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 h87I7j720162; Sun, 7 Sep 2003 14:07:45 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 14:07:45 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <20030907180539.5149.qmail@web12305.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: Antje Meissner <antjemeissner@yahoo.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9450] RE: Illiteracy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Status: O Content-Length: 6166 Lines: 222 Tanya, but language is often just an excuse. Just as I said, it often does not help people from other countries to speak excellent german, beacuse they look different, that's why in my country immigrants continue to feel and are excluded. My point is that language alone does not "unify" anything. Antje --- ttweeton <ttweeton@comcast.net> wrote: > "In Germany, the "uniting" factor of the country is > the > > language and the ethnicity" > > Precisely Antje.The language in Germany is the > uniting factor. Ethnicity > doesn't have to be. > Tanya > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Antje Meissner" <antjemeissner@yahoo.com> > To: "Multiple recipients of list" > <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 11:01 AM > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9442] RE: Illiteracy > > > > Tanya, > > I like your questions. > > > > I came to this country from Germany three years > ago > > and worked with immigrants in my country for many > > years before. In my mind immigrants are a good > mirror > > for the "culture" and "idea" of a country, and I > > learned an interesting thing from the immigrants I > > work with here and there: > > > > . Immigrants often have a > > hard time feeling at home, because no matter how > hard > > they try, if they look differently, dress > differently, > > eat differently, even if they speak the language, > they > > will never be fully accepted. So many immigrants > move > > to Germany to find a job and make some money and > keep > > dreaming of returning home to their countries one > day. > > > > When I came here, I was certain immigrants here > would > > feel the same way. But the students in my program > in > > Tallahassee feel very different: They love > America, > > that is, the "idea" of America. For them America > is > > not an ethnicity, a language, a place to make some > > money in, but it is often the promise of a better > > life, a better future for their children, a hope > for > > counting as an individual and not fall prey to > > dictators, wars, famines etc. Now, a lot of these > > people work in menial jobs, are exploited, poor > and > > struggle, but this is their hope and their reason > for > > being here. > > > > I believe strongly that the "idea" of what a > country > > wants to be can "unify" that country and mankind > as a > > whole. A mutual respect for each others struggles, > a > > helping hand from those who already have a lot to > > those are trying to get there, and even though > "love" > > sounds like a strong word for a German ( for us > "like" > > is about as emotional as we can be, but after > three > > years I "americanize" more and more), I think Ken > has > > a point. > > > > I even believe that this is a lesson Europe has to > > learn and maybe maybe maybe .... America could > lead? > > > > I hope this makes sense. My written English is > often > > not that great. > > Antje Meissner > > > > > > > > > > --- ttweeton <ttweeton@comcast.net> wrote: > > > " What > > > do you do as an adult with children of your own > when > > > you can't pass on the > > > "family" language? > > > > > > I have run into this very situation. I cannot > > > communicate with my relatives > > > in another country in their language. I try so > hard > > > to make and keep contact > > > but there are so many things I want to explain > that > > > I really can't. Tha > > > language has been entirely lost in my family. > > > entirely. I am so saddened > > > by this situation. > > > > > > "How do they converse with the older > generations?" > > > They can't and I can't either very well. > > > > > > > > > I "How is culture preserved when the language in > > > which it was born is > > > silenced? " > > > This is really a very good and serious > question. > > > > > > My question to all of you is , what should be > a > > > uniting factor in any > > > country? If language will not unite us and > Religion > > > certainly will not > > > unite us , Food will not unite us, Customs will > not > > > unite us because we all > > > have our own , What will? What will happen > when we > > > begin to misunderstand > > > one another because we cannot communicate well? > > > Isn't that already > > > happening? Should the country try to preserve > > > anything of its culture? What > > > should it be? Will we end up living in our own > > > little ghettos, all speaking > > > our own seperarte languages? OR, maybe the > real > > > question , instead should > > > be, What makes a country??? > > > Tanya Tweeton > > > Adult ESOL > > > Fort Lauderdale, Florida > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Varshna Narumanchi-Jackson" > > > <varshna@grandecom.net> > > > To: "Multiple recipients of list" > > > <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > > > Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 5:21 PM > > > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9425] RE: Illiteracy > > > > > > > > > > Your point assumes that either the child or > the > > > family wants English to be > > > > the "first" language. What is so great about > > > having developed oracy in > > > your > > > > "second"/"family" language when it isn't > backed up > > > by literacy? > > > > > > > > Who wants to be an adult whose understanding > of > > > her "second"/"family" > > > > language stopped at age 3? How do you > converse > > > with your parents, with > > > your > > > > grandparents (as has been my experience), with > > > aunts, uncles, and other > > > > relatives who are more comfortable speaking in > the > > > "family" language? > > > What > > > > do you do as an adult with children of your > own > > > when you can't pass on the > > > > "family" language? How do they converse with > the > > > older generations? > > > > > > > > How is culture preserved when the language in > > > which it was born is > > > silenced? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > on 9/5/03 12:51 PM, Susan Ryan at > > > susanefl@hotmail.com wrote: > > > > > > > > > The whole point is for a toddler age, > English > > > would be his first > === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Mar 11 2004 - 12:16:25 EST