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Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The school where NONE of the pupils speak English as first language
On a bright, sunny afternoon parents are picking up their children from Kobi Nazrul primary school in London 's East End in familiar scenes repeated up and down the land. Yet Kobi Nazrul is unique. It's thought to be the only school in the country with no pupils who speak English as a first language. Despite the language barrier, the 'friendly and welcoming' school received a glowing report from Ofsted in its most recent inspection. Leaders have 'high aspirations for pupils' who 'very much' enjoyed their learning environment and gave the school a 'good' rating, the second highest. Parents seem equally as enthusiastic. Picking up her six-year-old son, Bina Begum, 36, told MailOnline: 'The school is amazing, they're so supportive and very welcoming. 'I think the staff are doing a wonderful job.' The inner city school sits in a quiet side street off the busy Commercial Road in Whitechapel - a district once synonymous with Jack the Ripper and the Kray twins and home to the nation's true Cockneys. So how is it that pupils at the school - that stands in the shadow of towering skyscrapers which represent the immense wealth of the City - start their academic life speaking very little, or no, English at all? Latest UK government data shows that of the 243 pupils aged three to 11 on the primary school's register, 100 per cent of them do not have English as their first language compared with 22.8 per cent across England as a whole. Department of Education statistics, obtained by MailOnline under a Freedom of Information request, show 92.5 per cent of boys and girls at the school speak Bengali as their first language. The overwhelming majority of children at the school come from the local Bangladeshi community. Yet there are also a number of youngsters from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds who speak Hindi and Urdu and a small but growing number who speak Albanian. There are also pupils who are fluent in Italian and German who were born in Italy and Austria to Bangladeshi families who later moved to London. At the end of the street, just yards away, is the East London Mosque, one of the largest in Europe which accommodates up to 7,000 worshippers for prayers. Mrs Begum said: 'The majority of children are from a Bengali background but the school embraces all cultures and everyone is made to feel at home. 'My niece was the first in the family to go there and she's now 27-years-old. Her siblings followed and now my son is in Year One and my daughter is due to start later this year.' Speaking at the school gates as he waited for his son and daughter with other fathers, Md Al Mamun, 40, said: 'I like that the teachers and those who run the school try and keep things interesting for the children. 'They had a trip recently to the seaside and the children loved that. There's also a lot of extracurricular activities organised by the school. 'The classes aren't huge. 'My children speak English fluently but also speak Bengali, most of their school friends do. 'But it's not just children from a Bengali background. There's children from Indian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern backgrounds and a few children from Albanian backgrounds.' According to the 2021 Census, more than half of Whitechapel's residents - 51.3 per cent to be exact - come from an Asian background. The area has a long history of welcoming immigrants. From the late 19th century until the late 20th century, Whitechapel had a very high Jewish population but since the 1960s it has been home to London's Bangladeshi community. Gone are the traditional East End pubs and pie and mash shops and in their place are Islamic cafes and shops selling Muslim robes and sarees. Palestinian flags flutter from windows or are painted onto the grills of shopfronts and street signs warning of 'No ball games' are written in Bengali as well as English. The local authority is headed by controversial Bangladeshi-born mayor Lutfur Rahman who was re-elected three years ago. Rahman had been removed as mayor in 2015 and banned from standing again for five years after being found guilty of electoral fraud. Mohiul Islam, 56, has worked for a money transfer business based opposite the school, for the last 40-years. He said that when the business was set up in the mid-1980s there were still 'a few' East End-born and bred Cockney families living in the area. Mr Islam, who is originally from Bangladesh, said: 'They are all long gone. I don't know of any now because they've either passed away or moved out of Whitechapel. 'This area has always been popular with Bangladeshis, it's our heartland in London. 'Before Brexit there were Bengali families who had been living in Europe, in countries like Italy, Germany and Austria who came to Whitechapel. Some have stayed others have gone back. 'There is also a growing number of East Africans, particularly Somalis, moving to the area but I think it will always be dominated by the Bangladeshi community.' Not all the changes in recent times have been good, according to Mr Islam. He said: 'I think the biggest change is the sheer number of people who live here now. It's become very overcrowded and as a result there's a lot more litter around the streets. 'The young people are also not as considerate today as people were a while ago. They appear much more arrogant and entitled. 'There are still drug dealers operating around here and some of the youngsters walk around smoking cannabis, you can smell it. 