tin2jc  +  29593 Tue, 11 May 04 08:18 PM What are the pros and cons of bilingual education? I'm having a difficult time choosing a side. HELP! Some people believe overturning bilingual education has less to do with helping children, and more to do with the political and cultural fears of its opponents....Can anyone go into these issues of social status and political power? tin2jc Joined on Tue, May 11 2004 New Member 01

	Mike in Japan  +  29608 Wed, 12 May 04 01:49 AM Hi Tin2jc, Welcome to the Forums. An interesting subject for sure, but I have to confess I have only read a little about it. I am curious as to what you mean by 'overturning bilingual education', can you explain please? Cheers Mike in Japan Joined on Tue, Aug 19 2003 Senior Member 4,371 I do like to be beside the seaside

	Tracy  +  30537 Fri, 21 May 04 10:20 AM i think it will be a good thing if people make full use of it in a right way. children who received this kind of education can hold a broader view of world, and understand different culture...., which will be useful in their future life. But they must learn their mother tongue first. what about other's opinion? Tracy Joined on Sat, May 15 2004 Full Member 134

	hitchhiker  +  30553 Fri, 21 May 04 12:59 PM I live in Malta, everybody here speaks 3 languages (Maltese, English and Italian) - It's impressive and makes me (as a Brit) feel terribly uneducated. I've also heard somewhere that it aides certain areas of the brain's development at an early stage. Good idea all round! What political / social fears are you talking about? hitchhiker Joined on Mon, Nov 18 2002 Richmond, UK Senior Member 4,034 Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea - massive, difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind-boggling amounts of excrement... Malta

	maj  +  30586 Fri, 21 May 04 04:50 PM I think the best thing is to grow up speaking as many languages as you possibly can. Not only is that good for potential jobs but it also broadens your mind, and gives you a different perspective of the world. maj Joined on Mon, Mar 31 2003 Senior Member 4,756

	Tracy  +  30648 Sat, 22 May 04 08:24 AM how many languages can you speak? could you tell us some secret about learning so many language? Thank you very much! Tracy

	Minnaloushe-Q  +  30953 Tue, 25 May 04 04:48 PM Quite a while ago people used to think bilingualism was bad for a child as it 'could be damaging to children by adding an addtional cognitive load in their formative years.' But now i think pretty much everyone think it is a good thing. Especially when researches show that it might actually be good for their cognitive development because it allows children to realise more quickly that words are merely abritrary symbols. :P Well it's definately a plus when it comes to looking for a job. Minnaloushe-Q Joined on Mon, May 24 2004 Melbourne New Member 14 Minnaloushe creeps through the grass Alone, important and wise, And lifts to the changing moon His changing eyes.

	Aileen  +  32253 Sun, 06 Jun 04 08:24 PM I want to learn French because it sounds so wonderful and I dream about spending time traveling. Regarding bilingual education, I don’t have any foreign language skill at all, apart from a la carte Chinese (number 46 sweet ‘n sour, number 3 boiled rice, number 33 dim sum!! It just so happens that I found something in the newspaper about this very topic. Let’s see if I can summarise (I can smell a term paper!!!. If people had wanted to remain immersed in their old culture, they could have done so without coming to America. . . . Bilingualism keeps people actively tied to their old language and habits and maximizes the cost of the transition to becoming American. . . . The only viable alternative for the American underclass is American civilization. Without English as a common language, there is no such civilization. This viewpoint has commonsense appeal, but it has little foundation in reality. And so on If you want term-paper ideas, then give me a little wave darlin’ Aileen Joined on Fri, May 28 2004 Full Member 252