Noam Chomsky was in Taiwan for a speaking engagement at Academia Sinica. (Who else has such money to host a big name like Chomsky?) At a news conference after his talk, a local reporter questioned Chomsky about the acceptable age at which children can learn another language.
"It's not a question of linguistics," Chomsky said. "For a young child, language learning is kind of like breathing.
When it was pointed out that some politicians and bureaucrats believed it is harmful for a child to learn English at a young age (does anybody remember then-mayor Ma's opening address to the ETA-ROC conference audience?), Chomsky replied that the question is not one of language, but of social policy. "What kind of society do you want to live in? Do you want to live in a multicultural society or a culturally uniform society?"
Read more about Chomsky's speech at the Taipei Times website.
"It's not a question of linguistics," Chomsky said. "For a young child, language learning is kind of like breathing.
When it was pointed out that some politicians and bureaucrats believed it is harmful for a child to learn English at a young age (does anybody remember then-mayor Ma's opening address to the ETA-ROC conference audience?), Chomsky replied that the question is not one of language, but of social policy. "What kind of society do you want to live in? Do you want to live in a multicultural society or a culturally uniform society?"
Read more about Chomsky's speech at the Taipei Times website.
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