[PN] Cognitive benefits of multilingualism (18 Nov. 2003)

[Steve McCarty]

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* Reference Websites

Tony Fisher, ICT Co-ordinator at the University of Nottingham
School of Education, contributes the following: The UK
"government here seems very persuaded of the value of
interactive whiteboards, and has just announced the funding
(」25M) to put a further 3000 boards into London schools.
Schools minister Stephen Twigg has said "Interactive
whiteboards are revolutionising teaching and learning in
schools and we have seen that they have a significant impact
on standards."  Aside from the all-too-typical politician's
technological determinism of his statement, others are
more skeptical about whether the faith currently being placed
in whiteboards is justified, useful tool though they may be. See:
http://www.virtuallearning.org.uk/index.php (click the Research
tab and follow the whiteboards link) and there is also a link to a
short survey which current users of such boards are invited to
complete. There is also a two-year project looking at practice
in the use of whiteboards: http://www.thereviewproject.org/ "
[I'll pass on any feedback or questions PN readers may have - Ed.]

Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) Bilingualism SIG:
http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/jaltbsig/index.html
Japan Journal of Multilingualism and Multiculturalism:
http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/jaltbsig/journal.html
[Introducing the above Websites that I've maintained since around 1997
-- on the occasion of the excellent Independent article below, and as I
attend the annual JALT conference and go offline for a while - Ed.]

* Periodical articles

The language of success
The Independent, London (17 November 2003)
"New research shows that children who speak at least two languages
do better at school than those who speak only one." ['Community'
languages where interlocutors are available, even less commonly
used ones not seen to be economically valuable, are found to be a
beneficial form of multilingualism, due to cognitive transfer. - Ed.]
http://education.independent.co.uk/schools/story.jsp?story=451298

Girls top of the class worldwide
BBC NEWS | UK | Education (16 September 2003)
"Women have overtaken men at every level of education in developed
countries around the world. And girls are now more confident of getting
better-paid, professional jobs than their flagging male counterparts."
[This is despite parents spending more on supplemental education
for boys, at least in Japan. Females seem more oriented to literacy,
and a comment in the article that boys are more likely to be derailed
by family or peer problems rings true with my experience of constant
fighting and strife compared to my sister's smooth progress - Ed.]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3110594.stm

Collegially, Steve McCarty, Professor, Kagawa JC, Japan
Bookmark: http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve/
Online library: http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/epublist.html
E-mail (including items for Papyrus News): steve_mc@kagawa-jc.ac.jp