Teaching in a foreign language vs learning foreign language

I do not see where this is going to. I mean what hope we have of preventing the pigs and the dogs from taking over this tanah air.

Read what JMD has to say here

I have come across some great write ups by some bloggers. That goes to show we are not totally lost without an aota of hope. I don't understand is why is it we seemed to be so hard pressed for good men to take over the helm.

Read TDM's concern taken from here.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says it is only in Malaysia where the government allows and pays for schools which use a foreign language for teaching in schools meant for a community whose ancestors came from a foreign country.

In the latest posting on his blog on Monday, Jan 24, the former prime minister said there was a difference between teaching in a foreign language and learning and speaking a foreign language.

He was elaborating on his interview by Nanyang Siang Pau on the issue after a newspaper reader claimed Dr Mahathir was wrong because in many countries the Chinese language is taught and are spoken.

May I point out that there is a difference between teaching in a foreign language and learning (and speaking) a foreign language.

I was referring to teaching (medium of instruction) in a foreign language not learning a foreign language. Learning a foreign language is usually not only permissible but encouraged, he said.

Dr Mahathir said the claim that in Thailand there are schools which use Chinese as the medium of teaching was not correct.

He said there were international schools which do not use the Thai national language but they were not funded by the Government. Similar international schools to cater for expatriates are found in many countries including in Malaysia.

Some nationals also go to these schools. But they are not like the Chinese and Tamil schools in Malaysia which are government funded schools, he said.

Dr Mahathir said even in Singapore there are no government funded schools where the medium of instruction was Chinese or Tamil.

However, the students must learn another language other than English, which was the medium of teaching in Singapore.

Incidentally the policy of the Singapore Government to use English as a teaching medium rather than Malay, Chinese or Tamil has not resulted in it being accused of being anti-Chinese, anti-Tamil or anti-Malay.

Nationally the national language of predominantly Chinese Singapore is Malay but Chinese, Tamil and English are also official languages which are taught and may be used instead of English, he said.