Dave wrote: >Firstly, I think it's significant that China, Japan, and Korea have >computers being sold with operating systems in their languages, >keyboards in their languages, even BIOS settings in their languages.... >To displace these models, a nonprofit is going to have to leap all of >these tiers and create an overarching solution from end to end, from >education to employment, to serve as a model that makes economic sense...
Computers and internet access are only going to become cheaper, infrastructure more extended and last mile solutions more available. At some point, enough Bengali-speaking people, whether from Eastern India or Bangladesh (or London, New York or Houston), will compel the market to introduce Bengali language services. This has already started happening with some cell phone services. When it happens on a large scale, it will be industry rather than the not-for-profit sector providing the drive. The overall economy of Bangladesh, government regulation of the computer industry, communication and education policy may speed the process up or slow it down by a generation or two, but eventually it will happen as long as the country does not shut itself off from the rest of the world. There isn't a lot to do to get ready for this... the standards exist, and anyone can put together Bengali content. There just needs to be a demand. An educated, computer-literate workforce would be a catalyst, however. Linda wrote: >My other observation is that IF Bangladesh is to emerge >into the global economy school in Bangla medium, especially those for the >emerging middle class, must have Internet access with resources in >Bengali I guess that depends on Bangladesh's policy towards English. Recently, the Prime Minister requested that the Education Ministry implement an English medium secondary school in each of Bangladesh's 64 districts. According to press announcements, these schools would also have ICT centers. Bangladesh no doubt wants to mirror India's success in entering the global economy via English as a medium of commerce, particularly in the information services sector. English is an integral part of the official curriculum even in Bangla-medium schools. The most influential up-and-coming Bangladeshi businessmen/government officials went to elite English-medium schools and many spent their university years at English-medium institutions abroad. While the previous generation reveres the language martyrs that inspired world mother language day, this later generation has a different perspective. Ironically, adaptation of English might be the best way to bridge the digital divide for Bengalis by improving the general economy and state of education, bringing about the conditions to make computers/internet affordable. - Jack Welch ================================ The above are my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of my organization or its sponsors. Jack Welch, Country Director Relief International - Schools Online, Bangladesh +880-173-032-998 | +1-202-470-6793 http://www.connect-bangladesh.org _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
