knowledge of both official languages are all used.” Fraser said he’s particularly concerned that making the long-form census questionnaire no longer mandatory could have an “impact” on the “vitality” of official languages communities and the application of the Official Languages Act.

“The short-form questionnaire asks only about mother tongue, which would see some people, especially newcomers, effectively counted out,” Fraser warned.

Fraser called the Census a “credible” and “critical tool” for assessing the size of Canada’s official languages communities.
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June 24, 2010
YEREVAN — The Armenian parliament has given preliminary approval to controversial amendments that would allow for foreign-language schools in the country, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports.

The National Assembly adopted the legislation on first reading by 71 to 13 votes, with one abstention, despite continuing protests outside the parliament by the most vocal opponents of the measure.

A leader of the assembly’s progovernment majority indicated that officials will not rush to have the bill adopted in the second and final reading and are ready to make additional changes to it.

Galust Sahakian, a senior deputy from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), told RFE/RL that the final parliamentary debates on the issue will not take place before the autumn.

“The key thing is not to harm our native language and the linguistic mentality of Armenian children, but at the same time to make sure we can integrate into the world’s educational systems,” said Sahakian.

The government has already twice watered down amendments to laws on public education and language in the face of fierce criticism from opposition groups, prominent intellectuals, and other public figures who regard them as a serious threat to the Armenian language, the country’s sole official language.

The current version of the bill allows only two full-fledged foreign-language schools in the country, which must be privately owned.
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In what may be a first in Minnesota, a Lino Lakes city council member says a controversial proposal to make English the city’s official language would save the city money.

If the proposal was approved, all documents would be printed in English only.

If a resident needed it translated, they’d pay for the translation, not the city.

City Council Member Dave Roeser says it’s expensive for a small city to accommodate multiple languages.

However Chuck Samuelson with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) calls the proposal bad public policy.

The city council could vote on the proposal in the next month.

Source: http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1530754.shtml?cat=1

Elisa Álvarez SANTIAGO/LA VOZ. 9/6/2010

La Consellería de Educación ha comenzado a desarrollar el decreto del plurilingüismo publicado en el Diario Oficial de Galicia el 25 de mayo enviando a los centros educativos el cuestionario que deben cubrir los padres cuyos hijos comiencen el primer curso de educación infantil. En él especificarán cuál es la lengua materna del menor, y la que resulte mayoritaria será la que se utilice con carácter general durante los tres años que dura esta etapa.

El cuestionario, que consiste en una sola pregunta, interroga en un perfecto bilingüismo sobre «cal é a lingua materna do seu fillo ou filla». Este impreso puede recogerse tanto en las secretarías de los centros educativos como en las jefaturas territoriales de cada provincia, o incluso descargarse en la página web de la consellería. Las familias cuyos hijos cursen primero de infantil -más de veinte mil según las estadísticas del curso actual- deberán entregar el cuestionario cubierto en la secretaría del colegio entre el 20 y el 30 de este mes, coincidiendo con el plazo de matrícula.

La lengua que resulte predominante en esta encuesta se mantendrá durante todo el ciclo, y afectará también a aquellos niños que se incorporen al centro con cuatro o con cinco años. Los que ahora mismo ya están en la etapa de infantil mantendrán hasta finalizar el ciclo el idioma predominante utilizado durante este curso.

El BNG mostró su rechazo por que la Xunta siga adelante con una medida que ha sido calificada por el Consello Consultivo como ilegal. Carme Adán y Bieito Lobeira preguntaron a la consellería si sabe que puede cometer una ilegalidad con esta consulta y sobre el presupuesto que le va a dedicar. Además, los nacionalistas preguntan cuál es el significado de «lingua materna predominante».
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