Cultural Differences between China and the U.S.A. Essay Example for Free

Cultural Differences between China and the U.S.A. Essay China and the United States have different cultural backgrounds, different values and national conditions, it determines the Sino-US education idea, education mode and method is put in the difference with bigger. Chinas basic education and basic education in the United States were compared, the majority of people believe that education is the foundation of China, the basic education, learn more understanding and less; American education is to cultivate innovation ability education, learning more than studying. What is the science or Enlightenment? In twentieth Century, the famous British mathematician, philosopher, educator Whitehead once said: education is a complicated problem On this issue there is only a little I can be sure, that is not generally applicable and simple way. Each student in the school s development, it is not only the educational mode, education content, education system and method to decide, because in the growth of the students, society, family, school education and individual four together play. Therefore, we can not only with the part of the students development, to assert that the entire education system rationality, so it is unreasonable. Two the difference of basic education between China and America Basic education between China and America merits, different people hold no point of view. For example, if the comparison is the mathematical curriculum, China s basic education must exceed the United States; but if the comparison of students practical ability especially the practice ability and innovation ability, the American basic education is certainly more than chinese. Elementary education between America and why there is this discrepancy? First, the two countries have very different educational tradition, Chinese basic education pay attention to the accumulation of knowledge and indoctrination, pay attention to the cultivation of students knowledge of their master, pay attention to the cultivation of students the same thinking. While the United States is to pay attention to the training of students to use the knowledge to solve the actual problem ability, pay attention to the cultivation of the students knowledge of development and innovation, pay attention to the cultivation of students critical thinking and divergent thinking. We can see, China Education focused on knowledge static acceptance, and the United States of America education focuses on knowledge of the dynamic control; China is a mode of education, while the United States is a kind of elite education. As the Nobel winner professor Chen Ning Yang said, China and the United States educational philosophy is quite different, the United States of America education philosophy on the former 30%-40% student is good, because they do not need to follow the prescribed order of learning, can jump in learning, the students through training can quickly achieve success. While Chinese education philosophy on 30%-40% student is good, because these students follow the prescribed order, has a solid foundation of the process, have become the opportunity. Secondly, different country on the foundation stage of Education Foundation has different understanding. Take mathematics as an example, the educational circles of China have historically considered, the basic concept and the basic operation is the foundation of mathematics in middle school, so we need to remember a lot of formulas and theorems. While the United States that know where to find these theorems and formulas are more important, they think that can be found in these formulas and theorems, there is no need to worry effort to memory, the brain can be saved to think about other things, such as the theorem has applications? If I need to learn? Wait. Chinas education is the basis of that, the brain in a computer independent premise, the reserve knowledge as much as possible, as quickly as possible to extract knowledge, so Chinese students of the brain in these two aspects are fully trained ( on the end game wood, 2002). American education is the basis of that, the brain to make full use of the computer under the premise of development, give up those belonging to the computer work area required capacity, only those belonging to the computer cannot work areas required capacity ( on the end game wood, 2002). Therefore, when by virtue of classroom achievement scholarship, American students often than Chinese students, but can make full use of information tools, in specific practice areas, do some research work, Chinese students often than American students. Hence, in the development of brain underlying function, Chinese education better, but in the use of a variety of information tools to solve problems and make innovation, the United States educational advantage is self-evident. Moreover, from the value tropism, the American basic education from the perspective of individualism, individual supreme is the traditional value pursuit, American basic education of cultivating the students personality and creativity. Basic education in China is from social interests, collectivism and patriotism values is its tradition of the pursuit of value, which determines that Chinas basic education carried by the individual ability and the training of creative ability are also and values related to. This and the American individualism education a fundamental distinction. For example, the concrete teaching activity, the United States to encourage students to have their own ideas, teachers in the teaching process, pay attention to the students independent personalized thinking habits, pay attention to the