SOUTH Korea plans to set up an English town on Cheju Island where students can immerse themselves in English without leaving the Asian country. The town, where English would be the only language spoken, would include educational facilities from primary schools to college as well as learning centres for short-term students. Students can stay there for one to two years and take classes in English while saving more than half of what they spend on studying English abroad. Some South Korean municipal governments have set up English immersion camps and villages, but they offer only short-term programmes.
Malaysia avoids mother tongue for science
马来西亚八成人赞成用英语教授科学科目
ENGLISH is the language of choice for teaching Mathematics and Science in Malaysian school for most of Malaysian people. The Star, Malaysia's leading English-language newspaper conducted a poll on "Teaching Maths and Science in English". A total of 85.4 per cent of respondents say that they are in favour of Maths and Science being taught in English compared with only 14.3 per cent who chose their mother tongue (Bahasa, Chinese or Tamil). According to the poll, 83 per cent believe that teaching Maths and Science in English makes students more proficient in English. Maths and Science in English was introduced in Malaysian schools four years ago. However, there have been many calls to revert to teaching the two subjects in Bahasa.
UK's Tories propose more language classes
英国保守党出台教育方案 学生16岁前须学外语
THE UK Conservative leader, David Cameron, recently released his first policy report. The party promised a return to compulsory language lessons. The Tory leader said too many pupils were being failed in the basics of English and foreign languages. So the Tories would consider making languages compulsory to the age of 16. The government has been blamed for a decline in the number of pupils studying modern foreign languages since introducing its controversial policy of allowing 14-year-olds to drop the subject in 2004.
