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From: "Andres Muro" <AndresM@epcc.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9314] Re: Accept English Only donation?
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Not only that, but the state of Florida is always importing migrant workers from Mexico and Central America to work in the fields. Most work in places isolated from larger communities, long hours, and have little opportunities to mingle with English speakers or attend ESL classes. When they have children, their children attend school and acquire English in little time and often start forgetting their native language. In fact, it is estimated that it only takes three generations to completely eradicate the native language of immigrants, unless there is a strong effort by the parents to educate their children in the native language. However, parents often want their children to learn English only. In Florida, there are, for example, Mayans, who don't speak Spanish. They are very isolated and cannot communicate with anyone, except for other Mayans. There are virtually no services or classes for them. Their children often become their interpreters. This is true of every single immigrant group. Throughout the USA there are colonies of immigrants. The first to arrive, if adults, preserve their native language and often, don't learn English, They often get low wage jobs where others from their native country are hired, and they communicate in their native language. Since low wage jobs require minimal skills, and virtually no academic skills, it is often not a requirement to hire English speakers or writers.
Throughout the USA you will find colonies of immigrants that form their own neighborhoods where the elders only speak their native language. their children learn English and often move out of the neighborhoods. Depending on the size of the immigrant group, and the community you will find the language spoken more or less. When immigrants from a particular country establish a community, other immigrant from that country often come to the same community. The older ones don't learn English. This is common everywhere in the word. In countries in Europe and Latin America, people speak the common language of the region, instead of the dominant language of the country. In northern Italy many people speak mostly German. In Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium, you will find four or five different language spoken depending on the region. In Argentina, Paraguay and Brasil, people may speak, Spanish, Portuguese or guarani, depending on where you are. In Mexico and central America, people will speak either Spanish or an Indian language. In Louisiana, people will speak English, french or the regional dialect.
In every one of these countries, the elders often speak their native language and little or nothing of their second language. It is the children who acquire the second language if this is a dominant language in a particular region.
Andres
>>> antjemeissner@yahoo.com 08/29/03 08:37AM >>>
Hello,
I am from Florida too. Last time I talked to my
teacher friends in Miami, they had very long waiting
lists for their adult ESOL classes and I heard them
complain about funding cuts by the state, so that they
have to send more and more students away.
<< Welcome to America.
> > Do what u like.
> > We'll give u tax dollar
As a tax paying immigrant, I take offense in this
"poem". And I think you know that you are wrong, or
you would have added some facts that prove your point.
Antje Meissner
--- ttweeton <ttweeton@comcast.net> wrote:
> Welcome to America.
> > Do what u like.
> > We'll give u tax dollar.
> >
> > Xenophillically
>
> Joe you are so funny.! I am in agreement with what
> you say. The issue of
> Bilingual programs ( or not) IS a problem for the
> children, but a most
> irritating situation is the immigrant (parents of
> those children??) who
> comes here and decides that it is not necessary to
> learn English( or ver y
> little of it ) because he/she can get along pretty
> well (particularly in
> Miami ) without it! AND finds all kinds of
> government help in his/her native
> language just as you stated ( so why learn English
> if you don't have to!!!!)
> If you are from Miami you know this but when you
> call govt. offices here,
> the first language spoken when answering the phone
> is Spanish. I
> personally speak Spanish AND French AND Italian
> etc...., no problem,
> BUT...... how presumptious of these people to think
> that I will
> automatically understand what they are saying!!!! In
> this case, with these
> govt agencies English MUST and should be spoken ,
> AND come first! I ,as
> a taxpayer, pay their salaries and have a right to
> expect that I will be
> helped in "correctly and clearly spoken "English
> FIRST. To speak in Spanish
> first , only intimidates me, as Mrs Consumer. I also
> have rights as a
> consumer . How can they possibly know who is at the
> other end of the line??
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe Little" <
> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <
> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 5:48 PM
> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9300] Re: Accept English Only
> donation?
>
>
> > > One suggestion would be for students to
> investigate the group (as an
> > > exercise). Financials should be public, as are
> mission statements,
> etc.
> > > See what percentage of their budget goes for
> ESL. There is no paucity
> of
> > > newspaper articles at relatively easy reading
> levels that go into an
> array
> > > of issues and cases associated with English
> Only. Some go into
> employees
> > > suing employers for their right to speak their
> native language on the
> job; others
> > > tell the exact opposite. And of course,
> English Only's strong
> connection to
> > > right wing, anti-immigrant forces are well
> documented and easy to
> understand.
> >
> > Laurie, Cathy, and all,
> >
> > I love the idea of investigating the financial
> statement and mission
> statement of the English Only organization. That's
> clear,factual stuff.
> Many folks-- present company excluded, hopefully --
> would stear clear of
> that, opting instead for liberal-rant, leftist-
> > rave articles from our libero-centric friends in
> the media.
> >
> > > That the group approached you with the
> unabashed intention to use their
> > > donation as a PR stint to push "their"
> political agenda reminds me of a
> > > slogan on a t-shirt complete w/caps and
> exclamation points I saw just
> last
> > > weekend in NJ: "Welcome to America. Now SPEAK
> ENGLISH!!!!!" As ESL
> > > professionals, we know that the bottom line is
> xenophobia.
> >
> > Bottom line of what? That slogan? Produced by
> whom? Probably the vast
> left-wing conspiracy...but seriously, the t-shirt u
> saw reminds me of a
> haiku i read not three
> > hours ago:
> >
> >,
> >
> > sincerely,
> >
> > Joe
> >
>
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