students divergent thinking and critical thinking of the culture, politics, religion, history and many other aspects of the many problems teachers are prohibited to provide the only correct the answer, encourage a variety of different views exist, against the teacher instead of students thinking. China education focusing on the same thinking, when the examination, assessment focus is often the students knowledge, objective test almost flooded in the sciences, inspects the student to answer whether the test standard and consistent answers, the side guide students and teachers to set the only answer to be consistent, so the result is the most students rely on Teachers thinking and teaching. This and the United States banned from providing the only answer is quite different. The United States of America education emphasizes individual, Chinese education emphasizes respect love others. The ancients cloud, respect for nature love herself, not nurture. So we think, Chinese basic education relative to the United States of America s individualistic education, superior and more. Chinese basic education should be guaranteed in the standard of society under the premise of the pursuit of individual students and innovation ability the development of maximization. Finally, China s basic education attaches importance to the sound of the United States, and a plurality of Chinese education; education pay attention to the longitudinal depth, while the United States Education attention span; the United States of America education pay attention to cultivate students self-confidence and self-reliance spirit, Chinese education pay attention to cultivate students strict and rigorous academic attitude. The United States of America corresponding, a loose, free atmosphere, can fully take care of every student interest and the hobby; while the Chinese basic education is dull. Basic education in China is characterized by fast speed, high degree of difficulty, knowledge of many points, the high degree of abstraction, often the United States a week about the content of China, ten minutes can be finished, and students have the pressure of the college entrance examination, relative to foreign countries, students by pressure, quoting professor Chen Ning Yang s words Chinese education narrow stiff. From the above we can see, China, in the education idea, education mode and method, there is a great difference. China s education is more a model of education; and the United States of America focuses on emphasizing the innovation spirit, individualism, is a kind of elite education. In essence, focusing on innovation or focus on the foundation is an American basic education and basic education in China the fundamental difference. As the Nobel winner professor Chen Ning Yang said, China and the United States of America Education Foundation, cannot tell which one is good, which one is not good, be it differs from man to man. In the teaching process, for Chinese students, they should have more innovation, for American students, should let them lay a good foundation, it can compensate for each other, is the most appropriate. Three thinking American education is to the East, began to seize a base. In 2001 June, the United States President Bush proposed an education reform bill, $24000000000 in primary and secondary schools to strengthen the education investment and management, requires that all schools must hold the reading test ( approximate Chinese examination ) and math exam, students must pass the examination before graduation, only students meet the eligibility requirements, the school to receive federal extra government funding. If 3 consecutive unqualified, principals and teachers to leave. The bill got through to absolute advantage. Comparison of reference only, can only draw lessons from, in order to improve. The United States has acted, we should also take action. As can be seen, the United States of America s elementary education reform focuses on the basis of innovation in bridge foundation. China s basic education traditionally focus too much on the cultivation of students Collectivism, patriotism and common thinking, without adequate attention to the cultivation of students personality and creativity, so the education of our country should be based on the basis of the increase in innovation. ( a ) curriculum and course requirements We should give full consideration to the child and adolescent students physical, mental and psychological development stage, progressive. Different students should have different learning tasks, can not be one-sided pursuit of knowledge and too many courses, to know that knowledge is endless, the source of knowledge is very rich, cant put the eye only to lock in the textbook, should give students leave enough space for development, to those who have expertise students with adequate development of individualized freedom, as they provide sufficient superior conditions and the necessary learning guidance, so that more of Qian Zhongshus birth. The United States is not the national curriculum standards, but states, counties or districts can compile curriculum standard. From look on the whole, the United States of America curriculum is quite flexible, mainly including compulsory courses and elective classes two categories. Required courses for credit is more, content is wide but not deep, emphasize the students practical ability, thinking ability and awareness of the problem, to solve the question ability. Elective course of many types, are based mainly on students, employment and social life of the actual need, students according to their own interest in free to choose, to obtain the required credits. So we think, our country in the setting