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 h8617V726591; Fri, 5 Sep 2003 21:07:31 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 21:07:31 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <Law9-F1078dd7ouOhm70003c281@hotmail.com> 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: "Susan Ryan" <susanefl@hotmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9435] RE: Illiteracy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 2300 Lines: 55 A very complex situation, of course. >From: "Sylvan Rainwater" <sylvan@cccchs.org> >Reply-To: nifl-esl@nifl.gov >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9433] RE: Illiteracy >Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 19:42:21 -0400 (EDT) > >No, English is *not* the first language, as long as the mother or primary >caregiver speaks another language. Maybe I should say support the home >language. For a baby born in this country, it may be that both languages >could be the first language, home language plus English. Language learning >starts at least at birth, or maybe before, with a lot of input from the >mother or primary caregiver. That's the first language -- the one the child >is surrounded by at home. > >I've heard sad stories where very young children simply couldn't understand >what their mothers said. They were cut off from communication with their >mothers at a heartbreakingly young age. This is not what we want. > >It is also true that too many children grow up with a rudimentary knowledge >of their first language, and an incomplete knowledge of English. They are >barely bilingual, in a superficial way. Those folks have the same problems >that low-literacy English-speakers everywhere have, with the added burden >of >being scorned or teased by their family for their low skills in the first >language. > >------- >Sylvan Rainwater mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org >Program Managaer Family Literacy >Clackamas Co. Children's Commission / Head Start >Oregon City, OR USA > > >-----Original Message----- >From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Susan Ryan >Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:50 AM >To: Multiple recipients of list >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9422] RE: Illiteracy > >The whole point is for a toddler age, English would be his first language! >Although we have many languages spoken in the U.S., English is the defining >language and children born into it should be first language speakers in >English. The other lanuage (family language spoken) would be their second >language. They will be bilingual in reverse of their parents' generation. >Susan > > _________________________________________________________________ Get 10MB of e-mail storage! Sign up for Hotmail Extra Storage. http://join.msn.com/?PAGE=features/es
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