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Chicago school kids learn CHINESE!
Vanity ^ | 1-29-2006 | Dick Bachert

Posted on 01/29/2006 4:43:03 PM PST by Dick Bachert

Just caught a network news segment on how the Chicago government schools – at the alleged urging of parents – are teaching kids there CHINESE, a language having 3 gazillion unique GRAPHIC – as opposed to our 26 alphabetical – characters and 4 or so basic SOUNDS!

They claim they’re doing this so our kids can COMPETE with the Chinese – most of whom are busy learning a much easier language: ENGLISH!!

I think teaching American kids Chinese is wonderful. These kids will then be able to explain why they are ignorant of biology, physics, math, basic science, etc. – IN CHINESE because their local educrats stole time from THOSE vital skills necessary for us to compete with the Europeans and the Chinese – to teach them CHINESE!


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chinese; governmentschools; language; madness
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To: bikepacker67

Latin borrowed the concept, but did not implement it perfectly.


41 posted on 01/29/2006 5:05:45 PM PST by RightWhale (pas de lieu, Rhone que nous)
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To: Dick Bachert

Hope they can read "Brown Spots on the Wall" by Hu Flung Poo.


42 posted on 01/29/2006 5:07:25 PM PST by toddlintown (Lennon takes six bullets to the chest, Yoko is standing right next to him and not one f'ing bullet?)
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To: RightWhale
Chinese has 40 characters and is one of the easiest languages there is. English is considered difficult.

"40 characters"? I don't think so.

43 posted on 01/29/2006 5:08:23 PM PST by solitas (So what if I support an OS that has fewer flaws than yours? 'Mystic' dual 500 G4's, OSX.4.2)
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To: RightWhale
Really?

I did not know that!

I'm sorta an amateur etymology geek that loves to learn the origin of words, and their prefixes/suffixes

44 posted on 01/29/2006 5:08:32 PM PST by bikepacker67
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To: steveo

Can you sound like those Japanese military characters in old movies that talk way back in the throat? You just know they are tough and won't tolerate any backtalk.


45 posted on 01/29/2006 5:09:24 PM PST by RightWhale (pas de lieu, Rhone que nous)
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To: steveo

She probably hasn't been TOLD what she thinks yet.


46 posted on 01/29/2006 5:10:29 PM PST by solitas (So what if I support an OS that has fewer flaws than yours? 'Mystic' dual 500 G4's, OSX.4.2)
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To: Dick Bachert; SWAMPSNIPER; Polybius; RightWhale

With the Whole Word method of reading instruction, kids are already being taught English as if it were Chinese. So teaching them Chinese is the next logical step.


47 posted on 01/29/2006 5:11:13 PM PST by Clintonfatigued (Sam Alito Deserves To Be Confirmed)
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To: Dick Bachert

They taught Russian in the high school I attended back in the 70's.


48 posted on 01/29/2006 5:11:59 PM PST by Eagle Eye (There ought to be a law against excess legislation.)
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To: Alter Kaker

A Chinese person explained it. The ideographs are made up of about 40 smaller characters. True, pronunciation from the written word is a different matter. But, when we read English words we pretty much deal with them as units, which is not really so different.


49 posted on 01/29/2006 5:12:46 PM PST by RightWhale (pas de lieu, Rhone que nous)
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To: Dick Bachert

"These kids will then be able to explain why they are ignorant of biology, physics, math, basic science, etc. – IN CHINESE because their local educrats stole time from THOSE vital skills necessary for us to compete with the Europeans and the Chinese – to teach them CHINESE!"

You don't get it. It's so the kids can understand the science teacher. Where in the U.S. are they going to find "qualified" high school teachers who know anything about biology, physics, math, or basic science?


50 posted on 01/29/2006 5:13:16 PM PST by haroldeveryman
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To: Dick Bachert
3 gazillion unique GRAPHIC

Huh? Its there are only 214 Chinese "radicals" -- that can be combined in a myriad of different combinations.

51 posted on 01/29/2006 5:13:50 PM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
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To: bikepacker67

Saussure's Cours is not a bad read.


52 posted on 01/29/2006 5:14:08 PM PST by RightWhale (pas de lieu, Rhone que nous)
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To: Dick Bachert

The world is getting smaller and smart young capitalists will be learning new languages so they can think and act globally. I learned french as a youngster. What a joke. I wish I had learned Spanish or Chinese.


53 posted on 01/29/2006 5:14:56 PM PST by cowtowney
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To: Dick Bachert
Proving yet again that .......I WAS RIGHT TO MOVE OUTA THAT F'ED UP STATE!
54 posted on 01/29/2006 5:15:40 PM PST by OXENinFLA
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To: Dick Bachert

Not a bad idea, actually. Knowledge of foreign languages is in high demand right now. Foreign language majors have a leg up when they graduate from college.

I'm sure it will be a lot more useful than Spanish. Too many people speak that.


55 posted on 01/29/2006 5:16:18 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: Dick Bachert

Do the math, learning Chinese is the way to go.

Guess what? Chinese kids are learning english, they will have the skills necessary in the future workforce.

Bitching about things and not moving forward only ensures that you get left behind.


56 posted on 01/29/2006 5:16:36 PM PST by Central Scrutiniser (What would Jesus do......for a Klondike bar?)
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To: Dick Bachert
I studies Chinese in high school, and a it more in college. It was fun, interesting, and a good learning experience.

If you think simplicity is the hallmark of a good language, be aware that Chinese has only one-syllable words, each starting with one of 21 consonants, and ending with one of 16 vowel sounds. Not all permutations are used. Each word may have one of 5 intonations (rising, falling, etc.)

The language has no verb tenses, no conjugation, no gender, and sentences are made into questions simply by the addition of a syllable at the end.

Incredibly simple.

You might not be able to sound out a word from the written characters (which are the same as they were millennia ago), but the words are easy to learn, and there is no real challenge to write them (except for the beneficial rigor of learning to achieve over expectations.)

Besides, the more free people who speak Chinese, the better the chances for freedom in China.
57 posted on 01/29/2006 5:17:33 PM PST by Atlas Sneezed (Your FRiendly FReeper Patent Attorney)
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To: Clintonfatigued

English readers should start with letters, maybe somewhat phonetic, but it quickly gets to word recognition. Letter order doesn't matter so much. If teh lterets aer jbelumd yuo cna slitl mkae it otu. Srot of.


58 posted on 01/29/2006 5:18:05 PM PST by RightWhale (pas de lieu, Rhone que nous)
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Comment #59 Removed by Moderator

To: Alter Kaker

Not 40 characters. ~40 phonetic sounds.

Thousands of characters.


60 posted on 01/29/2006 5:19:57 PM PST by Atlas Sneezed (Your FRiendly FReeper Patent Attorney)
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