of curriculum time completely should learn from the American experience, emphasize the foundation of life, pay attention to life experience, guide multivariate development, more from the needs of society and students survival needs to consider, setting conforms to our country national curriculum standard. ( two) teaching material Chinese teaching material relative to the United States, is boring. Take the United States of Literature, the contents of the article are novels, short stories, essays and other kinds of themes, but, each subject by a number of different age, different types of styles of different articles. The article, with background reports, authors and other related content. In addition, each lesson has special column has associated the literature Web site, thereby facilitating students extracurricular reading. Many foreign genre, content is wide, it is domestic Chinese textbook can match. Therefore, we can draw lessons from the United States of America teaching material on knowledge widen, the contempt of the depth of knowledge of excessive mining; attach importance to the students practice ability, practical ability training, the contempt of the knowledge of the rote learning; pay attention to students learning autonomy, independence and creativity cultivation, despise the same thinking too much training, so as to our teaching materials, arrangement of reform. At the same time, the United States of America textbook illustrations, vivid image, in our textbook layout can also absorb it to this experience. ( three) the classroom teaching Our classroom teaching, classroom capacity, demand is high, the classroom atmosphere more serious. Although this gives students lay a solid system foundation, but also brought inactive classroom, teacher, student thinking less defects, typical teacher-centered teaching mode, and the United States of America free, relaxed classroom atmosphere, students can walk freely during the class, free discussion, to express own viewpoint, is a typical student centered teaching mode. Therefore, we can draw lessons from the United States of America s absorption of education mode, form Chinese characteristic education pattern, which is put forward by Professor He Kekang dominated subject education mode, to improve the traditional classroom teaching, improve the students enthusiasm and initiative, to cultivate the students creative thinking and divergent thinking. The specific measures are as follows: First of all, optimize the teaching goals. According to the needs of social development, developed to meet the needs of social development, meet the future employment needs of specific teaching objectives, and formulate the corresponding evaluation scheme, to ensure the teaching objectives of the implementation. Secondly, adjust the structure of classroom. Outstanding students as the main body, autonomous learning, free development idea, overcome students hello eat teaching phenomenon. Then, strengthen teaching methods. To follow through induction, guide correctly, improve students questions, the practical ability to solve problems, teachers should change their roles from the traditional preaching, impart knowledge and solve doubts are transformed into organizer, promoter, by management as a guide, the relationship between teachers and students should be converted to partners. At the same time, the teacher in the teaching process, pay attention to the use of suitable for the courses of various teaching mode of application, such as inquiry-based learning, Blended Learning. Finally, to create a good teaching environment. To establish harmonious relationship between teachers and students, to the students to create a good, harmonious, free study atmosphere. To encourage the learning and the use of modern information technology, the research and production of computer auxiliary teaching courseware, improving the quality of teaching, at the same time, make full use of the school to provide the digital learning environment, in the teaching process can realize the information technology and curriculum integration. ( four) other aspects In strengthening the above aspects at the same time, but also to improve the treatment of teachers, strengthening the teachers team construction; increase the investment in education, improve school conditions; at the same time regular teacher training, improve the quality of teaching. Four summary Through the above on the United States and China basic education after comparing, we can see, actually the most ideal education is the two kind of education modes advantages of integration, this will have solid foundation and innovation. But as a result of these two kinds of educational models are based on different cultural traditions and social background, so together with considerable difficulty. Chinas basic education and higher education, there exist some problems and shortcomings, the United States of America education it has many advantages and advanced education in China, worth learning. But this does not mean that the Chinese education reform must complete to American education as an example, the overall absorption, to know the Sino-US education system is rooted in the cultural tradition, historical background and value orientation, whoever can not fully absorb each others essence. To sum up, we can see, different education reflects the different social and cultural connotation of the United States now, suitable teaching methods may not be entirely suitable for the Chinese education. Therefore, China s education must be based on suitable for Chinas national conditions based on the, it reflects the Chinese social and cultural connotation. So, how to explore with Chinese characteristics, in line with Chinas national education method and the education system, is our future education

