Re: [Swprograms] BBCWS: So long "Westway", hello "Flatmates"

[Daniel Say <say@xxxxxx>]

> Turns out that the BBC isn't exiting the "serialized drama" (read: 
> soap opera) genre with the end of Westway this fall.
> 
> Starting August 1st, the BBC Learning website will feature an online
> drama, "Flatmates", that site visitors can experience at their own
> pace.
> 
> Reference:  http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/digital/article/488245/bbc-debuts-online-soap-teach-english-round-world/
> or http://tinyurl.com/dwdpf and
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/.
> ---
> Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA  USA
> _______________________________________________

	Except that Flatmates is not broadcast.

	Westway was for English teaching around the world.
	BBC used to have a set of special shows on BBCWS
	for learning English and they were avidly followed
	by the informal (not students that is) learner.

	In China, everyone walks around campus in the morning
	with a pocket shortwave glued to their ears listening
	to RA, BBC, VoA, much of it the language lessons.

	BBCWS is leaving the world because they are shortsighted
	in management.

	The internet can't replace broadcasts in the poorer 
	countries where they don't have individual computers, 
	nor much more than dialup, or radiowave dialup speeds.

	But of course the idea is to sell, like the British 
	Council, English instruction to the elites only, rather
	than mass education.  It works for England, but not for
	the real world, though the accountants might like it.

					Daniel Say
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