'But I would say there are fewer robberies than before and there has been a reduction in instances of domestic violence which used to be a big problem locally. There's more education and awareness around the issues now.' Shahin Ahmed, 55, runs a corner shop close to the school. He said: 'Most of my customers are from a Bangladeshi background but there are increasing numbers of shoppers from Europe and Brazil. 'A lot of the children come in here after school and all of them speak in English to me even though they are fluent in Bengali. 'There is a good sense of community spirit around here. There is very little in the way of tension. 'The police and council have put up more CCTV cameras which has helped push the drug dealers out. 'Whitechapel is a busy and crowded area and it's noisy but the streets around the school are relatively quiet and calm.' Mohammed Saaddudin, who runs a nearby Halal butchers, explained that the majority of Bangladeshi's in Whitechapel come from one region in the north east of the country. Mr Saaddudin, 71, said: 'I would say if you stopped 100 people in the street outside, at least 90 of them would be from Sylhet. 'When Bangladeshis first started coming over to England, that's where they came from. 'Over the last 15-20 years Bangladeshis have been coming over from other parts of the country but most of us will be from Sylhet. It's a home from home in Whitechapel.' Iqbal Hossan, 50, is one of many Bangladeshis to come to London from Italy. He had been working in Venice and Milan before travelling to Whitechapel eight years ago and now runs Caffe Italia just off Commercial Road. Despite the name, most of the customers are Bangladeshi and speak Bengali. Mr Hossan said: 'The UK has a much bigger Bangladeshi population than Italy and Whitechapel is the centre of London's Bangladeshi community which is why so many of us have travelled over. 'The coffee and the food is Italian but it has a Bangladeshi flavour.' The terraced streets around Kobi Nazrul primary are filled mainly with late Victorian three-storey villas. The average price for a detached house is more than £1million and more than £600,000 for a two-bed leasehold flat - out of the price range of the families of most pupils at the school. According to an Ofsted report in 2016, a 'much higher than average' number of students - almost half those on the school roll - were eligible for 'pupil premium funding' - grants aimed at improving the outcomes for disadvantaged children. Through the scheme primary schools receive £1,480 per child with funds allocated to schools based on how many children are receiving free school meals. The school also had a higher than average proportion of pupils who had special educational needs or disability with most cases relating to 'speech, language and communication needs or moderate learning difficulties'. Despite this the school, which was named after a Bengali poet and activist, is thriving. According to the latest published performance data, 76 per cent of pupils at Kobi Nazrul are meeting 'expected standards' in reading, writing and maths even though all 29 children in the final year of primary school did not have English as their first language. That compares with a local average of 71 per cent and an average of 61 per cent in England. But it was not always this way and the school has had something of a chequered past. In 2006, future Prime Minister David Cameron visited Kobi Nazrul to unveil his 'vision' to transform education. Cameron, who had recently been made Conservative leader, outlined his party's plans to turn around the fortunes of schools in inner-city areas which he said had been failing for too long. The school was chosen for the launch as it was achieving good results despite its location in one of Europe's poorest districts. Another high profile visitor was Judy Murray who went there to share tennis tips and teach the kids ball games - just days after her son Andy beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win his first Wimbledon title in 2013. But there were troubles on the way for the school which just months later was plunged into crisis amid allegations its leadership had been infiltrated by Islamic extremists. Troubles began after a dramatic drop in standards led to Kobi Nazrul recording the worst ever SATs results in the borough. Just 40 per cent of children at the school achieved the required results in Maths and English compared with 82 per cent in 2012. It led to an emergency Ofsted inspection carried out with no notice at the request of the then education secretary. It then emerged Tower Hamlets Council held information relating to concerns over attempts by Islamic extremists to infiltrate local schools and subvert teachings. It also emerged that one of the school governors was a senior member of Hizb ut-Tahrir - a radical global group with a 'long-term goal of establishing a caliphate ruled under Islamic law' which has since been outlawed in the UK. The school was placed in special measures after it was found to be 'inadequate' in all areas. Its then headteacher denied there had been attempts at radicalisation but amid the failings, the head was replaced along with the school's entire board of governors. Australian-born Belinda King was appointed interim head before the position was made permanent and she remains at the school today. She set off on a mission to turn around the failing school and quickly produced results. In February 2016 the school was given its 'good' Ofsted rating after an inspection found the 'highly effective senior leadership team' has secured 'significant improvements'. Ms King told MailOnline: 'The community here is wonderful. We are a very diverse school and I'm fiercely protective of all my children and their parents.'
