Lao PDR
Date: 21/02/2008
SEAMEO-World Bank Project
“Using the Mother Tongue as Bridge Language of Instruction in Southeast Asian Countries: Policy, Strategies and Advocacy”
A Consultative Workshop
- What have you heard / learned? (Relevant to Laos)
-Mother tongue as “bridge” to learning from pre-school through primary.
-Use Mother Tongue (MT) to acquire literacy first: to transfer to their further learning, will be much easier and more efficient, more successful, faster, etc.
→ than transfer literacy skills to national language
-Issue of orthography:
→ Languages that have orthography: use mother tongue than Lao (Hmong)
→ Languages that don’t have orthography (linguist-community-government-education can work together to develop)
Not barrier to MLE: - orthography
- lexicons
→ which language groups to pilot MLE with first?
Eg. Population size geographic representation language family representation, language with established orthography community support or readiness: Government policy on participation, local government (head minister, Lao)
Similarities with other countries:
-Opportunities for shared learning on MLE planning and implemented especially Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
-Who? Planning pilot
University (NUOL): - Faculty of Letter (Linguistics)
- Faculty of Education
- Research office
-MOE / RIES, DGE, DTT, DPC → Vice Ministers → Ministers
Committee Approval of Curriculum Instruction Materials (CACIM)
-Institute for Linguistic Research (Dr. Thongphet): PMO → NSSI, ICR (Institute of Cultural Research)
-Lao Front – Ethnic Groups Committee (vice president), Dr. Sayamong Vongsack
-MOF / MPI (Cost – benefit analysis)
-MIC → National Radio – EM broadcasting
------
Local
-MOE – PES / DEB
-Governor → village community
-Lao Front local focal point
How? to communicate thesemessages?
to convince each stakeholders of the benefits that interest them?
Local:
-More children go to school because they enjoy it more
-Your children will learn Lao language better
-Your children will learn to read, write and continue for their further studies better
-Your children will maintain your culture
National:
-all children will learn better for less money
-all children will acquire Lao language
-increased local cultural pride can contribute to national cohesion
Pilot: What would be in the pilot?
(Consider to continue the pilot program, discuss with the colleagues)
-start within the Namone-Khmer Language Family includes 32 ethnic groups (22,6%): focus on Brao ethnic group in Savannakhet province in the middle part of Laos
→ start from the pre-school to primary education
-Refers to case study of Cambodiaand Thailand
-Survey
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