Comments on: Mother Language Day in East Timor

By: John

John — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:31:10 +0000

So, the East Timorese should stop being ridiculous and accept the fact that they have a beautiful and very important world language to call their own – Portuguese! It is the 5th most spoken language in the world and growing every day!

By: John

John — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:30:19 +0000

Portuguese language is growing in East Timor and the world. As more and more East Timorese learn and become fluent in Portuguese. Tetun will fall by the wayside. Tetun has no clout in the world, but Portuguese does. Besides, if you know Portuguese you are almost automatically gifted Spanish, because the two languages are so close in vocabulary, grammar and structure. Plus, knowing Portuguese makes understanding French and Italian easy too.

Portuguese is growing in importance in the world – even the Chinese are learning it. China does tons of trade with Brazil, Angola and Portugal for example – Portuguese speaking countries.

More people speak Portuguese in South America than Spanish. Brazil is already an economic giant – 5th largest economy in the world re: GDP. Brazil is a member of the BRIC countries who will control the global economy very soon.

Angola is becoming an economic power in Africa. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor, Macau, and of course, Portugal. Even many South American countries are learning Portuguese which is mandatory in the schools in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina re: the Mercosur/sul S.A. economic trade agreement.

And, Portuguese people live in large numbers all over the world i.e., South Africa, Venezuela, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Namibia, etc.

So, the East Timorese should stop being ridiculous and accept the fact that they have a beautiful and very important

By: Jackie Leigh

Jackie Leigh — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:07:57 +0000

Does anyone know of a chart showing criteria that usually exist in countries that support mother tongue education? It would help people working toward this goal know where to apply their efforts. In Sierra Leone, we have put this new twist on our organization’s celebration of International Mother Language Day:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sponsor-a-Mother-Tongue-Writer/298353910214512?sk=wall

By: Riatu Buti

Riatu Buti — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:01:36 +0000

The new generation of East Timorese born and/or educated during Indonesia Occupation of East Timor have to be assertive about language of instruction in East Timor. Portuguese must not be the language of instruction! Tetun is the only language can be language of instruction and identification of East Timor. Linguistically, East Timor has to recreate itself, by building up a language from Tetun Prasa. Either Portuguese or Bahasa Indonesia canot be the language of instruction, identification and unification of East Timor. This new generation should not allow a very small minority born and educated before 1975 to manipulate, recolonize and control the whole population of East Timor including the well educated young Timorese. I am the only Timorese born and educated before Indonesia occupation of East Timor that defend this view. It is amazing to know that recently a proposal in the East Timor Parliament to remove Portuguese language from Primary School was unanimously.

By: Zaki

Zaki — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 06:17:40 +0000

indirectly, we are still give appreciate to the locality language.

I am glad to read this article…

By: Carl Nommensen

Carl Nommensen — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:18:22 +0000

I just want to say thanks, Kerry, for posting this on our discussion page in LIN8015. It is encouraging to see someone we “know” contributing to policies in the real world which align with the ideas we are learning about.