Accounting :: Accounting Finances Money Essays

Accounting On September 28, 1998, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Arthur Levitt sounded the call to arms in the financial community. Levitt asked for, "immediate and coordinated action†¦ to assure credibility and transparency" of financial reporting. Levitt’s speech emphasized the importance of clear financial reporting to those gathered at New York University. Reporting which has bowed to the pressures and tricks of earnings management. Levitt specifically addresses five of the most popular tricks used by firms to smooth earnings. Secondly, Levitt outlines an eight part action plan to recover the integrity of financial reporting in the U.S. market place. What are the basic objectives of financial reporting? Generally accepted accounting principles provide information that identifies, measures, and communicates financial information about economic entities to reasonably knowledgeable users. Information that is a source of decision making for a wide array of users, most importantly, by investors and creditors. Investors and creditors who are responsible for effective allocation of capital in our economy. If financial reporting becomes obscure and indecipherable, society loses the benefits of effective capital allocation. Nothing illustrates the importance of transparent information better than the pre-1930’s era of anything goes accounting. An era that left a chasm of misinformation in the market. A chasm that was a contributing factor to the market collapse of 1929 and the years of economic depression. An entire society suffered the repercussions of misinformation. Families, and retirees depend on the credibility of financial reporting for their futures and livelihoods. Levitt describes financial reporting as, a bond between the company and the investor which if damaged can have disastrous, long-lasting consequences. Once again, the bond is being tested. Tested by a financial community fixated on consensus earnings estimates. Th e pressure to achieve consensus estimates has never been so intense. The market demands consistency and punishes those who come up short. Eric Benhamou, former CEO of 3COM Corporation, learned this hard lesson over a few short weeks in 1996. Benhamou and shareholders lost $7 billion in market value when 3COM failed to achieve expectations. The pressures are a tangled web of expectations, and conflicts of interest which Levitt describes as "almost self-perpetuating." With pressures mounting, the answer from U.S. managers has been earnings management with a mix of managed expectations. March of 1997 Fortune magazine reported that for an unprecedented sixteen consecutive quarters, more S&P 500 companies have beat the consensus earnings estimate than missed them.

English as a Global Language

English as a global language English is spoken in most parts of the world, for instance in Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and in many more countries. Moreover in African states English serves as main form of communication. English is, after the Chinese one, the language most people speak and it is the most popular second language and foreign language pupils learn in school. The English language is often named as a â€Å"killer language† that wipes out smaller languages and their cultures by exclusive use (f. e. media, economy). English is not popular because of its linguistic properties but there are conscious, co-ordinated promotion programmes. But if there are so many speaking the same language there remains the question of human’s diversity – concerning biological, cultural and political matters. We also have to take into consideration, that English as a global language is also linked to social costs, because the teaching and accommodat ion of the languages for immigrant minorities is rather irrational. Language policy in the post-colonial situation: There are a lot of colonial states with multilingual character because of the imperialist powers in the 19th and 20th century. In Africa, for example, there are no attempts to use any African language in high-status functions, they are not even taught in schools. The period during colonialism changed a lot in the world’s history and following development, and colonialism make us think about cheap rawmaterials and workers the imperialist powers wanted to gain, but we often forget about something else, which an African statesman expresses in his speech: The real aim of colonialism was to control the people’s _wealth†¦ but) economic and political control can never be complete or effective without mental control. To control a people’s culture is to control their tools of self-definition in relationship to others. For colonialism, this involved two aspects of the same process: the destruction or the deliberate undervaluing of a people’s culture, their art, dances, religions, history, geography, education, orature and literature, and the conscious elevation of the language of the coloniser. The domination of a people’s language by the languages of the colonising nations was crucial to the domination of the mental universe of the colonised. Ngugi wa Thiong’o (extract from his famous essay on â€Å"The language of African literature†) But there are several arguments for the demand of the adoption of the ex-colonial languages as official ones. First, regarded politically, the choice of any indigenous language would destabilise African states which are multilingual. A second argument would be, that the continue use of the ex-colonial language is rather â€Å"practical† because in the end it was accepted