Adam Khoo: The expats will rule Singapore

[hquek]

tree nymph:

minnie2004:

It'll be quite shameful not being able to speak better Chinese than Ang mohs.

Minnie,

I share the same opinion as you regarding the chinese language! We ARE Chinese after all and its quite a shame to not to know your very own language.

Hear hear. I'm trying to cultivate the love of Chinese language in my kids also by reading, and also through enrichment. DS1 likes to say he hates chinese, I have to remind him that he is a Chinese, it's a shame if he can't speak his own language.

Took me so many years, but my chinese teachers are going to have the last laugh. I used to hate chinese lessons, ting xie etc....but seems like I'm imposing the same in my kids in the hope that they will grow to embrace the language.

[Busymom]

Cheval:

That is also why whenever possible, I always recommend my Singaporean friends to send their kids to France. They just \"lose\" one year to learn the language. If one does not choose Paris or Aix-en-Provence, living cost is not that high.

Is it sufficient to take just 1 year to learn the language? Wouldn't everything that is taught in class be conducted in French? :?

[Busymom]

Cheval:

In fact, France has 2 parallel system at the university level: engineering school (grande ecole) and university. Grandes ecoles are the place where the elite is trained. While anyone can enter a uni with a Baccalaureat (A level), the competition to enter a grande ecole is hard. The students have to have a good Baccalaureat score and attend the \"Classe preparatoire\" for 2 years. But only 50% will get thru in the end, a small proportion get into a dozen of prestigious grandes ecoles (the best two are: Ecole Normale de Paris and Ecole Polytechnique).

French just like to be complicated in everything that they do. :lol:

The \"Classe preparatoire\" is free, is it not? But Grandes ecoles is not free as you said. Public universities are free, but apparently, the good ones are very difficult to get in. There is now a third system, not sure if you have heard. I am not sure what it is called, but seems that you do not need to do the 2 years of \"Classe preparatoire\" to get into this, but the duration of the whole course would be like 4-5 years instead of 3 years in a university. This one is not free either.

[toddles]

Cheval:

In addition the language problem, I am afraid the A-level credits might not be recognized, contrary to universities in US or UK, which is not favorable to those with good A-level score. The latter can easily save 1 year if they study in UK or US.

A-level credits are recognised. PSC scholars are usually sent to Ecole Polytechnique and usually only need one year of language studies before they take exams in French.

[minnie2004]

Busymom:

Cheval:

That is also why whenever possible, I always recommend my Singaporean friends to send their kids to France. They just \"lose\" one year to learn the language. If one does not choose Paris or Aix-en-Provence, living cost is not that high.

Is it sufficient to take just 1 year to learn the language? Wouldn't everything that is taught in class be conducted in French? :?

I think 1 year to study French in France is sufficient as you're forced to use it on a daily basis. However, if you study in a non-French speaking country, it's a different story. I minored in French (i.e. 4 years of study) but have basically forgotten everything by now, tout oublié :oops:

I know someone who went to the business school HEC without much French background and survived although most classes are carried out in French.

[gajidouma]

haha, sure Minie. Needless to say, am very proud of being a Chinese myself. Plus speaking mandarin is truly an asset nowadays and we don't have to deny that either. :lol:


Regarding the hungry-for-success sentiments in China, well my observation is it may be missing among some youngsters, but maybe not so with pushing parents who are \"hungry\" for their only child to succeed.

[tree nymph]

Singapore Top City for Asian Expats

S'pore retains its top spot for the 11th year running as the best city for Asian expats to live in


http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20100324/tap-529-singapore-offers-best-living-env-231650b.html

[Cheval]

Busymom:

Cheval:

That is also why whenever possible, I always recommend my Singaporean friends to send their kids to France. They just \"lose\" one year to learn the language. If one does not choose Paris or Aix-en-Provence, living cost is not that high.

Is it sufficient to take just 1 year to learn the language? Wouldn't everything that is taught in class be conducted in French? :?

Minnie's answer below is right. When you have no way to escape, you can do everything. The same thing for kids from China: they have to learn English as quickly as possible.