Independent Singapore
17-06-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Singaporean finds it problematic that some Chinese restaurants don't have English on their menus and signs
SINGAPORE: When a n on-Chinese Singaporean Reddit user highlighted the issues that arise when the language in local Chinese restaurants is almost entirely Chinese, their post sparked a lively discussion, with many commenters agreeing with the post author. On Jun 16 (Monday), a post on r/Singapore, u/Unfair-Bike wrote at the beginning of their post that they're an Indian Muslim with an interest in different cuisines, for the purpose of clarifying that the post is a personal rather than a political one. The post author wrote that they enjoy some halal Chinese restaurants, especially Halal Lanzhou beef noodles at Tongue Tip, and they're interested in trying more Northern Chinese cuisines if there are halal options. They also clarified that they do not mean larger restaurant chains such as Haidilao, Luckin Coffee, or CHAGEE, 'but rather the smaller restaurants you see popping up here and there, like in Bugis or Clementi,' where there's a growing number of residents from mainland China. The problem for the post author is that these restaurants primarily use Chinese on their menus and in their marketing, with hardly any English. This exclusion affects people who don't speak Chinese, including food delivery riders who cannot read or speak the language, a problem highlighted in an AsiaOne article in 2023. The post author added that even when restaurants do include some English, the text is often very small or only partially translated. 'In the menus, the translations can also be terrible ,' the post author wrote, adding, 'I do not know why the Chinese bosses are reluctant to put English signage. Do they think everyone speaks Chinese? Or do they only want the mainland immigrants as their clientele?' 'Even if I wouldn't patronise since they're not halal anyway, what if there's someone who doesn't speak Chinese but is interested in trying these Chinese places? Having no English makes this feel unwelcoming to some in Singapore, and don't forget about the staff who also struggle with English!' they wrote, adding in an edit an appeal for people not to make the post 'an excuse to be xenophobic.' Many were sympathetic to the post author and agreed with the points they raised. 'As a bilingual Chinese, I honestly feel you. It's something that I'm very annoyed by, even though I can understand the language perfectly fine. To me, English is the language that's supposed to bridge the social divide between races and, hence, an important element of the social fabric in Singapore, but when businesses do not care to start using English, it feels like we're taking a step backwards in social integration, which I think is one of the fundamental reasons that we have been successful,' was the top-rated comment. '100000%, and I say this as a non-Chinese who did Mandarin as MT. As someone who understands the language, I get that it's so automatic and easy to just take it for granted, but I see it from my family and friends' POV, and it's insane how much is coded as 'not for us' and 'you are not welcome' by having things exclusively in Mandarin. point it out and people are all 'ohhhh why so sensitive'. Worse yet in the workplace,' another chimed in. 'I wish I had awards to give this post. Thank you. You've hit the nail on the head here. It keeps boiling down to integration. As a minority, I feel it—increasingly I'm running into stores (not even Chinese restaurants) where none of the staff speak English AT ALL! I enjoy Chinese cuisine, but I feel like I'm being treated like a foreigner in my own homeland, and why? Because they opened up and didn't even bother to pick up basic English?' a third wrote. Interestingly, one Reddit user pointed out that this doesn't just happen in Singapore. 'As a tangent, it isn't just Chinese nationals who live in Singapore who do this. I live in England, and I was in the local Chinese grocer in town. They were chatting amongst themselves and kept referring to laowai (i.e., foreigners). I piped up and said, 'Here YOU are the laowai!!'' /TISG Read also: Chinese restaurant faces backlash for labelling cheap dishes 'kinder rates' and expensive ones 'PhD rates'—accused of educational discrimination
The Sun
09-06-2025
- The Sun
Apple unveils major iPhone trick to help you understand and SPEAK foreign languages
APPLE has unveiled a futuristic new feature that will help millions of people overcome language barriers. Using artificial intelligence (AI), your iPhone may soon be able to translate conversations on the fly. It will work in the Messages, FaceTime and the Phone app. For example, if you're studying abroad and wanting to make plans with some new friends but are stuck behind a language barrier. The new Live Translate feature means each text is instantly translated after receiving it - or sending it. On FaceTime, you'll receive instant live translated captions as you speak. While on a phone call, your words are translated as you speak. It even works when you call or text someone who doesn't have an iPhone. Apple noted that all your conversations will be processed and translated on the device for security purposes. That means they're not being sent to servers elsewhere to be translated. Apple has also added more translation capabilities to Apple Music. Apple shows you tips and tricks on the new Iphone 16e with Apple Intelligence Listeners will now be able to have lyrics translated in the app, alongside a new pronunciation tool to help you learn your favourite foreign songs. The feature will become available in iOS 26 - Apple's next big software update for iPhones. But it won't just be available on Apple's handsets - but its desktops and laptops too. Live Translation - as well as the nifty new Hold Assist tool - will also be available on Mac. Are you eligible for iOS 26? Official list of iOS 26 supported devices: iPhone 16e iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone SE (3rd gen) iPhone SE (2nd gen)
