The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
29 April 2008
The government yesterday expressed its plans to make English language the medium of teaching and learning in schools starting from primary to tertiary levels, but warned that the move could be delayed due to lack of competent English teachers.
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It is relatively easy to take the moral highground on English as an international medium! No argument agains the Esperanto purity======just with the logistics of making it happen.
Imagine trying to rejig the whole world on the basis of PC ethos alone!
In other words - the world's systems are not perfect and the issue of English maybe among them........but it works and has improved countless lives.
Of course for speakers of other world tongues like Hindi and Mandarin I have some sympathy (and relief) that their language is not the international linguistic currency - but they have the superiority of at least knowing English as well as......not (as most Brits do) instead of......their own tongue.
Oh - in case anyone feels the need for snide 'let's bring it down to my level' approaches.........I have been a TEFL teacher for schools, charities, regional development agencies, local governments and socially disadvantaged group although I must admit - only for 30 years and in 11 countries and, sadly I do not count Esperanto among my skills - though I do have some small talents in French, Spanish - oh, and Russian as I lived there for 14 years.
So - I hope pragmatism wins out in the dizzy statosphere of linguistic elitism Minad
English really cannot be the language of the future, on grounds of "linguistic imperialism"
Only a non-national language, such as Esperanto can be the long-term solution. Esperanto has realistic possibilities.
If in doubt please check http://www.Esperanto.net