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From: "Ken Taber" <kentaber@inetgenesis.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9390] Re: Accept English Only donation?
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Albert et al,
The Pew Hispanic Research identifies the problem that Adult ESL Programs
face in this country. It also confirms that it is actually easier to teach
the foreign-born K-12 student than it is the adult. These frustrations lead
us to ask the ultimate question. How do we solve the problem? In fact, the
same is true for the American in this country that does not get a good early
education. Nationally, 22% of Americans are considered functionally
illiterate. That figure remains about the same. We used to have an
educational system that supported the industrial age where teaching only 80%
was acceptable. Now that we have entered the information age and their are
less jobs in former industries, we must get near 100% literacy in this
country. And of those 22%, and in some cities, that figure is much higher,
only 5% of those needing adult education services actually receive them.
The only answer the government has in more accountability but the numbers
still have not changed. Even with a great title like the "No Child Left
Behind Act," we are losing the battle of adult literacy in this country. The
problem as was pointed out by some is adult literacy, and not just for the
foreign-born, but for all Americans. There are American-born US citizens who
speak English only that are illiterate. We have become experts at pointing
the finger. We have a lot of research. What we need are applicable
solutions. We know the problems, they have not changed. Our current
solutions have not work.
I have made some observations that deal with what all teachers should be
doing. Teachers need high expectations for all their students. Teachers also
need to know the how best to teach the diversity of students in their
classroom. This requires staff development. Sometimes, it is simply the case
of real research bang applied to an old problem.
I actually had a principal from another school that told me that "Research
shows that English-Only programs (for LEP students) were better." This myth
has reached not only the some of the classrooms in my district but has
reached its administration as well. These principals were sold a bill of
goods from the English-Only Movement and are calling it research. The fact
is the federal law allows for almost any program that can show results.
However, it does not allow for an English Submersion Model, a sink or swim
approach or dead end approach.
There are some states that interpret the federal law to mean that they can
run an English-Only Approach with no staff development of their teachers.
When this principal made this comment, I asked whether this district had an
English-Only Approach? The coordinator (with no ESOL training) who I had
spoken to about the law said we have an Structured English Immersion
Approach which we didn't because this approach requires a highly trained
staff. We may have had a Structured English Immersion Approach on paper but
we had an English-Only or English Submersion Approach in reality.
The SC State House tried to write a bill (H3703) last year limiting LEP
instruction to only the first two years foreign-born students arrive in this
country and mandating a Sheltered English Immersion Approach. They claimed
in their bill that English could be learned fast. Sheltered English
Immersion is perhaps the least recommended approach but also the least
costly. The only good part of the bill was that the state actually realized
that it had a constitutional duty to teach these students. The bill never
made it out of the SC House but it was interesting to see how legislatures
don't understand the real problem or the legal history of LEP programs but
most of all they do not understand that English-Only laws may be a civil
rights violation in an educational setting.
Ken Taber
kentaber@inetgenesis.com
Original Message -----
From: "Albert Wat" <ayw@georgetown.edu>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 5:41 PM
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9388] Re: Accept English Only donation?
> Hi,
>
> I could be wrong, but I sense that there's an assumption underlying the
> frustration that some on this listserv and many outside of it are
> feeling... the assumption being that the immigrant population has not
> made much improvement in their English proficiency and educational
> attainment because they have been able to survive without learning much
> English. I just want to point to an interesting report that was
> released by the Pew Hispanic Center. It points to evidence that the
> educational attainment of the Latino immigrant population (25 years or
> older) has been improving in the past 30 years. In fact, today, their
> educational profile is very similar to the educational attainment of the
> native-born population 30 years ago. This isn't to say that we
> shouldn't push for more progress, of course. Being where the
> "mainstream" population is 30 years ago isn't exactly an unqualified
> victory.
>
> For the entire report, go to...
> http://www.pewhispanic.org/site/docs/pdf/ImmigEd12-04-02Final2.pdf
>
> ttweeton wrote:
>
> >I don't remember who the statement came from, but the resentment towards
> >immigrants who don't leaner English is a form of fascism. It is trying to
> >impose one person's beliefs upon "the other".
> >
> >Andres I NEVER said that I believe in the English Only movement. Please
> >don't insinuate this and put words in my mouth. If I felt that way I
> >wouldn't be in the business I am in!