Arab News
07-06-2025
- General
- Arab News
The young Saudis bridging language barriers during Hajj
RIYADH: Each year, millions of Muslims from all over the world arrive in Makkah for Hajj — united in faith, but sometimes divided by language. From Turkish and Urdu to Swahili and Bahasa, the diversity of languages in the holy cities is vast. For many, overcoming language barriers while navigating the logistics of Hajj can be overwhelming. That is where young Saudi volunteers step in to translate and ease some of the challenges pilgrims face. 'We speak different languages, but we're all here for the same reason,' said Deema Ibrahim, 21. Ibrahim's experience volunteering as a translator began with a change of plans. 'I initially joined a team for emergency medical services,' she said. 'But when we arrived, we found that the ambulance units were already full. So we were redirected to work in the road guidance division.' Her unit was based near a hotel that housed non-Arabic-speaking pilgrims. As one of the few bilingual members of her team, Ibrahim's role became essential. 'I also assisted deaf and mute pilgrims through remote video calls,' she said. 'That allowed me to support a wider group of people who would otherwise be left struggling.' One of the most emotional moments she experienced was helping an elderly woman who had become separated from her family. 'She didn't remember much and couldn't communicate clearly. 'We eventually found a card with her camp name, called them, and her daughters came running. They didn't expect to find her again. It was a moment I'll never forget. 'I did it for the reward — and for the duas.' Saad Al-Harbi, 23, was encouraged by a friend to volunteer. 'He said, 'You speak good English, you live in Makkah, and you're available — why not help as a group guide and translator?'' he recalled. Most of the questions from pilgrims were about directions. 'They'd ask how to get to Arafat, or where to perform the stoning, or how to navigate from one site to another.' But what stayed with him most was the gratitude. 'On the last day of Hajj, almost everyone in our group came up to thank me. They told me my help made a difference. That meant everything.' Maha Al-Ahmari, 24, who speaks fluent Turkish, assisted several elderly Turkish origin or Turkish-speaking pilgrims who were part of a group of North African pilgrims in Muzdalifah. 'Many of them were completely disoriented and couldn't communicate with security or their own groups,' she said. 'Just being able to speak their language calmed them instantly. One woman kissed my hand in thanks — I'll never forget that.' The Kingdom's efforts to enhance services for pilgrims include multilingual signage, smart apps with translation features, and trained staff in key areas. Still, human contact is at the heart of everything guides do — especially when emotions run high. Ibrahim said that some of the most difficult cases involved older pilgrims who were confused, hard of hearing, or dealing with memory loss. 'The pressure increases during the days of Nafr,' she said. 'People get lost easily. And when they can't speak Arabic or English, the stress becomes dangerous.' She credits the government's organization — from surveillance centers to camp identification systems — for helping volunteers like her stay effective. 'We had support, but the human side of it — calming someone, assuring them — that was on us.' Faris Al-Turki, 28, who volunteered in Mina, said he used Google Translate in real time to assist a pilgrim from Central Asia. 'It wasn't perfect, but it helped. He was trying to find his medication and explain a health condition. We figured it out.' For many volunteers, the act of translation is an act of worship. It's a way to serve the guests of Allah — a role that holds deep spiritual meaning in Saudi culture. 'You're not just translating words,' Al-Harbi said. 'You're translating emotion. You're showing them that they're not alone.' Ibrahim agreed. 'It was exhausting, physically and mentally, but it was the most fulfilling thing I've ever done. Despite our different languages, we were all in the same sacred space, for the same reason. That unity — you feel it.' In the end, most volunteers do not seek recognition. They often work behind the scenes, in the heat, in the chaos, among strangers. But for the pilgrims who meet them — the ones who are lost, confused, scared — their presence is unforgettable. A calm voice. A familiar phrase. A gesture of patience. And when the pilgrims return home, they may not remember every building or landmark, but they will remember that young Saudi who stepped forward, understood their words, and made them feel seen.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I'm an American living in the UK and I won't use this common English word because I'd get cancelled back home
