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 h85NhR720152; Fri, 5 Sep 2003 19:43:27 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 19:43:27 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <000601c37407$614b3e20$1a01a8c0@cccchs.org> 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: "Sylvan Rainwater" <sylvan@cccchs.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9433] RE: Illiteracy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.4510 Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 1829 Lines: 40 No, English is *not* the first language, as long as the mother or primary caregiver speaks another language. Maybe I should say support the home language. For a baby born in this country, it may be that both languages could be the first language, home language plus English. Language learning starts at least at birth, or maybe before, with a lot of input from the mother or primary caregiver. That's the first language -- the one the child is surrounded by at home. I've heard sad stories where very young children simply couldn't understand what their mothers said. They were cut off from communication with their mothers at a heartbreakingly young age. This is not what we want. It is also true that too many children grow up with a rudimentary knowledge of their first language, and an incomplete knowledge of English. They are barely bilingual, in a superficial way. Those folks have the same problems that low-literacy English-speakers everywhere have, with the added burden of being scorned or teased by their family for their low skills in the first language. ------- Sylvan Rainwater mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org Program Managaer Family Literacy Clackamas Co. Children's Commission / Head Start Oregon City, OR USA -----Original Message----- From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Susan Ryan Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:50 AM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9422] RE: Illiteracy The whole point is for a toddler age, English would be his first language! Although we have many languages spoken in the U.S., English is the defining language and children born into it should be first language speakers in English. The other lanuage (family language spoken) would be their second language. They will be bilingual in reverse of their parents' generation. Susan
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