Growing with languages

IN a recent study by the Northern Ireland Languages Council across 100 schools, principals and teachers admitted that although they are aware of its merits, it is challenging to prioritise language learning in schools. Much like in Malaysia, French, Spanish and Mandarin are top foreign languages taught in Northern Ireland. The council, which consists of representatives across business, education and community sectors, therefore recommends the revision and improvement of current curriculum provision in additional language learning. In more than 20 European countries, it is compulsory to study a second language for at least one year, with students gaining first exposure to a foreign language between the ages of six and nine. Comparatively, Malaysian schools do not have strict policies on foreign language learning — but at private and international srhonls. te ching foreign languages at every level has become thrill norm. If the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 is any indication, this trend will also pick up rapidly in public schools. One of the 11 transformational IC' shifts of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 is to ensure every child is proficient in Bahasa Malaysia, English and an additional language. To this end, every child will be encouraged to learn an additional language by 2025.

French takes the cake

With the support of the Education Department of the Embassy of France, French is becoming an increasingly popular international language in Malaysian schools. This year, the department reports that approximately 14,000 students in 90 public schools are taking the five-year course. This Latin-based language is the second most widely learnt foreign language after English and the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. "The level of interest in French is constantly growing in Malaysia, with the number of pupils in public secondary schools doubling in five years. "The French teachers are really involved in promoting French here —they organise French days in their schools and participate in competitions and events we organise," says Sophie Lafont, project manager in the Education Department of the Cultural Services of the Embassy of France in Malaysia. .- r This proclivity for French learning reflects the increasingly global outlook of Malaysian parents and students. In a country where children in public or private education systems are trained to be at least bilingual, this should come as no surprise. "Our Malaysian students have a dear advantage when it comes to being culturally aware and tolerant. It is interesting to see how learning a foreign language and culture makes them even prouder to be who they are," says Veronique Hanique, head of modern languages at Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM). Foreign languages are passports to overseas education, which is attractive to many Malaysians. Beyond that, knowing a foreign language strengthens students' curriculum vitae and increases their chances of building a career in other parts of the world. "Knowledge of French opens the doors to companies in France and other French-speaking parts of the world such as Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and countries of Africa," says Liliane Heininger, head of Department of Modern Languages at Australian International School Malaysia (AISM).

For business owner Justin Nicholas Gregory, picking up French from lessons in school – later enriched during an exchange programme in France – continues to reap benefits in his professional life.

“I own a communications company and my conversational knowledge of French and Mandarin becomes useful in business negotiations and day-to-day conduct,” he says.

Magazine journalist Lestari Hairul concurs, saying that her conversational French is not only useful in breaking the ice with new people but in deepening her understanding and appreciation when covering wining and dining.

Building a career, after all, requires just as much social aptitude as it does business acumen or specialised skill – and at the core of social interaction is communication, which is enriched when one is comfortable with different cultures and values.

Coming from a multi-ethnic background, educator and polyglot Brendan Lanza picked up Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Korean by himself and has spoken English and Sicilian from a young age.

“My wife is Korean but she did not teach me, she only practised with me. It has always been hard work that did it – I lived in South Korea for five years and did what I could to learn with books, television and verbal practice,” he shares.

Being able to speak his wife’s language has allowed Lanza to better understand her reasoning and decision-making, although they were raised with different world views.

Lanza’s aptitude with language has opened many new doors in his career as well, enabling him to better connect with parents and students of different cultures in a more authentic, grounded manner.

“I have learnt that language is based upon culture and domestic thinking. The paradigm in each culture, their views on life, themselves and the world around them are ingrained in their languages.

“I have learnt to understand and connect with people far better than I would have been able to without these skills,” he says.

Hanique explains that through the process of learning several languages, individuals develop key personality traits such as empathy and tolerance, which help them pick up on social cues and better appreciate other cultures.

“They become open-minded and understand that there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ culture, language or way of living. We are different, and we understand that this is what makes us stronger,” she opines.

This informs Hanique’s belief that the communication and analytical skills acquired through language learning are not only relevant but crucial in the connected world we live in.

“I like to think that someone who has learnt languages will be able to make decisions that promote peace and tolerance instead of ignorance, division and bigotry, wherever he or she is.”

Multilingual future

Methods of learning have progressed greatly in the digital age and language learning is no different.

We have on-the-spot translating and language learning apps, distance-learning courses with native speakers, and immersive online programmes that make it possible for anyone, anywhere to pick up a language spoken by people continents away.

Nevertheless, this does not downplay the benefits of cultivating the reading, writing and speaking of different languages in a formal structure – in fact, technological tools are posited as the next big thing in classroom language teaching.

“The use of technology in the language classroom continues to engage students in the learning process by providing authentic examples of the target culture and allows teachers to connect their classrooms with other countries where the target language is spoken.

“It will strengthen learning engagement, facilitate the teacher role and provide structured comprehensive learning,” says Heininger.

Hanique concurs, adding that the growth of private international education in Malaysia means that competition is even fiercer and parents have high expectations regarding the education they want for their young ones.

“Having more international schools means that the quality of foreign language teaching and learning will be a determining factor in preparing learners for the realities of our world,” says Hanique.

Building on a strong foundation of bilingualism, it is not farfetched to say that Malaysian students have the potential to develop strength in other languages.

The first step is capitalising on our cultural links in this melting pot to reach out to more people in their own mother tongue.

Coupled with language lessons in schools that are supported by solid policies and resources, the future of the country will be in the hands of a generation more culturally aware and in tune with the intricacies of language application in careers as much as everyday life.