An American woman has revealed the one everyday British word that's so offensive in the United States, she claims she wouldn't even dare say it aloud. Amber Kacherian, a popular TikToker with nearly a million followers, has been living in the UK and regularly posts about her culture shock experiences, from slang to baffling food labels. But one of her most recent videos has sent shockwaves through both sides of the Atlantic after she revealed three seemingly innocent English words that take on wildly different, and in some cases, inappropriate, meanings in the US. Amber starts the video with a warning: 'British people - do not say these words in America unless you want people to look at you very strangely.' The first item on her list is the humble classroom essential, a rubber. 'In America, the word 'rubber' means something very different,' she says. 'So, my British friends, please be warned that if you walk into a store in America and ask for a rubber, the item you receive is not going to be an eraser.' In the UK, of course, a rubber is an everyday stationery item, but across the pond it's slang for a condom. While Brits might not bat an eye, Amber's point struck a chord with fellow Americans who recalled their own awkward encounters with British terminology. Next up was the classic UK cupboard staple of whipped cream in a can, more commonly known in Britain as squirty cream. Amber could barely contain her disbelief. 'I did not believe this one until I saw it for myself,' she laughs in the video. 'You heard that right - squirty cream. I don't even know if I'm allowed to say that on here. 'And yes, this is 100 per cent real. This is really and truly, honest to goodness, what they call it.' Still incredulous, she adds: 'I went to a store in the UK and I saw it on the shelves there, I saw it with my own eyes and to this day I think I'm still not fully recovered. 'I have no words. My British friends, I think you knew exactly what you were doing when you did this.' Her advice for any UK travellers planning a trip stateside is not to go asking for rubbers and squirty cream unless you want some puzzled stares. But it was her final example that she says she 'can't even say' out loud, and one that left her genuinely shaken. The word in question is a British slang term for a cigarette - fag - a word which, in the US, is exclusively used as a slur against gay people. 'I can't even say the word on here or I'll get cancelled,' says Amber. 'Let's just say it's a horribly offensive slur that you will never, ever hear come out of my mouth. 'It's 'flag', but without the L. But please don't ever say that word in America. Probably just don't ever say it anywhere, ever, just to be safe.' Amber explains how she discovered that the word is also used in Britain to describe a variety of meatball, thanks to faggots, a famous UK meat product. Filming herself in front of an image of the packaging of Mr Brain's Six Pork Faggots, she asks her UK followers: 'For my friends in the UK, my question is: what is the fascination with this word? Why does everyone love using this word? 'Does it mean something else in the UK? In America you cannot say this word ever, but in the UK they're just casually throwing it on packages of meatballs.' While Amber's video was meant in jest, it sparked a flurry of passionate responses in the comments, particularly from Brits defending the language. One viewer wrote: 'Cream that you squirt from a can is logically called squirty cream. 'Americans call a pair of glasses "eye glasses" and are not in a position to criticise.' Brits rushed to the comments to defend their language quirks, arguing English dialects are much older than American ones Another was quick to point out the history behind the words: 'The word "f*ggt" is older than your country. As a food item the name was used from at least the mid-19th century, they are not meatballs as such but rather they are made from offal.' A more blunt take came from another user who simply wrote: 'As the English language comes from England we are correct and the USA is wrong. It really is that simple.' And one commenter said: 'I am a UK resident and I had absolutely no idea that Americans didn't know this stuff and now I can't stop laughing! What the heck do you call squirty cream then?' Amber's video also reignited interest in the origins of the controversial cigarette slang. Linguists point out that the British slang term fag, meaning a cigarette, actually predates the homophobic slur. The latter meaning may have originated in English public boarding schools, where younger boys (known as 'fags') were tasked with menial chores for older students, the Think Queerly blog reports. The term may have evolved from faggot, originally a bundle of sticks - later associated with women's domestic labour and, eventually, the younger boys who performed those duties. As the word developed, it gained the slur connotations, though these did not become mainstream until the early 20th century.
