Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h8272J719012; Tue, 2 Sep 2003 03:02:19 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 03:02:19 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <000401c3711f$58eb5b10$0100a8c0@martin> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Martin E. Senger" <MESenger@netbox.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9353] Re: Accept English Only donation? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.2616 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 1108 Lines: 21 Living within a different language/culture is by now means a sure way to learn a language. The desire has to be there also. I am an ESL teacher at a local plastics factory, and several of my Mexican students have been in this country a decade or more. They have avoided learning English by remaining within their own language and culture group and limiting their outside (English) experience. I also know many Bosnians, and it was very common for them to live and work in Germany for decades and never learn German, since their ethnic community had reached such a critical mass that it could offer any support services they might need. I might add that the Bosnians I had talked to said a primary reason they never learned German was that they often felt unwelcome there. As for forcing someone to learn a language, I often surprise my students by asking them what is the 'official' language of the US. I constantly try to reinforce the idea that an 'American' can speak any language, be any color, practice any religion. Having lived in monolithic societies, vive la diference (or somethin' like that)!
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