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gugelhupf
Joined: 24 Jan 2004
Posts: 575
Location: Jabotabek
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 Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:24 am Post subject: Textbooks from Hell |
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I am not making this up. It is real. Be afraid.
Today I received some inspection copies of "Linked to the World- English for Senior High School". This is a new English text from an Indonesian publisher.
I have never seen a book purporting to be an English language teaching aid with such c.rappy English:
'Write your own letter of asking permission to your teacher. Make sure, use you the correct punctuation, grammar and vocabulary'
I despair... |
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TEAM_PAPUA
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1679
Location: HOLE
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| Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:16 am Post subject: * |
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| Quote: |
| 'Write your own letter of asking permission to your teacher. Make sure, use you the correct punctuation, grammar and vocabulary' |
How do these things even get published? |
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uilleannpiper
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 107
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| Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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Actually, it's a common problem with foreign language texts produced by non-native speakers and not limited to Indonesia. As a primary and secondary school Indonesian teacher here in OZ, I come across Indonesian language text books/websites/whatever written by non-Indonesians containing grammatical 'clangers'.
Then there's the whole issue of non-native writers hiring the services of 'native speakers' to check the grammar. I've had issues with authors in the past who publish rubbish only to tell me, 'well, we had a native speaker check it all'. So what!!! Just because someone can speak their own language, it doesn't mean they get it correct or even realise they make mistakes.
It also depends on how much money was put into producing it. |
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Zorobabel
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| This is very common in Indonesia. Go into any bookstore and to the English section; check out the books. Each page is filled with numerous errors. |
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uilleannpiper
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 107
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| Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Zorobabel wrote: |
| This is very common in Indonesia. Go into any bookstore and to the English section; check out the books. Each page is filled with numerous errors. |
Like I said, you'll find it isn't just isolated to Indonesia or to English language textbooks. |
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gugelhupf
Joined: 24 Jan 2004
Posts: 575
Location: Jabotabek
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| Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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As a footnote, later in the day I received some 'try out' questions for the Ujian Nasional exam from the education ministry and these were full of Inglonesian and blatant typos as well. It scares me that these questions were written by a group of 'experienced' senior teachers.
Colleagues who have worked previously in China tell me that some of the 'Chinglish' materials they had to use at university level were even worse than this.
Thank god for Cutting Edge. |
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uilleannpiper
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 107
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| Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| gugelhupf wrote: |
It scares me that these questions were written by a group of 'experienced' senior teachers.
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Same thing happens here in OZ. The majority of foreign language teachers in primary and secondary schools have little ability themselves in the language they teach. There are the occasional 'native-speaker' teachers from Germany, Indonesia or whereever, but on the whole, when I attend language teacher in-services I am generally appalled by the level of (in)competency displayed by most language teachers. Like Indonesia, the government here has stipulated that students are to do x number of hours of foreign language study, so to fill the need for language teachers, they are forced to employ teachers with less-than-adequate competency. Some of these teachers then go on to become textbook writers....i
In the case of Indonesia, what is more appalling is the rapid decline in the teaching of regional languages at school level. Again, it's an economic thing and unfortunately, the powers that be can't seem to see the sense in maintaining the teaching of regional languages. |
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Zorobabel
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:03 am Post subject: |
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| I've seen worse in Korea. I'm personal friends with a PhD holder from Korea who got a book published there entitled, "English Essay Writing." Needless to say, a lot of his advice is very, very bad. |
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TEAM_PAPUA
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1679
Location: HOLE
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| Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 6:38 am Post subject: * |
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| Quote: |
| 'well, we had a native speaker check it all'. So what!!! Just because someone can speak their own language, it doesn't mean they get it correct or even realise they make mistakes. |
Of course it makes no difference that the 'native' in question probably had no educational background and no knowledge of grammar or structure.
Chinglish is INCREDIBLE - almost every day I witnessed some amazing mis-translation  |
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GuruStip
Joined: 24 Jun 2004
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:45 am Post subject: |
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There's one sitting proudly on the shelves of Gramedia that exclaims triumphantly from the cover:
"I Can English!"
Swan would cack his pants. |
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wannaBguru
Joined: 07 Dec 2005
Posts: 110
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| Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:15 am Post subject: |
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| i think japan can give any country a run for its money. and it isnt even difficult grammar problems...... any native speaker should have caught the majority of the problems. indian and singapore textbooks contain their fair share of mistakes too. |
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