by the majority. From having been the language of the oppressor, English, for instance, became the language of national unity and national liberation. There was a sense (economically and technically) in ex-colonial languages, because then they are linked to their â€Å"mother country† and the language-infrastructure delivers a pool of skills, like as prorate books, dictionaries, registers, etc. It would be useless to imitate and duplicate in any of African languages. But these arguments were not often used in cultural discussions, because the European languages often affect as superior to the indigenous â€Å"vernaculars†. The development seems to be inevitable because with the problem of unemployment, the ability to speak English is very important, but English can’t be blamed for the developments demanding an international lingua franca to facilitate a world wide exchange of knowledge everyone can understand. Killer languages were always introduced by those who were in control of power. The USA with the strongest currency the Dollar, shows that it is not coincidental that English is the leading candidate as a global language. Because of the English predominance in the industrial world, more and more peoples will have to join in and the question remains if they are able to keep their own identities. There is no danger if regional groups manage to keep their own language for internal communication, but in less developed countries the members of small linguistic groups have to change to a language of a higher rank in the language hierarchy. Because that way they are more flexible and the chances in world-wide competition are bigger. In Australia parents even force their children to speak English instead of their own indigenous mother tongue, because they want to provide them better chances for their future. Shortly, you can say that by surviving in a capitalistic system of competition many peoples are forced to support a process which destroys their own culture. In Countries of GB’s old colonial empire (e. g. : Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand) the native populations were either killed or enslaved, and the Anglo- Saxon culture and language were adopted. This seemed to be a natural process. In Africa the new system of additive bilingualism shall be introduced now. That means that the 1st language maintains and a second one is added. This system developed out of the Bantu Education, which inforced black schoolchildren to learn English with the help of a racist curriculum (Stundenplan). But African children rebelled which is called the_ Soweto Uprising of 1976_, by now. This truly baneful legacy of Apartheid and a lack of will amongst most of the political leadership are the main reasons why there is no successful policy of multilingualism and multilingualistic education in Africa yet. On contrary, there’s really a language problem like in India and other former colonies. The leaders followed the French or English only (or mainly) language policies after formal independence from the colonial rule. Most of these countries returned to their mother – tongue within. Prof. Alexander Neville thinks, that if additive bilingualism is carried out systematically but flexibly, there should be a high level of literacy in Africa in the course of the next century (1 African language and at least some fluency in English for all Africans). African schools could normalise (competent language teachers like most countries of the world). We think this is a rather optimistic view. But what is the right way to learn a language? In the Internet Research there are some conditions quoted as important to learn a 2nd language: Teachers‘ language proficiency Teachers‘ competence as teachers (understand and overcome pupils‘ problems) Exposure to the language outside the classroom Adequate textbooks and material There’s a need for one or two world languages in the fields of trade, technology and diplomacy. But there’s a global tension between this need on one hand, and the national and regional need for a language in which the history and treasures of the cultures of the world‘s diverse peoples, are captured, on the other hand. Nowadays, as English is the lingua franca of the EU, massive efforts of translation and interpretation have to be taken. A lingua franca and Multilingualism should stand side by side, forming a common language policy. Changes in the Teaching of English David Crystal (Author of „English as a Global Languageâ€Å") thinks that English became the world language not because of any intrinsic linguistic qualities, but because at significant moments in history it happened to be ‘in the right place at the right time'. â€Å"The Future of English? by Graddol, suggests that English is at a turning point in its development as an international language: it has become a global language at a time when the world itself is undergoing rapid change. Indeed, English is very much a part of the process of transformation, which is creating a more closely interconnected world in which people and machines talk easily to each other from one country to any other in the world. It is clear that mo re and more people learning English as a foreign language do so in order to communicate with other non-native speakers of English. This marks a significant change in the nature and purpose of teaching and learning English around the world, which has hitherto been built on the idea of teaching a native speaker model of English (usually British or American) to allow communication between the learner and native speakers. If you consider, that the number of people speaking English as a second language will soon outnumber the one of those speaking it as a first tongue, you