Mohsen al-Suwaidy from Qatar:
The answer to this question really depends on the mother language we are talking about and how strong it is among its speakers and mainly their attachment to it. Generally speaking, teaching in two languages is - in most of the cases – is not harmful. After all, you cannot forget that the mother language is spoken in the house and it should be exceptionally weak in order feel a threat from outsiders.
However, one should take into consideration that not all students have either the readiness, the ability or the facility to learn in a foreign tongue.
That being said if you impose a foreign on a child, that would cause frustration and disappointment.
As a native Arabic speaker, I don’t find it harmful if we give scientific lessons in English. Our Arabic culture and tradition would not be effected at all because of the medium of instruction, and I can say firmly that no other language on earth can beat ours, not because it is the language of the Qur’an that God promised to preserve forever, but because Arabic has the ability to include all scientific expressions.
The parents in house have a decisive role in this process to keep the identity of the child.
Not only that we have to expose ourselves to other languages, but also encourage talented children to translate books from other languages into Arabic.
It is true that many developed countries like Germany, Japan and France impart education in their own languages. We respect and understand their attitude.
Click here to read views of four others.
Gulf-Times.com © 2008-2009
April 25, 2009
QATAR: A Question of Culture - Five Viewpoints on Languages to Teach the Young
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DOHA, Qatar / Gulf Times / April 25, 2009
Is education in mother tongue important for a child?
Mohsen al-Suwaidy from Qatar, Noorullah Basha Safdar from India, Maite Naudan from France, Edriss Taleb Ahmed from Morocco and Aicha Oudjet From Canada/Algeria give their viewpoints on this important aspect of life in different cultural backgrounds.
Mohsen al-Suwaidy from Qatar:
The answer to this question really depends on the mother language we are talking about and how strong it is among its speakers and mainly their attachment to it. Generally speaking, teaching in two languages is - in most of the cases – is not harmful. After all, you cannot forget that the mother language is spoken in the house and it should be exceptionally weak in order feel a threat from outsiders.
However, one should take into consideration that not all students have either the readiness, the ability or the facility to learn in a foreign tongue.
That being said if you impose a foreign on a child, that would cause frustration and disappointment.
As a native Arabic speaker, I don’t find it harmful if we give scientific lessons in English. Our Arabic culture and tradition would not be effected at all because of the medium of instruction, and I can say firmly that no other language on earth can beat ours, not because it is the language of the Qur’an that God promised to preserve forever, but because Arabic has the ability to include all scientific expressions.
The parents in house have a decisive role in this process to keep the identity of the child.
Not only that we have to expose ourselves to other languages, but also encourage talented children to translate books from other languages into Arabic.
It is true that many developed countries like Germany, Japan and France impart education in their own languages. We respect and understand their attitude.
Click here to read views of four others.
Gulf-Times.com © 2008-2009
Mohsen al-Suwaidy from Qatar:
The answer to this question really depends on the mother language we are talking about and how strong it is among its speakers and mainly their attachment to it. Generally speaking, teaching in two languages is - in most of the cases – is not harmful. After all, you cannot forget that the mother language is spoken in the house and it should be exceptionally weak in order feel a threat from outsiders.
However, one should take into consideration that not all students have either the readiness, the ability or the facility to learn in a foreign tongue.
That being said if you impose a foreign on a child, that would cause frustration and disappointment.
As a native Arabic speaker, I don’t find it harmful if we give scientific lessons in English. Our Arabic culture and tradition would not be effected at all because of the medium of instruction, and I can say firmly that no other language on earth can beat ours, not because it is the language of the Qur’an that God promised to preserve forever, but because Arabic has the ability to include all scientific expressions.
The parents in house have a decisive role in this process to keep the identity of the child.
Not only that we have to expose ourselves to other languages, but also encourage talented children to translate books from other languages into Arabic.
It is true that many developed countries like Germany, Japan and France impart education in their own languages. We respect and understand their attitude.
Click here to read views of four others.
Gulf-Times.com © 2008-2009