> > Of course you know that I said many Americans are resentful towards the
> >immigrants who don't learn English. You don't have to like that
statement,
> >but it is reality . I Why do you say I am imposing beliefs?? I am just
> >stating facts. Why are you trying to deny how many people feel?? You
> >Andres are sounding very resentful yourself. I hear from these Americans
> >who make these kinds negative of comments to me very often. . If you
feel
> >that the resentment statement is untrue and unjustified and is of a
> >fascist mentality then you are calling a whopping number of Americans
> >fascist. I don't think they would care for that label particularly, AND
> >would find you ungrateful . Your statement isn't particularly
> >constructive. It starts us down a slippery slope............. of name
> >calling. Isn't it for all of us to figure out a solution? Not to sling
> >mud?? I have always been for finding solutions. Understanding the
problems
> >on BOTH sides and finding the solutions is the only way to go. Tanya
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Andres Muro" <AndresM@epcc.edu>
> >To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
> >Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 4:30 PM
> >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9369] Re: Accept English Only donation?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular. However, I am
claiming
> >>
> >>
> >that the rhetoric of English only is fascist. It starts with the premise
> >that immigrants come to the country, take advantage of everything that
> >America offers but refuse to learn "the language". Someone earlier stated
> >that the refusal of immigrants to learn the language created resentment.
I
> >don't remember who the statement came from, but the resentment towards
> >immigrants who don't leaner English is a form of fascism. It is trying to
> >impose one person's beliefs upon "the other".
> >
> >
> >>>>>fyi@americanliteracy.com 09/02/03 11:45AM >>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>> This is starting to sound like Hitler's "Mein Kampf" ("My Struggle",
> >>>
> >>>
> >not sure how to
> >
> >
> >>> spell it). However, the rhetoric is the same.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>Andres & all,
> >>
> >>(Hello, moderator. Anyone home?) When you say that "this is starting
to
> >>
> >>
> >sound like Hitler's 'Mein Kampf'" what particularly are u referring to?
Give
> >us a quote. When u go
> >
> >
> >>to the extreme of saying that someone is starting to sound like Hitler,
it
> >>
> >>
> >seems like u are playing the racist/fascist card, especially when u don't
> >name names or quote any quotes. Are u saying that Tanya is a fascist? or
are
> >u saying that Tanya is 'beginning
> >
> >
> >>to look a lot like nazi'. No wonder the conservatives in our ranks don't
> >>
> >>
> >speak up. It's a chiller. Indeed, i am chilled to the bone at the
prospect
> >of now being titled xenophobe
> >
> >
> >>(or worse) for defending T.
> >>
> >>Never-the-less,
> >>
> >>Joe
> >>
> >>
> >>> Hitler starts by saying that in the beginning, he didn't hate the
> >>>
> >>>
> >jews. He just
> >
> >
> >>> noticed that they were different. They had different customs, live in
> >>>
> >>>
> >their own
> >
> >
> >>> communities, spoke differently, had a different religion, etc and
took
> >>>
> >>>
> >advantage of
> >
> >
> >>> the German economy. He also noticed that they refused to live, act
and
> >>>
> >>>
> >behave like
> >
> >
> >>> "true Germans". He claims that he would go and talk to them and tell
> >>>
> >>>
> >them to ,
> >
> >
> >>> but they refused, continuing to live their different ways. He felt
> >>>
> >>>
> >that this was
> >
> >
> >>> detrimental to Germany, and eventually he started murdering millions
> >>>
> >>>
> >of them.
> >
> >
> >>Chilling.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> same rhetoric is being applied to immigrants. Some Americans claim
> >>>
> >>>
> >that they don't
> >
> >
> >>> hate immigrants, but that they act differently. America offers
> >>>
> >>>
> >immigrants the
> >
> >
> >>> opportunity to change, and to be "good immigrants" but they refuse.
> >>>
> >>>
> >So, Americans
> >
> >
> >>> start resenting them for behaving differently.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
>
> Albert Wat, Program Director
> DC Schools Project
> Office of Volunteer & Public Service - Center for Social Justice
> Georgetown University, Poulton Hall
> 1421 37th St., NW, 1st Floor
> Washington, DC 20057
> Tel: (202)687-8868 Fax: (202)687-8980
> https://data.georgetown.edu/outreach/csj/service/programs/dcsp/
>
>
>
>
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