Job Discussion Forums

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

Debate has raged in these forums about whether we are teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It seems neither of these terms is Politically Correct (PC) now, at least not in Canada...well, at least not in Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island (PEI).

According to a report on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) today, the government of PEI is about to spend $280,000 to fund addition classes in ... wait for it ... English as an Additional Language. So it would seem EAL is now the proper PC term. We can't have languages being "first" or "second" or "foreign" any more!

Amazing, EH.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Sounds like we need another nationwide referendum...

"Should PEI be forcibly separated from Canada?"

So as not to be ambiguous, the choices in such a referendum should be very clear.

Should we:

a) Send PEI to join the American union?
b) Force PEI to join Quebec in separation?
c) Boycott all potatoes and Anne of Green Gables?
d) Send a brigade of ESL or EFL teachers to educate the wayward province?

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

mishmumkin · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929

ELL in the US.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

It seems a perfectly sensible decision to me.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

saint57 · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:03 am Post subject:

ESL students are referred to as English Language Learners (ELL) in Ontario.

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

PC went insane a long tim ago. "Foreign" is certainly not OK (up ther with smoking,)

But there are still 2 official languages so 2nd etc should be fine.

Anyway PEI should be stipped of it's status as as a province. It's a renegade welfare state -------and not in the good way. It's a drain on the economy with nothing usefull to contribute.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

yada yada

Vanica · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 368 Location: North Carolina

They told me that my master's degree was in TESOL, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, pronounced teezol, because TESL discounted people, like myself, who were learning English as a third, fourth, or later language.

mishmumkin · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

Aye, the 'ole world is going to 'ELL!

I stick to the most sensible term and don't follow popular movements initiated by people upstairs somewhere (Some of my own language is older than me). These artificially induced changes are due to the demise of common sense, posted somewhere else on this forum.

One of the problems of buying into new terminology is accepting the premises of the people who coined it. If you find their philosophical base to be wrong, then it doesn't make any sense to accept the new language.

Update: I did a search on this site for "common sense" and got only 4 hits! Shocked

Hmmmm

tedkarma · Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 9:11 am Post subject:

One of the best things about living overseas is just ignoring all the PC BS.

Behind the power curve on getting it, ahead of the power curve on blowing it off . . .

fancynan · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:50 pm Post subject:

You guys crack me up; I was laughing out loud about PEI. I do so love Canada and Canadians!