"Sinhala Only Act " Official Language Act No. 33 of 1956 by SWRD

[pavanruka]

It's sad when people (even some here) cannot understand English properly, leave alone speaking it! It's not that they are not interested, but they simply refuse to learn it. But on the other hand, they would use all their energy to learn Hindi!

 

[rajitha.wijayaratne]

Thanks at least one sensible thought came up at last !

Did you read the part about Gothama Buddha in the Quora article?

 

[sam_sajith]

It's sad when people (even some here) cannot understand English properly, leave alone speaking it! It's not that they are not interested, but they simply refuse to learn it. But on the other hand, they would use all their energy to learn Hindi!

Hindi is Fun, merges with our imaginations, typical eastern mentality, we need all but in hidden way. in western way, still you need all but its open, speak out deal with it and finish. case closed.

Elakiri could have been another quora if most of the people knew better English, then we will not be discussing the threads like "what is your cast" / "Dammika Pani" / and many more ......

---

Did you read the part about Gothama Buddha in the Quora article?

what do you try to prove in that ? I really do not care how Lord Buddha visited lanka and for what, all I care is what he has shown us, I respect it and trying to understand which is completely irrelevant to this discussion. this is where most of our people start to get this confusion, keep the religion aside, more you try to drag your religion into the common conversations you will be ending up at place where you really don't want to be frankly. I saw the original author of that quora has done the same.
------ Post added on Feb 3, 2021 at 12:17 PM

 

[NiyamaSinhalaya]

Guys, I think what I'm going to discuss here is somewhat appropriate as English proficiency among our people seems to be questioned after the recent viral went when present asked a lady to speak in English, her being an English teacher or educator,

I think, S W R D Bandaranayake was the one who created all these when he sworn to make Sinhalese as the official language in Sri Lanka leading us to nowhere but to a complete abyss. we are somewhat left alone due to the lack of universal language knowledge

Please share your thoughts !

P:S this is not for the people who comes to argue with me on 2500+ years proud history and the heritage we have just to see and boast !

Sri Lanka is the only country that speaks Sinhala

Can you point out any country that encourages its citizens to learn Sinhala?

This English language planted by the British mainly in those commonwealth countries.

Then for communication purposes, those workers/ servants started to learn English.

And then English schools started.

English should not be the first language or second language in our country.

I encourage SINHALA.
If you go to Japan, you must learn Japanese.
If you go to China, you must learn Chinese.
And they became world giants without English.

It doesn't mean that we should ditch English.

We use English to learn the WORLD. Then WIN the WORLD.
Not Ditch SINHALA and lose the COUNTRY.


With regards to the recent Gota and English graduate discussion:
The lady who spoke that day requested teaching jobs, to teach English.
She started speaking in Sinhala, which was good.
Gota instantly requested her to speak in English, Why it's bad?

Till that time, did you know that your kids learning or going to learn English from such teachers?
Did you see their capacity? I'm not putting them down.
But they demand to give a teaching job.

And later they will go and teach kids.

For me, what GOTA did was 100% correct. It opens many eyes now.

We are not born ENGLISH, but when we choose a profession we should be on top.
Teaching is something that is a very difficult task. If you teach a student 1+2 is 10 they will learn that.

Finally, my question to you is:
Will you send your son or daughter to that teacher to learn English?

 

[rajitha.wijayaratne]

---

I respect it and trying to understand which is completely irrelevant to this discussion.

The Gothama Buddha's history relevant because it's connected to the issue you raised.

 

[sam_sajith]

Sri Lanka is the only country that speaks Sinhala

Can you point out any country that encourages its citizens to learn Sinhala?

This English language planted by the British mainly in those commonwealth countries.

Then for communication purposes, those workers/ servants started to learn English.

And then English schools started.

English should not be the first language or second language in our country.

I encourage SINHALA.
If you go to Japan, you must learn Japanese.
If you go to China, you must learn Chinese.
And they became world giants without English.

