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 h7UIgA703216; Sat, 30 Aug 2003 14:42:10 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 14:42:10 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <6500F8F8.63803B82.0AB94E44@aol.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: AndresMuro@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9343] Re: Accept English Only donation? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Atlas Mailer 2.0 Status: O Content-Length: 5249 Lines: 71 Annie: "Learning the language of the country in which you live is not a matter of courtesy, it is a matter of necessity." What is the language of the country in which we reside? Since there is no official language, it must be the language of your community. So, I would say that it is important to learn that language, but it is not indispensable. I live in El Paso. there are a lot of bilingual people, but there are a lot of monolingual people that survive just fine by either only speaking English, or only speaking Spanish. Depending on the social class and circumstances, it is easier for some to begin to learn a language than for others. However, thousands get along just fine being monolingual. My step children are monolingual English speakers and I don't get on their cases for not learning the language of the majority. There are many English speakers that try to learn Spanish and many Spanish speakers that try to learn English. however, as they interact with their respective communities in their native languages, they don't have opportunity to practice the other language and they don't acquire it. That often happens to groups that live near a large community with speakers of their native language. Because they don't necessarily interact with speaker of other languages, they get along just fine with their native one. It is always easier to acquire a second language when you live in a community where the vast majority do not speak your native language. Learning a second language doesn't have anything to do with courtesy, laziness, rudeness or any of the common accusations leveled against immigrants. It has to do with opportunities, time, exposure, resources and other social factors not necessarily associated to personal disposition. Ultimately, it is always batter to live in an environment where many languages are spoken and where there are opportunities to use and learn them all. The cultural capital available is always greater in such an environment. Policies such as "English only" ultimately favor ignorance. they want to reduce, rather than expand, the cultural capital of a community. It is contradictory to the principles of a pluralist democracy. How about policies like "science only", "classical music only," "hamburgers only," or "whites only." Andres In a message dated 8/30/2003 7:39:48 AM Mountain Standard Time, tmclean@mindspring.com writes: "Not only that, but the state of Florida is always importing migrant workers from Mexico and Central America to work in the fields" I wish to highlight this phrase because I think it is wrong. If the state imports people, would that not be slavery? I think a more appropriate statement would be the state of Florida ignores the agribusinesses and the people that bring people from other countries to work in abysmal conditions. Learning the language of the country in which you reside is necessary. End of discussion. How well you learn the language depends on your personal goals, a little explanation here, bear with me. My second language is French, I don't use it anymore but it still lives somewhere in the murky depths of what is left of my mind. Why did I learn French? Because I was part of a pilot program for inner city kids. I spent 9 or 10 years learning the language. When I went to France, I had some control over my life because I could read and understand snippets of the conversations around me. Oral production was difficult for me but I stumbled through and somehow communicated with my French speaking (ONLY) counterparts. I didn't like the idea of depending on other people for my language needs so I was determined to make the best of it. In the Army, I was stationed in Germany. I spent the first six months, listening to German TV, walking in the streets, eavesdropping, reading a newspaper with a dictionary. I tried to make conversation with everybody. I didn't have time for classes. And I had a choice, I could have hung around the barracks and spoke English only. But I wanted to have the freedom to travel around Europe. Many people spoke English in the little city where I lived but I didn't want to speak English, I wanted to practice my new language and I did. Was I fluent? No, I had trouble with grammar and my writing is horrible. But after five years, I was on the plane going home and when asked in German, I answered in German the document questions and continued until she asked me where in Germany I was born. Now I'm back in the States and I am learning Spanish. I don't have times for classes. I work two jobs and have a household to take care of--so I do what I can. I pick up La Noticia (the local free Spanish newspaper), I listen to Spanish-speakers on the radio, I eavesdrop when I'm standing in line with others who are speaking Spanish, not for content, for accent. I have a dictionary, a notebook, a workbook and a need to understand and communicate with the parents of my primarily Spanish speaking LEP children. So, that's it, if you are still reading, understand that in my viewpoint, learning the language of the country in which you live is not a matter of courtesy, it is a matter of necessity. Annie McLean go here: www.geocities.com/andresmuro/art.html
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