Busymom:

French just like to be complicated in everything that they do. :lol:

The \"Classe preparatoire\" is free, is it not? But Grandes ecoles is not free as you said. Public universities are free, but apparently, the good ones are very difficult to get in. There is now a third system, not sure if you have heard. I am not sure what it is called, but seems that you do not need to do the 2 years of \"Classe preparatoire\" to get into this, but the duration of the whole course would be like 4-5 years instead of 3 years in a university. This one is not free either.

Since I've never attended classe prepa myself, I just checked some Internet sites. Here you are: the majority of Grandes ecoles and classes prepa are public, so they are free. Current registration fee is 500 euros/year. By the way, student medical insurance is 200- euros/year.

French universities are 4 years, not 3 years. The Grandes ecoles are 3 years + 2 years of classes prepa, 5 years altogether.

toddles:

Cheval:

In addition the language problem, I am afraid the A-level credits might not be recognized, contrary to universities in US or UK, which is not favorable to those with good A-level score. The latter can easily save 1 year if they study in UK or US.

A-level credits are recognised. PSC scholars are usually sent to Ecole Polytechnique and usually only need one year of language studies before they take exams in French.

Thanks for the info. But directly to Polytechnique without having to attend classes prepa and pass the \"concours\" (exams)? Somewhat surprising to me.

[Cheval]

gajidouma:

haha, sure Minie. Needless to say, am very proud of being a Chinese myself. Plus speaking mandarin is truly an asset nowadays and we don't have to deny that either. :lol:


Regarding the hungry-for-success sentiments in China, well my observation is it may be missing among some youngsters, but maybe not so with pushing parents who are \"hungry\" for their only child to succeed.

Good observation. My son is under huge pressure for his PSLE this year, from his mum and himself. That's not healthy at all.

tree nymph:

Singapore Top City for Asian Expats
S'pore retains its top spot for the 11th year running as the best city for Asian expats to live in

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20100324/tap-529-singapore-offers-best-living-env-231650b.html

Sorry, why cares? I came across the following, interesting to read:
http://www.darkmirage.com/2009/11/17/why-i-did-not-accept-my-psc-scholarship-offer

[outsider]

Blobbi:

Chill, dearies. :grphug:


This is so OT, I have no excuse. Anyway, here goes:

For many years, I worked in a half-team where out of 8 members based in Singapore, only 2 of us were Singaporeans (the other half of the team was in New York). Our roving boss was American. Including us, there were 2 Indian nationals, 1 Korean, 1 Aussie, 1 Chinese national. We could see the strengths and weaknesses of our various nationalities, and boy was it fun taking potshots at the differences. Everything was done respectfully; we all took it in a c'est la vie kind of way - like \"what to do, we were brought up this way what\". Our American boss was shocked because, he declared, in the US, you can get sued just for calling someone fat, not to mention bringing up racial differences. But in Singapore, because the differences are so obvious in a multiracial society, we don't have to pretend we can't see.

The key for getting along was and is mutual respect and trust. But when one group keeps slamming another group for imagined prejudices against themselves (even as they write that they \"don't feel it on a personal basis\"), for \"the discriminatory policies of the governement\" when, if we rub out eyes and take a look out the window, this place is teeming with foreigners, then we locals get resentful. Here we are, being very nice hosts, and our guests keep complaining that in other countries, the food is nicer. Or why their portion is one ikan bilis less. After a while, the host's smiling face will show some strain, like what's happening at the tail end of this thread. Then one more complaint, whether there is merit or not, is unlikely to be taken seriously.

I want to emphasize - mutual respect and trust. We're very genial hosts. When we cook and you eat, we don't mind constructive criticism cos we want to be better cooks. If you give objective examples like the differential in university fees between locals and PRs, that's clear for all to see. It's definitely food for thought. Even then, it's practically loose change, so please don't lose sleep over that. Clean air, high level of personal safety, competitive educational structure, efficient public services, good employment opportunities are available to all here - no extra charge of course. But if you compare us unfavourably with free university education in a debt ridden, high tax country when much of the world has given up that crazy, unsustainable policy, then that's spitting in our face. All we're asking for is ... some consideration.

It's not OT here