It doesn't mean that we should ditch English.

We use English to learn the WORLD. Then WIN the WORLD.
Not Ditch SINHALA and lose the COUNTRY.


With regards to the recent Gota and English graduate discussion:
The lady who spoke that day requested teaching jobs, to teach English.
She started speaking in Sinhala, which was good.
Gota instantly requested her to speak in English, Why it's bad?

Till that time, did you know that your kids learning or going to learn English from such teachers?
Did you see their capacity? I'm not putting them down.
But they demand to give a teaching job.

And later they will go and teach kids.

For me, what GOTA did was 100% correct. It opens many eyes now.

We are not born ENGLISH, but when we choose a profession we should be on top.
Teaching is something that is a very difficult task. If you teach a student 1+2 is 10 they will learn that.

Finally, my question to you is:
Will you send your son or daughter to that teacher to learn English?

"Will you send your son or daughter to that teacher to learn English?"

first of all i will not send my children to learn English as I will try my level best to teach them at home as a primal language, and they will certainly take it up the advance English upon having the supportive surroundings, (*cant be done in SL)

---

---

The Gothama Buddha's history relevant because it's connected to the issue you raised.

Lets not go into that deep, because none of are way out from that reach, but this SWRD issue was in recent history, do you still think what SWRD did correct ?
------ Post added on Feb 3, 2021 at 1:36 PM

 

[NiyamaSinhalaya]

SWRD did the right thing.

 

[Edward Kenway]

Japan, China or Korea did not develop giving English the foremost place.

A majority of the trade happens internally. People trade with each other within the country most.

A secondary language such as English or Mandarin is preferable. This is good if the person wants to trade externally, further their education beyond the basics or engage in diplomacy beyond borders.

However, a majority of the people will be born in the island and die within the island without needing English. They need to be educated in the mother tongue first and foremost.

An English teacher most certainly should be able to speak English. Inability to speak the language they teach is not the fault of SWRD or his language policy.

Comparing Sri Lanka to China or Japan is utter stupidity.

Answer this simple question, is it possible to progress beyond A/L with just Sinhala? if the answer is no then that's why kids should be encouraged to learn English.

 

[rajitha.wijayaratne]

Lets not go into that deep, because none of are way out from that reach, but this SWRD issue was in recent history, do you still think what SWRD did correct ?

I don't know about going "deep"! It's very simple.

Gothama as well as other Buddha's are only born in the island of Sri Lanka . They are all Sinhalese. Read here -> http://jambudipa.quora.com

All Buddha's are Sinhalese. It's the Sinhala culture and habits that produces a Buddha.

You take the language away, then the culture that produces Buddha goes away too!

 

[sam_sajith]

SWRD did the right thing.

Yeh..... so didn't your father sleep early on that day as well

---

I don't know about going "deep"! It's very simple.

Gothama as well as other Buddha's are only born in the island of Sri Lanka . They are all Sinhalese. Read here -> http://jambudipa.quora.com

All Buddha's are Sinhalese. It's the Sinhala culture and habits that produces a Buddha.

You take the language away, then the culture that produces Buddha goes away too!

again, I told you several times, I do not know about these grater history, I'm just talking about the recent one with what did SWRD do, which is not correct, thats all ! MAKING SINHALESE AS AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ! that's all we could have Sinhalese as the national language but admin should have gone to English. that's all.
------ Post added on Feb 3, 2021 at 2:22 PM

 

[pavanruka]

I don't know about going "deep"! It's very simple.

Gothama as well as other Buddha's are only born in the island of Sri Lanka . They are all Sinhalese. Read here -> http://jambudipa.quora.com

All Buddha's are Sinhalese. It's the Sinhala culture and habits that produces a Buddha.

You take the language away, then the culture that produces Buddha goes away too!

Buddhas are not Sinhala. You get a lot of Buddhists the world over who are NOT Sinhala.