will understand, that also the way of teaching English has to change. Therefor new methods of English Language teaching (ELT) have been developed to be able to teach also the diverse and changing contexts in which English will be used in the future. There are courses on the Internet and special groups, where English teachers from all over the world discuss about the new challenge of their profession. Diana and Julia Brugger Opinions: What makes a global language? Why is English a leading candidate? Will it hold this position? A few years ago I travelled around Europe with a friend. Although we knew only a little French, we were able to travel with no problem. Everyone we encountered, with a few exceptions, spoke English. It was comforting to be able to communicate with others when we were lost, needed help or just wanted to talk. Personally, I think a universal language would benefit most people. I agree, however, that one should not replace native languages. Native languages are symbols of culture, the past and its people. From what we have learned so far I think a universal language would have maybe eliminated some of the oppression and subordination some peoples faced at the hands of colonisers. Cheryl Fonda Undoubtedly, the English language is a powerful tool and has been a dominant force in suppressing the colonies during Imperialism. Fortunately, Pakistan ( my native country) which was under British rule did not let go of it's native language despite British influence. English remains the official language, but we have our own national language called Urdu, which is quite dominant. Shandana *Khanzada* (Pakistan) I guess from the heading of this posting that we would assume that English would be a great candidate for this universal language. I do feel that it might eliminate some tension if everyone had access to a certain universal language and couldn't be exploited as easily. However, most diplomats and such already speak English. It is the poor of every nation that don't have access to English education, so the hierarchy still continues. The universal language would cause exploitation of poor by the rich. The only difference is that it would not be a nation exploiting another but people of a nation exploiting there own countrymen. Wesley Edwards We as English speakers take a lot for granted†¦ when it comes to languages we are very self-centred. True a universal language would make business and politics much easier, but each language carries much of a culture. If you have ever tried translating poetry from one language to another you know how words don't have exact translations and almost all subtleties are lost. Think about even within the English language†¦ each dialect ( southern, Midwest, New England) has its own character. Elizabeth Nelson A universal language sounds great in theory but the work that implementing it would entail is overwhelming to say the least. I too have travelled to other countries and have felt very lucky when others know English and were able to help me. —Americans should really know other languages well considering the resources we have here, but the truth of the matter is that we do not. I think a universal language would be more convenient but it would eventually wipe out certain difference among us that serve as positive vehicles for learning and experience. Laura Sykes English as a Global Language English as a global language English is spoken in most parts of the world, for instance in Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and in many more countries. Moreover in African states English serves as main form of communication. English is, after the Chinese one, the language most people speak and it is the most popular second language and foreign language pupils learn in school. The English language is often named as a â€Å"killer language† that wipes out smaller languages and their cultures by exclusive use (f. e. media, economy). English is not popular because of its linguistic properties but there are conscious, co-ordinated promotion programmes. But if there are so many speaking the same language there remains the question of human’s diversity – concerning biological, cultural and political matters. We also have to take into consideration, that English as a global language is also linked to social costs, because the teaching and accommodat ion of the languages for immigrant minorities is rather irrational. Language policy in the post-colonial situation: There are a lot of colonial states with multilingual character because of the imperialist powers in the 19th and 20th century. In Africa, for example, there are no attempts to use any African language in high-status functions, they are not even taught in schools. The period during colonialism changed a lot in the world’s history and following development, and colonialism make us think about cheap rawmaterials and workers the imperialist powers wanted to gain, but we often forget about something else, which an African statesman expresses in his speech: The real aim of colonialism was to control the people’s _wealth†¦ but) economic and political control can never be complete or effective without mental control. To control a people’s culture is to control their tools of self-definition in relationship to others. For colonialism, this involved two aspects of the same process: the destruction or the deliberate undervaluing of a people’s culture, their art, dances, religions, history, geography, education, orature and literature, and the conscious elevation of the language of the coloniser. The domination of a people’s language by the languages of the colonising nations was crucial to the domination of the mental universe of the colonised. Ngugi