Comments for sursumcorda.salemsattic.com/post/double-standard

Comment #3366

2013-04-08T20:14:25Z

Here in the Gambia, children have always been taught to read strictly in English, which almost none of them speak at home. (And yes, they are punished if they speak a local language at school.) If they are from a upper-class urban family, their parents speak at least some English and are somewhat literate, and they probably attended a private English-language preschool. A rural child probably has parents who speak two or more local languages but no English. The child has probably never seen a book before starting school. The whole idea of reading is a mystery to them. Many of them never become very literate. The government is now trying to introduce reading in the vernacular in the first few grades.

Comment #3365

2013-04-03T07:03:44Z

An anecdote- A Swiss German woman who I am good friends with reads only in English, and has for as long as she has been reading for pleasure. She feels that as long as she has to read in a foreign language, it may as well be English, because there is more choice in books! Her spoken English is only so-so, and she speaks Swiss German to her kids and French to her husband, who does not speak any German at all. Yes, Swiss people are pretty incredible!

Comment #3364

2013-04-03T06:18:32Z

As I understand it, many parents "translate" as they read, speaking Swiss German when the book is in High German. Stephan and I just read what's written, and Joseph seems to enjoy it just as much, and likes imitating the sounds as well.

Comment #3363

2013-04-02T22:20:35Z

I read your review and appreciated the quotes, thanks!

This is where literacy builds on itself. There are now a few children's books in Swiss German, but it's hard when the language has no standard written form! Stephan will correct me where I'm wrong, but I believe most Swiss German-speaking children are being read to from books written in what is to them a foreign language. As I said, I don't know how they do it, except that kids are brilliant. But it obviously requires literate parents.

Comment #3362

2013-04-02T21:28:52Z

I recently finished John Wood's new book "Creating Room to Read". I put quotes and notes to myself on my blog, if you want to look. Here is one of my notes about book publishing:

The issue was not that Room to Read wasn't purchasing Nepali-language children's books. The issue was that there were just not that many available. The ones that were available were for older grades. So, Room to Read entered the book publishing business and hires local authors and illustrators to create books that are culturally relevant and in the native language. They have published over 700 titles in 27 languages in 8 countries.

In a country where most of the citizens are illiterate, there is no incentive for publishers to publish children's books. Who is going to buy them? Certainly not a farmer who makes the equivalent of two dollars a day. Only the wealthy would be able to purchase books and they probably already send their children to private English-speaking schools.

Sarah