subject: Learn Mandarin in the UK [print this page] Learn Mandarin in the UK Learn Mandarin in the UK
My thoughts on Ed Ball's Remarks on Mandarin recently
There is much debate as to whether schools should make "Mandarin for all pupils" in primary and secondary schools according to Ed Ball, who in Jan 2010 stated "In this new decade our ties with emerging economies like China will become even more important and it's vital that young people are equipped with the skills which they need, and British businesses need too, in order to succeed in a rapidly changing world."
There is no contesting in his statement as people all around the world can testify to the economic power emerging from China. Ranging from world class political round tables to every corner of business media, we have all heard about China and its growth in every aspect. Based on a recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry, French, German and Mandarin were the three languages most in demand from employers. This in itself is solid evidence supporting the market demands for Mandarin speakers.
However ,David Laws, the Lib Dem schools spokesman argued "It is delusional to think that many children are going to benefit from Mandarin teaching when there are only a handful of such teachers in the country".
Further more, this paucity has also been highlighted by Dr Martin Stephen-High Master of St Paul's School, in an article in the Times newspaper dated Feb 3rd2010. He specifically mentioned two university tutors who stated there is a shortage of good teachers of Mandarin in Britain, and that too many students who learnt it at school have been taught badly.
Dr Martin further mentions "Everybody needs to calm down, it is absolutely right to recognize that our young people will benefit greatly from more knowledge of another language. With Mandarin the issue is not whether we do it, but how." I am in completely agreeance with his points, especially with respect to HOW we do it.
The question is where do we find such quality teachers? Do we have enough learning resources and how will the curriculum be structured? How do we assess pupil's learning and which watch body will supervise the whole system?
St Pauls and Godolphin Latymer are amongst the few pioneer schools in London offering Chinese to their pupils since 2007. After this, the trend of teaching children Chinese has quickly spread in most of the private primary and secondary schools. So where are they sourcing these quality teachers from?
In China it takes at least 3 years to become an entry level teacher, and subsequently it takes a further 3-4 years in teaching practice, involving rigorous panel assessments in order to reach a 1st ranking certificate?
It is clear that there is a huge shortage of quality Mandarin teachers, so in view of this, what is the point in discussing any issues related to furthering Chinese learning? If Ed Ball is to implement his plan, then he must provide a well structured programme encompassing the point we alluded to.
In my opinion it is vital that children should be able to enjoy the culture, the knowledge, the beauty and the romance of a language. I whole heartedly advocate Ed Ball's manifesto to offer Mandarin to schools where children have a choice to exploring the language and culture. But how much can the government afford to provide this offer in a nationwide scale? And are they ready to do it?
