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 h26DhIP00855; Thu, 6 Mar 2003 08:43:19 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2003 08:43:19 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <20030306134132.80990.qmail@web20102.mail.yahoo.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: Paul Rogers <englishtoday2002@yahoo.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8746] teachers' rights and "ostichlike tendencies" X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Status: O Content-Length: 1716 Lines: 52 The sentiments expressed below represent an ideal which cannot be realized until teachers and students have some basic rights. If teachers have to worry about being unjustly fired, then it is also naive to expect anyone to "talk Freire." If students can be insulted and worse for talking in their native language (which is a violation of the first amendment), then how can we establish an environment of trust so as to begin discussions about larger issues? If English Only is the "law" - then how can there be discussions of anything, especially in classes for beginning students? Paul Rogers > How people can imagine that all they do is teach a > language without the > context of politics, given our population, is either > an expression of > naiveté or an expression of their ostrichlike > tendencies. We talk Freire and > do something entirely different in our practice. We > critique academics for > not being in touch with reality, and then turn > around and do exactly the > same thing. We are not teaching high school students > English as a subject, > as one does Spanish or French. We're teaching adults > to speak the language > of power, the language that will help them negotiate > this new culture, which > especially in today's world, is rife with political > innuendo. Or are we > teaching discrete, isolated skills sans context? > Language teaching is not > some sanitised K-12 scenario where we teach grammar, > history in sequences, > with no connection to the reality of learners' > lives. > > regards > Ujwala Samant > > > > __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/
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