VERNACULAR TEACHING IS ACADEMIC FANTASY

There has been an issue raging quietly in Papua New Guinea on Outcome Based Education (OBE) and teaching vernacular language in elementary school.

The new Government has wisely put English back in a primary position. We have given support. Please click:

VERNACULAR TEACHING IS EDUCATIONAL RUBBISH

There has been protest, particularly from the academics concerned that the loss of vernacular teaching will spell the death of teaching English. This is fantasy.

It will affect funding to the Linguistics Department of the University.

We have to understand that the basic flaw in OBE is the removal of the basics. In language teaching, the basics are spelling, derivation of words, correct sentence structure and effective writing.

But it also applies to teaching of vernacular languages.

Do some teachers base lessons on the Bible translated by the Summer Institute of Linguistics?

They are a group of US religious zealots preparing for the Second Coming.

Are the vernacular basics taught in school? Probably not. There are undoubtedly not too many SIL operatives who are teachers.

There has been a simple minded report in The National newspaper by academic one Steven Winduo claiming that removing vernacular languages was a breach of the Constitution. Good try mate.

The question arises as to the vested interests of Mr Winduo. Does he have links to the Linguistics Department of the University of Papua New Guinea and the SIL?

He says that students find difficulty in learning if they start straight into learning English. What if the system goes back to the basics in English instead.

I taught my daughters to read from my computer at the age of 5 years. I started with the basics of sentences and spelling through phonics. Dr Seuss would be proud.

cat, fat, mat, hat, rat, bat, sat

man, fan, ran, van, tan, can

ball, call, fall, hall, tall

funny, sunny, bunny,
day, may, ray, hay, say, lay,
play, pray, clay, way,

Then we became creative just like Dr Seuss.

The cat lay on the hat.

See the fat rat on the mat

A man ran to a van with a can.

See funny bunny run to the cat on the hat

The fat man sat on the tall ball

I see the man fall on the mat

I will call the funny cat on the mat.

PHONICS WITH DR SEUSS AND CAT - FAMILY POSITIVE LIVING ...

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3 Oct 2011 – FAMILY POSITIVE LIVING - AIDS HOLISTICS. faith,

hope ... The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss | PHONICS FOR KIDS,

READING ... 11 Apr 2011 .

This work is more valid than passages from the Bible in vernacular languages. Let them translate the Bible but not interfere with curriculum.

There was a letter to the editor in The National today supporting Steven Winduo and stating that giving English to a child in elementary school is like giving solid food to a baby. What rubbish.

The work in English above was mother's milk to my daughters. Phonics was removed by the educational saboteurs many years ago.

If course designers want, let them give 2 lessons a week on vernacular language to elementary students. If possible, give the upper grades 2 periods a week for their entire study time.

As it is, students in high school still have a habit of thinking in Tok Pisin and then writing their thoughts in English with Tok Pisin patterns. It comes out baby talk. Please click:

WRITE SWEET ENGLISH - FAMILY POSITIVE LIVING - AIDS ...

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29 Jun 2011 – FAMILY POSITIVE LIVING - AIDS HOLISTICS ... WRITE S

WEET ENGLISH ... I work in Lae and live at Nadzab, arriving at the workplace at ...