[Wikimedia-l] Wikimania 2013 scholarship now accepting application

[Liam Wyatt]

On Monday, 18 February 2013, Abbas Mahmood wrote:

> > From: liamwyatt at gmail.com <javascript:;>
> > Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:47:06 +0000
> > To: wikimedia-l at lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;>
> > Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimania 2013 scholarship now accepting
> application
> >
> >
> > " Hong Kong is an international gourmet paradise. Please use less than
> 200
> > words to describe your favourite dish of food."
> >
> > Is this an English-language test? Or, is this to help determine the best
> > catering options? Or something else?
>
> +1 to what Liam asked. I honestly don't understand the premise of that
> question in the scholarship application form.
> Abbas.
>

Upon further questioning I was informed that:

"This question is referring to the selection criteria #4 "Fluency of
English language".  "

So... Apparently this is where you are expected to write something that
convinces people you have a firm grasp of English. Unfortunately, this is a
written test, not an oral test - because an oral test might be quite
useful. I know many people from my own country and other
English-native-speaking countries that are officially literate but when
asked to speak in a formal setting (or even semi-formal situation like
Wikimania) are incapable of clear enunciation, diction, grammar,
intonation, accent and speed. Certainly, they can be understood by *other*
native English speakers but they have no concept of how difficult it is for
non-native speakers to understand them.

Perhaps a mandatory class for native speakers before the conference
entitled:
"Speak English, like, more good 'n stuff for all y'all. Mmm'kay?"




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