Improving Language

Joan McGoon, Martintar, Nadi

I refer to Charles Chambers' article (FS 24/10) on Letters to improve the English language.

Perhaps introducing TESOL classes to our high school and university programmes will be highly beneficial. It emphasises that speaking another language is not something to be “learned” but “acquired”, especially if we are looking at increasing the fluency of the English language.

One acquires skills out of habit, practice and most times, full immersion. Mr Chambers' article quotes a lawyer who was educated in a British culture thus, speaking proper English is essential for others to understand you in a “proper” setting which is highly imposed by the “Brits”.

The concern for improper English on social media is unwarranted because “socially”, people would not normally speak proper or fluent English because this is not necessarily the appropriate setting for it.

Even English classes emphasise this. British culture observes the appropriate settings for proper English and proper attire.

Many visitors to Fiji are quite impressed with the level of education and English on our shores.

It depends on who they are speaking with.

Perhaps more statistics on the level of English in the country would shed more light on this current dilemma and, perhaps, speaking fluent English is not the essence of the issue at hand, but creating a more worldview perspective which will create a hunger for the English language or any other language for that matter.