There are many ways to learn a new language: you can go live in a country where the language is spoken, attend a formal language class, get a private language tutor or use books and written materials. Other ways to learn a foreign language are to listen to CDs or audiocassette tapes, watch TV, movies and video programs, memorize phrase books, use the Internet or employ a combination of all the above.
But not everyone can arrange to live in a foreign country. Native speakers of the language may not be available. Written or recorded commercial materials may not be available in the language you’re interested in (Cochimi, Cibemba or Kukapa, anyone?) True, many major languages like Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese broadcast TV programs via cable. Even Korean, Catalan, Arabic and Japanese have venues available in cosmopolitan areas worldwide; but the vast majority of the world’s thousands of spoken tongues are simply not at large outside of their local areas. So what’s a prospective polyglot to do?
Read the rest of this entry »
Language plays a very vital role in any human community-school, company, organization, group, home etc. the language of any human society tells a lot about that society therefore, it can be further emphasized that language and any human society are inseparable. In any human society, language occupies a very important seat, more than it appears to all. The functions of language in any human community include the following; expression of thoughts, political, administration, education, social, religious, legislation and so on.
We shall however be using Nigeria as case study. The aim of any human community is to have peace and unity, many nations of the world today are facing different degrees of conflicts, and Nigeria unfortunately is one of such countries. This paper is set to examine the role language has to play in attaining national unity in Nigeria. People have in the past expressed their various views about the meaning of language.
Read the rest of this entry »
House of Lords debate: Modern Languages
On the 3rd December 2010 a motion was brought forward by Baroness Cousins to call attention to the contribution of modern language skills to the UK economy: and to move for papers. Baroness Cousins herself is a language graduate and is chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages, a group which is supported by CILT (the National Centre for Languages).
The Baroness calls on Michael Worton’s recently published review of modern language provision in English universities which came to the conclusion that unless the decline in language learning is reversed, Britons will become one of the most monolingual peoples in the world which will result in serious consequences for our economy and the country as a whole.
Read the rest of this entry »