Dysgu ym Mandarin yn Ysgol Caernarfon (yng Nghanada).
The board currently offers full bilingual programs in seven languages: American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic, Mandarin, German, Hebrew, Spanish and Ukranian. A total of 27 schools offer half of each day’s programming in the target language and the other half in English.
The model is a dramatic departure from the one found in most other large Canadian cities where languages other than French and English can be studied in individual credit courses, or else after school or on weekends in heritage language sessions. Edmonton, although not nearly as ethnically diverse as Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, has emerged as the leader in second-language learning.
Indeed, bilingual education is now being trumpeted by some of Canada’s leading educators as the best way for children ó and especially immigrant children ó to develop their overall academic skills. The debate is critical in Canada where students who speak a language other than English at home now make up 20 to 50 per cent of the general school population in Canada’s biggest cities.
Ond fyddai’n braf i weld erthygl mor gynhwysfawr â hyn yn ein Papur Genedlaethol Bondigrybwyll ni? Erthygl am ddwyieithogrwydd sy ddim yn cael ei seilio ar gwesiynau o genedligrwydd, ac, yn enwedig, gwleidyddiaeth pleidiol.
Na, dw i ddim yn ôl, jyst ffeindio fy hunan gyda awr i’w lenwi yn y llyfrgell.
Dim son am ddysgu’r ieithoedd brodorol dwi’n sylwi. Drua’n or Indiaid Cochion, Cymry’r byd newydd!
Wel, mae hyn mewn ardal drefol, am wn i. Mae cynlluniau iaith yn yr ardaloedd mwy gogleddol o Ganada yn well o lawer, o beth dw i’n deall, na’r rhai yn yr UDA. Ond mae sefyllfa yng Ngogledd America yn gyffredinol yn bell tu ôl beth dyn ni wedi dod i ddisgwyl yma yng Nghymru.