Adam Khoo: The expats will rule Singapore
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Busymom:
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:
Is it sufficient to take just 1 year to learn the language? Wouldn't everything that is taught in class be conducted in French? :?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.
I know someone who went to the business school HEC without much French background and survived although most classes are carried out in French. -
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.
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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 -
Busymom:
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.
Is it sufficient to take just 1 year to learn the language? Wouldn't everything that is taught in class be conducted in French? :?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.Busymom:
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 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.
French universities are 4 years, not 3 years. The Grandes ecoles are 3 years + 2 years of classes prepa, 5 years altogether.toddles:
Thanks for the info. But directly to Polytechnique without having to attend classes prepa and pass the \"concours\" (exams)? Somewhat surprising to me.
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.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.
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gajidouma:
Good observation. My son is under huge pressure for his PSLE this year, from his mum and himself. That's not healthy at all.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:
Sorry, why cares? I came across the following, interesting to read: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
http://www.darkmirage.com/2009/11/17/why-i-did-not-accept-my-psc-scholarship-offer -
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
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outsider:
Thanks Blobbi for that. I like the last sentence best! :lol: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
In this world, where got free lunch wan ??
And thanks, outsider for moving the post here! -
outsider:
Alamak deja vu lah ... read this somewhere just some mins back leh ....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
Yup, def not OT here :lol: -
Cheval:
Cheval,
Sorry, why cares? I came across the following, interesting to read: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
http://www.darkmirage.com/2009/11/17/why-i-did-not-accept-my-psc-scholarship-offer
We care. Because we are proud of what we are TODAY. Else you won't be here now, right?
As for the blog, I respect his decision and understand where he is coming from. AND i'm proud of him for being mature and his good writing. -
Cheval:
You mean to say \"Who cares?\" Am I right?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
Well, as a true-blue Singaporean, I do.
And yes, I am proud of that and yes, I do agree with the survey no matter what others may say...
I love the air most , at least I can breathe more easily here than in the other Asian cities. :lol:
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