 

[rajitha.wijayaratne]

Buddhas are not Sinhala. You get a lot of Buddhists the world over who are NOT Sinhala.

again, I told you several times, I do not know about these grater history,

Well, its all here in English -> http://jambudipa.quora.com

Read it so that you understand what is going on. I will be here if needed to clarify issues with the above article.

 

[pavanruka]

Sri Lanka is the only country that speaks Sinhala

Can you point out any country that encourages its citizens to learn Sinhala?

This English language planted by the British mainly in those commonwealth countries.

Then for communication purposes, those workers/ servants started to learn English.

And then English schools started.

English should not be the first language or second language in our country.

I encourage SINHALA.
If you go to Japan, you must learn Japanese.
If you go to China, you must learn Chinese.
And they became world giants without English.

It doesn't mean that we should ditch English.

We use English to learn the WORLD. Then WIN the WORLD.
Not Ditch SINHALA and lose the COUNTRY.


With regards to the recent Gota and English graduate discussion:
The lady who spoke that day requested teaching jobs, to teach English.
She started speaking in Sinhala, which was good.
Gota instantly requested her to speak in English, Why it's bad?

Till that time, did you know that your kids learning or going to learn English from such teachers?
Did you see their capacity? I'm not putting them down.
But they demand to give a teaching job.

And later they will go and teach kids.

For me, what GOTA did was 100% correct. It opens many eyes now.

We are not born ENGLISH, but when we choose a profession we should be on top.
Teaching is something that is a very difficult task. If you teach a student 1+2 is 10 they will learn that.

Finally, my question to you is:
Will you send your son or daughter to that teacher to learn English?

It's true that English is not the First Language in some countries, but WITHOUT English none of them can "win the world" as you say. All those who "win the world" speak and understand English. Otherwise, they end their journey halfway.
Nobody is saying to ditch Sinhala. The problem was when it was made "Only" and not "First", or whatever. You understand what is "only" and what is "first," I presume.
As for Gota's episode, I'm sure the whole thing was stage-managed. Since that particular program is announced and publicized in advance, the people concerned must be rehearsing their roles, even at this very minute.

 

[sam_sajith]

It's true that English is not the First Language in some countries, but WITHOUT English none of them can "win the world" as you say. All those who "win the world" speak and understand English. Otherwise, they end their journey halfway.
Nobody is saying to ditch Sinhala. The problem was when it was made "Only" and not "First", or whatever. You understand what is "only" and what is "first," I presume.
As for Gota's episode, I'm sure the whole thing was stage-managed. Since that particular program is announced and publicized in advance, the people concerned must be rehearsing their roles, even at this very minute.

like Singapore, they have their national language Chinese then official language English

 

[dfgrendezvous]

Main language of following is English. Are they good?
*Nigeria
*Uganda
*Kenya
*Jamaica
* Trinidad
*Zimbabwe


Main language of following are NOT English. Are they bad?
* Denmark
*Sweden
*Norway
*China
*Japan
* Italy
*France
*Korea
* Gulf countries
* Russia
* Switzerland
* Austria
* Netherlands

 

[LKuser]

Sadly Sri Lanka speaks much and act less. China and other non-English speaking countries have (improved) self development which is not the sceanery in Sri Lanka. Still SL is a "developing" country!

 

[kalhara96]

SWRD did the right thing.

Exactly
Further, all university degrees should be taught in the Sinhala medium (i.e. native language). (Take Japan, China, Russia for examples)
Priority should be always given to the native language within the country.

 

[Edward Kenway]

Exactly
Further, all university degrees should be taught in the Sinhala medium (i.e. native language). (Take Japan, China, Russia for examples)
Priority should be always given to the native language within the country.

Yeah because amuthu ate is comparable to economic power houses of the world with huge populations

 

[asylum]

bump.

 

[kalhara96]

Yeah because amuthu ate is comparable to economic power houses of the world with huge populations

Those so called “power houses” are where they are today because they valued their national identity from the beginning when they were nothing, just like we’re today.