wa Thiong’o (extract from his famous essay on â€Å"The language of African literature†) But there are several arguments for the demand of the adoption of the ex-colonial languages as official ones. First, regarded politically, the choice of any indigenous language would destabilise African states which are multilingual. A second argument would be, that the continue use of the ex-colonial language is rather â€Å"practical† because in the end it was accepted by the majority. From having been the language of the oppressor, English, for instance, became the language of national unity and national liberation. There was a sense (economically and technically) in ex-colonial languages, because then they are linked to their â€Å"mother country† and the language-infrastructure delivers a pool of skills, like as prorate books, dictionaries, registers, etc. It would be useless to imitate and duplicate in any of African languages. But these arguments were not often used in cultural discussions, because the European languages often affect as superior to the indigenous â€Å"vernaculars†. The development seems to be inevitable because with the problem of unemployment, the ability to speak English is very important, but English can’t be blamed for the developments demanding an international lingua franca to facilitate a world wide exchange of knowledge everyone can understand. Killer languages were always introduced by those who were in control of power. The USA with the strongest currency the Dollar, shows that it is not coincidental that English is the leading candidate as a global language. Because of the English predominance in the industrial world, more and more peoples will have to join in and the question remains if they are able to keep their own identities. There is no danger if regional groups manage to keep their own language for internal communication, but in less developed countries the members of small linguistic groups have to change to a language of a higher rank in the language hierarchy. Because that way they are more flexible and the chances in world-wide competition are bigger. In Australia parents even force their children to speak English instead of their own indigenous mother tongue, because they want to provide them better chances for their future. Shortly, you can say that by surviving in a capitalistic system of competition many peoples are forced to support a process which destroys their own culture. In Countries of GB’s old colonial empire (e. g. : Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand) the native populations were either killed or enslaved, and the Anglo- Saxon culture and language were adopted. This seemed to be a natural process. In Africa the new system of additive bilingualism shall be introduced now. That means that the 1st language maintains and a second one is added. This system developed out of the Bantu Education, which inforced black schoolchildren to learn English with the help of a racist curriculum (Stundenplan). But African children rebelled which is called the_ Soweto Uprising of 1976_, by now. This truly baneful legacy of Apartheid and a lack of will amongst most of the political leadership are the main reasons why there is no successful policy of multilingualism and multilingualistic education in Africa yet. On contrary, there’s really a language problem like in India and other former colonies. The leaders followed the French or English only (or mainly) language policies after formal independence from the colonial rule. Most of these countries returned to their mother – tongue within. Prof. Alexander Neville thinks, that if additive bilingualism is carried out systematically but flexibly, there should be a high level of literacy in Africa in the course of the next century (1 African language and at least some fluency in English for all Africans). African schools could normalise (competent language teachers like most countries of the world). We think this is a rather optimistic view. But what is the right way to learn a language? In the Internet Research there are some conditions quoted as important to learn a 2nd language: Teachers‘ language proficiency Teachers‘ competence as teachers (understand and overcome pupils‘ problems) Exposure to the language outside the classroom Adequate textbooks and material There’s a need for one or two world languages in the fields of trade, technology and diplomacy. But there’s a global tension between this need on one hand, and the national and regional need for a language in which the history and treasures of the cultures of the world‘s diverse peoples, are captured, on the other hand. Nowadays, as English is the lingua franca of the EU, massive efforts of translation and interpretation have to be taken. A lingua franca and Multilingualism should stand side by side, forming a common language policy. Changes in the Teaching of English David Crystal (Author of „English as a Global Languageâ€Å") thinks that English became the world language not because of any intrinsic linguistic qualities, but because at significant moments in history it happened to be ‘in the right place at the right time'. â€Å"The Future of English? by Graddol, suggests that English is at a turning point in its development as an international language: it has become a global language at a time when the world itself is undergoing rapid change. Indeed, English is very much a part of the process of transformation, which is creating a more closely interconnected world in which people and machines talk easily to each other from one country to any other in the world. It is clear that mo re and more people learning English as a foreign language do so in order to communicate with other non-native