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From: "Sylvan Rainwater" <sylvan@cccchs.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9464] RE: Illiteracy
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Antje,
I think you are very eloquent about what unites a country, and what creates
a culture. Tanya's question is a good one for sure. If not language, then
what?
It is true that in America, we have special challenges in communication,
because we do come from different cultural backgrounds and that includes
different language backgrounds. To take a common example -- in many cultures
it's not okay to say "no" directly, so there are various understood ways to
let someone know you don't really want to do something, or whatever. But if
you are not from that person's background, you may not understand. So in
America, we tend to be more direct, because it's safer in terms of really
understanding what we mean.
I think the English-only movement is trying to respond to Tanya's question,
and trying to use language to unite us. But I believe that is misguided. In
fact, English *does* unite us, but that's not all that does, nor is it even
the most important thing. The most important things are the ideas Antje
talks of, and the values Ken talks of, and even the love that someone else
(sorry, can't remember at the moment) talks of. The willingness to try to
communicate, to negotiate meaning even when it's difficult. The respect we
can have for every single person here.
-------
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 Antje
Meissner
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 8:00 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9442] RE: Illiteracy
Tanya,
I like your questions.
<SNIP> But the students in my program in
Tallahassee feel very different: They love America,
that is, the "idea" of America. For them America is
not an ethnicity, a language, a place to make some
money in, but it is often the promise of a better
life, a better future for their children, a hope for
counting as an individual and not fall prey to
dictators, wars, famines etc. Now, a lot of these
people work in menial jobs, are exploited, poor and
struggle, but this is their hope and their reason for
being here.
I believe strongly that the "idea" of what a country
wants to be can "unify" that country and mankind as a
whole. A mutual respect for each others struggles, a
helping hand from those who already have a lot to
those are trying to get there, and even though "love"
sounds like a strong word for a German ( for us "like"
is about as emotional as we can be, but after three
years I "americanize" more and more), I think Ken has
a point.
I even believe that this is a lesson Europe has to
learn and maybe maybe maybe .... America could lead?
I hope this makes sense. My written English is often
not that great.
Antje Meissner
--- ttweeton <ttweeton@comcast.net> wrote:
<SNIP>
> My question to all of you is , what should be a
> uniting factor in any
> country? If language will not unite us and Religion
> certainly will not
> unite us , Food will not unite us, Customs will not
> unite us because we all
> have our own , What will? What will happen when we
> begin to misunderstand
> one another because we cannot communicate well?
> Isn't that already
> happening? Should the country try to preserve
> anything of its culture? What
> should it be? Will we end up living in our own
> little ghettos, all speaking
> our own seperarte languages? OR, maybe the real
> question , instead should
> be, What makes a country???
> Tanya Tweeton
> Adult ESOL
> Fort Lauderdale, Florida
>
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