Half way through reading this article I knew exactly what
type of post I was going to do. This
article connected to me. Working in a
daycare, and teaching dance and gymnastics, I come across language barriers often.
This article also made me think of my first tutoring session
on Wednesday because the teacher was telling me about a little boy whose parents do not speak
English. I believe she said that both
parents speak Spanish at home. However the
boy’s mother also speaks a Native American language at home as well. She then said that it is a wonder that he even
functions at all having to learn the two languages at home and then English in
school. Surprisingly, he speaks
English fairly well.
Point to Share: I just hope that the families of the United
States of an America that do not speak English and are forced to learn it are
not being torn apart like the family in the article. A mother should have to make small talk to
have a conversation with her family.
I think that is article really connects to Amazing Grace by Jonathan
Kozol, and The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpi.
Aria and Amazing Grace both show how families are affected by the “culture
of power”. In Amazing Grace, families
were moved into the south Bronx because they were not part of the middle or upper
classes. They were poor families, so
they stuck them in a bad part of New York.
We basically told these people that they were not good enough to live
where they wanted. In Aria, the family
was told to speak English, “for the sake of their children”. They did not speak English so the nuns forced
the parents to only speak English at home, changing the children’s home environment.
I have a friend who came from Poland when she was in middle school. Neither she nor her parents spoke English. She went to a catholic school where most of the nuns and students spoke Spanish. She learned English and some Spanish from watching Sesame Street! Her parents still do not speak English very well so she often is stuck translating for them which is time consuming and frustrating because she is married with a young daughter. When I read Aria I thought about her and her family and how in her case it would have been helpful for her parents to learn and practice a bit of English with her.
ReplyDeleteNicole, your stories about bilingual children are great connections to the article. In our society, people who are learning English are actually being educated, rather than forced to learn the language. From my own observations in the community, it seems that many families who are learning English are increasing their communication skills. Parents learn from their children who talk about their experiences at school. Moreover, people want to learn the English lanuage so they can connect more socially and economically in society. In fact, those who are bilingual have a great job qualification. Unfortunately, this article shows difficult moments endured while learning the language. All experiences include those tough moments. Still, with the support from the nuns and subtle push from his family, the child was able to learn it. The nuns rather encouraged it so the child could better communicate in the classroom. In turn, the other children would also be able to speak better with the child. I think the parents felt more connected with their child's education after speaking with the nuns and were able to understand what American schools entailed. Supportive people are needed in order for children to feel welcome while learning a new language, as shown by your own personal experiences at the daycare.
ReplyDeletePretty campground pictures by the way :]
Totally agree with your point to share! So sad that families have to go through this. I hope as time changes this will too!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really liked the link you provided. I liked how it showed that twenty-eight states have declared English as the official language. I feel as though it really ties into the piece. Unlike what happened to Rodriguez's family, when my mother's family had to learn English, my grandparents were never told to stop using French, their native language, with my mother and aunt. I don't think it's beneficial to a family that is learning English to completely abandon their native language in the home, especially if it's forced.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole! I really liked the way you added your personal experiences to help us understand the article on a more personal level. On the last few sentences of your article, you mention that at tutoring the teacher wondered how the student functioned hearing two languages. It's great he can speak English fairly well and I hope he is able to embrace his parent's cultures and remember the languages to pass along to his children. I think as a child it would be cool to have a friend who spoke another language, or two.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post Nicole! I believe that if people are coming to the United States they should be willing to learn english since that is what their children will speak in school! Though it is terrible how it tore the family in the article apart, and I hate seeing more and more families broken because they aren't willing to sacrifice even to help their children with what they need to learn.
ReplyDelete