The StoryCorps Project comes close to being the kind of website that Steve
describes:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4516989
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4516989&ps=sa> &ps=sa
.  The stories are about five minutes long and are interviews between family
members and friends.  

 

"Faith isn't just loyalty to tradition, but a readiness to become something
new."  Peter Manseau

 

Luri Owen, M. A.

Bayfield and ESOL Coordinator

Pine River Community Learning Center

Phone/Fax:  970-884-7765

  _____  

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steve Kaufmann
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 8:42 AM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2873] Re: citizenship

 

The original settlers to the US were many things, and had some of the good
and the bad that is in all people. They were no more or less tolerant of
diversity than the natives, Spanish conquerors of the New World, of blacks
of the time. Every state has the right to build a myth of descent and
tradition for people to  identify with. The American Revolution and its
Constitution remain  epoch changing events in world history, an inspiration
to many around the world, as are many great Americans, like Franklin,
Lincoln and others. I say this as a non-American.

Whether teaching civics is going to make immigrants assimilate better is
doubtful in my mind. Better language skills will help them do better in
their new country, and probably increase their chances of liking the
country. Thereafter they will make their own choices.

I think a major step towards literacy and civics could be achieved by
setting up a Website with vast resources of sound files and transcripts of
ordinary people talking about their lives in English, as well as radio
programs,speeches etc. which relate to US history, culture and daily life.
This should be available for download and distribution without restriction.
Immigrants should be encouraged to use it, to listen on their MP3 files and
to improve their English on their own and learn about their new country. 

The site could have a community of online mentoring between ordinary
Americans and the newcomers. ESL teachers could offer courses on such a
website. Newcomers could even teach their own language to Americans on such
a community.

This will probably never happen because the only people who would benefit
would be the immigrants, and there may not be enough in it for the other
"stakeholders."

Steve



-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com
1-604-922-8514

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