speakers of English. This marks a significant change in the nature and purpose of teaching and learning English around the world, which has hitherto been built on the idea of teaching a native speaker model of English (usually British or American) to allow communication between the learner and native speakers. If you consider, that the number of people speaking English as a second language will soon outnumber the one of those speaking it as a first tongue, you will understand, that also the way of teaching English has to change. Therefor new methods of English Language teaching (ELT) have been developed to be able to teach also the diverse and changing contexts in which English will be used in the future. There are courses on the Internet and special groups, where English teachers from all over the world discuss about the new challenge of their profession. Diana and Julia Brugger Opinions: What makes a global language? Why is English a leading candidate? Will it hold this position? A few years ago I travelled around Europe with a friend. Although we knew only a little French, we were able to travel with no problem. Everyone we encountered, with a few exceptions, spoke English. It was comforting to be able to communicate with others when we were lost, needed help or just wanted to talk. Personally, I think a universal language would benefit most people. I agree, however, that one should not replace native languages. Native languages are symbols of culture, the past and its people. From what we have learned so far I think a universal language would have maybe eliminated some of the oppression and subordination some peoples faced at the hands of colonisers. Cheryl Fonda Undoubtedly, the English language is a powerful tool and has been a dominant force in suppressing the colonies during Imperialism. Fortunately, Pakistan ( my native country) which was under British rule did not let go of it's native language despite British influence. English remains the official language, but we have our own national language called Urdu, which is quite dominant. Shandana *Khanzada* (Pakistan) I guess from the heading of this posting that we would assume that English would be a great candidate for this universal language. I do feel that it might eliminate some tension if everyone had access to a certain universal language and couldn't be exploited as easily. However, most diplomats and such already speak English. It is the poor of every nation that don't have access to English education, so the hierarchy still continues. The universal language would cause exploitation of poor by the rich. The only difference is that it would not be a nation exploiting another but people of a nation exploiting there own countrymen. Wesley Edwards We as English speakers take a lot for granted†¦ when it comes to languages we are very self-centred. True a universal language would make business and politics much easier, but each language carries much of a culture. If you have ever tried translating poetry from one language to another you know how words don't have exact translations and almost all subtleties are lost. Think about even within the English language†¦ each dialect ( southern, Midwest, New England) has its own character. Elizabeth Nelson A universal language sounds great in theory but the work that implementing it would entail is overwhelming to say the least. I too have travelled to other countries and have felt very lucky when others know English and were able to help me. —Americans should really know other languages well considering the resources we have here, but the truth of the matter is that we do not. I think a universal language would be more convenient but it would eventually wipe out certain difference among us that serve as positive vehicles for learning and experience. Laura Sykes

Propliopithecus (Aegyptopithecus) Profile

Name: Propliopithecus (Greek for before Pliopithecus); pronounced PRO-ply-oh-pith-ECK-us; also known as Aegyptopithecus Habitat: Woodlands of northern Africa Historical Epoch: Middle Oligocene (30-25 million years ago) Size and Weight: About two feet long and 10 pounds Diet: Probably omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; sexual dimorphism; flat face with forward-facing eyes About Propliopithecus (Aegyptopithecus) As you can tell from its nearly unpronounceable  name, Propliopithecus was named in reference to the much later Pliopithecus; this middle Oligocene primate may also have been the same animal as Aegyptopithecus, which provisionally continues to occupy its own genus. The importance of Propliopithecus is that it occupied a place on the primate evolutionary tree very near to the ancient split between old world (i.e., African and Eurasian) apes and monkeys, and may well have been the earliest true ape. Still, Propliopithecus was no chest-pounding behemoth; this ten-pound primate looked like a small gibbon, ran on all fours like a macaque, and possessed a relatively flat face with forward-facing eyes, an adumbration of its human-like hominid descendants that evolved millions of years later. How smart was Propliopithecus? One shouldnt have too ambitious hopes for a primate that lived 25 million years ago, and in fact, an initial brain-size estimate of 30 square centimeters has since been reduced to 22 square centimeters, on the basis of more complete fossil evidence. In the course of analyzing skull samples, the same research team that produced the latter estimate also concluded that Propliopithecus was sexually dimorphic (males were about one and one-half times as big as females), and we can infer that this primate scrambled between the branches of trees—that is, it had not yet learned to walk on solid ground.