Language students should be allowed to freely choose what content to learn
from. There is nothing wrong with making content available to them that
conforms to the teachers position on various issues. The enthusiasm of the
teacher can be a source of motivation for the learner. However, I would hope
that learners are also offered different perspectives on these issues, and a
chance to choose unrelated content, or even content that represents a
different point of view to learn from.


>From my Russian learning I am aware of the fact that there is a major

rewrite of history taking place in that country whereby Stalin is described
as an efficient manager, forced collectivization of the peasants and the
repressions ( resulting in the loss of millions of lives) were necessary for
the industrialization of the country and to prepare for war, Russia's
invasion of Poland was just the liberation of the Western Ukraine, and on
and on. I am very wary of the state, or other well intentioned groups
imposing their perspectives on students. This is all the more so if the
subject is really supposed to be language learning.


Steve


-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com
1-604-922-8514
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