Article for reflection #1, reflection in comments
Teach Punjabi in Calgary schools, group urges
Last Updated: Monday, November 15, 2010 | 10:50 AM MT
CBC News
A Punjabi organization says the language should be taught in Calgary public schools.
An organization is pushing for Punjabi language training to be made available in Calgary public schools. (CBC)Members of the Punjabi Writers Association met with community leaders on Sunday to try to generate support for the idea before they make a formal request to the Calgary Board of Education.
"We are trying to introduce Punjabi as a language alternative to young people, so when they grow up, they have another language skill they can use in their work life and private life," said Mohinder Pal, who speaks for the group.
Calgary's public school board requires students to study a second language starting in Grade 4. The options include French, Spanish, German, Mandarin and Cree.
Punjabi is the fourth most commonly spoken language in Canada behind English, French and Mandarin, and is spoken by about 50,000 people in Calgary.
While the plan is to make Punjabi classes open to students from any background, organizer Mohinder Pal said even some Punjabi children would benefit from formal classes.
"I have two grown boys. As they were at school, they didn't feel the need for Punjabi. As they went to work in society — one of them sells condos — he's finding more and more the need to know Punjabi language," Pal said.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/11/15/calgary-punjabi-school-classes-language.html#ixzz15NuIMvn6
This article speaks about what languages should be taught in public schools in Calgary. It is said in the article that at most Calgary schools they offer the option to learn English, French, German, Mandarin, Spanish, and Cree as a second language. Now if you look at most Ontario and Quebec public schools around where we live right now, one can learn either English or French, and perhaps take an option in Spanish. I believe that in a public school level, these three languages are enough considering the course load that the students are given. Perhaps if studying in languages or something in cegep or college than all of these options should be present, but wanting the offer yet another language Punjabi just seems like a little much to me. Without a doubt more focus is going to be put on students learning English, chemistry and math before they go on to learn a third or forth language. Students also don't know which of these languages are going to benefit them more in the future and may feel that at the time of public school that these languages may even be thought of as useless. I feel that more emphasis should be put on the core course groups and then the languages can come after once the students actually know what they want to do in life.
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