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 h7TLGo728971; Fri, 29 Aug 2003 17:16:50 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 17:16:50 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <003401c36e71$ad8f10e0$654cdc42@trudy> 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: "Ken Taber" <kentaber@inetgenesis.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9335] Re: Accept English Only donation? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 4299 Lines: 86 Think about what you are saying from another prospective. If you as an American could live and work in Europe and were able to stay with other Americans who lived and worked in Europe and didn't have a need to learn a language than it wouldn't be a problem. Learning a new language is a difficult task that takes time and patience but the most important prerequisite to learning a new language is whether the person feels the need to learn that new language. Miami is an international city where there should be a need for all its citizens to be bilingual. The same would be true for cities like Toronto and many European cities. To survive in an international city the English-only philosophy will not work, especially in a city where you are a minority if are an English-only speaker. There will always be people in all international cities that do not know all the primary languages because either the culture of that city does not require that learn both languages or because learning a language the older you get becomes more difficult. I forget the scholar name who pointed out that in order to learn a new language one must both have the right attitude as well as an appropriate aptitude. Some argue that if we make laws require English-only than we solve the problem and force immigrants to feel the need to communicate in English. This solution is short-sighted. Are we Americans because we speak English? Is it patriotic to English-Speaking only or is it just plain discrimination against the immigrant plight. We are hypocrites if we say it is OK for Americans to live and work in a foreign country and not learn the language and then tell our foreign-born workers that they must speak English-only. The other problem is how do they learn without proper teaching. I do not see English-only laws as patriotic. I see it as discrimination. -Ken Taber kentaber@inetgenesis.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "ttweeton" <ttweeton@comcast.net> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 3:56 PM Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9326] Re: Accept English Only donation? > Being Bi-lingual Ken is a golden opportunity for those who are able to > remain so but this is not the problem. The problem stems from those certain > individuals who don't think learning English is that important, if they can > get by with not doing so. And many get by with not doing so in Miami. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ken Todd" <kentodd@UDel.Edu> > To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 11:21 AM > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9312] Re: Accept English Only donation? > > > > I would like to know the source of this myth. I have never heard it > > before. "myth" understates its distance from historical fact. As I have > > commented before on this list, until WWI immigrant communities > > throughout the United States freely and happily maintained their > > languages in theur schools, their press and their local public affairs. > > At that time the grotesque chauvinistic campaigns for mandatory English > > and statutorily defined patriotism. Recently I came across another > > example. Martin van Buren, 11th president, grew up in a Dutch speaking > > household. Now of course, he obviously learned English. But he didn't > > have to, and his parents and town were able to sustain the Dutch > > traditions, which like those of Spanish speakers in the Southwest, > > preceded those of the Anglos who had taken power over them. Somehow the > > fact of intrusive government and ramified technologies of administration > > does not strike me as a sound reason for reducing the rights and > > freedoms once enjoyed by linguistic minorities. > > > > Joe Little wrote: > > > > > > > I'd like to see some of us survive in places where no one speaks any > > > > languages that we know... not as vacationers, but as immigrants > trying > > > > to make a living. We'll probably complain why no one knows any > English > > > > in that backwards country! > > > > > > Albert & all, > > > > > > Learning the local language would shoot to the top of the list of > "things to do", as-- unless it's a myth-- in olden times. No complaints. > It's would be my choice--by hook or crook--to be there. > > > > > > Joe > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Mar 11 2004 - 12:16:20 EST