SMSes affect children's reading skills

SMSes affect children's reading skills

London, Feb 22 (VCC) Text messaging could be stunting children's reading skills, a Canadian study has revealed.

A study of students at the University of Calgary in Canada showed that those who texted more were less receptive to new words while those who read more books, magazines, and newspapers were more accepting of the same words, the Daily Express reported.

"Our assumption about text messaging is that it encourages unconstrained language, but the study found this to be a myth," said Joan Lee, the report's author.

(Courtesy: Indiatoday)

Global meltdown affects job prospects for Oxford graduates

Global meltdown affects job prospects for Oxford graduates

London, Feb 20 (VCC) Squeezed by a tight job market, more graduates of Oxford University are working as bar tenders, waitresses and waiters, a study has said.

Of the 3,500 students who supplied information, nearly 200 were working in non-graduate occupations such as such as office clerk, sales assistant or waiter, according to a university press release.

The figures give a snapshot of the desperate job market and shows that while many secured jobs as doctors, bankers or management consultants, others are struggling to get their foot on the career ladder, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Arabic calligraphy expo opens in Dubai

Arabic calligraphy expo opens in Dubai

Dubai, Feb 18 (VCC) An international Arabic calligraphy exhibition has opened here.

The 7th Dubai International Exhibition for Arabic Calligraphy was opened Thursday by Federal National Council speaker Mohammed Al Murr.

He said the UAE leaders have been highly supportive of the initiatives designed to develop and promote the art whose beauty appeals to a global audience.

The eight-day exhibition, organised by tourism and commerce department, reflects the significance attached to this art form by the people and the rulers of the UAE, he said.

It features 42 selected works of 22 calligraphers from 12 countries, including Britain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey and Iran.

(Courtesy:Zimbio.com)

Pennsylvania school district offers Hindi

Pennsylvania school district offers Hindi 

Nevada (US), Feb 1 (VCC) A school district in Pennsylvania is offering Hindi, the official language of India, to its students from the next semester.

Students in this course offered by Bensalem Township School District (BTSD) will learn speaking and writing Hindi and expressing themselves in Hindi. They will be taught "conversational Hindi using authentic written and visual materials" and will be "consistently engaged in interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes of communication".

USA being a culturally diverse society, introducing languages of India would bring more cohesiveness and harmony in the communities. In addition, American children of Indian-descent would be able to keep their languages, traditions and culture alive and intact.

Hindi is the fourth highly spoken language in the world after Chinese, Spanish and English and has more speakers than Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, etc.

This Hindi course will be offered as an elective for students who have completed two years of another language at the high school level, according to Sharon Doyle, Bensalem High School principal's secretary, who adds that if it does well, then a higher-level course in Hindi might also be added. Besides English, District already offers Spanish, French, Japanese and Latin.

The school has about 6300 students and about 85 per cent of its graduates go for higher education.

Bensalem Township in Pennsylvania, established 1692, is known as "Community of Firsts", "A Model for America" and "1 of 100 Best Communities in the United States to Raise Children".