ARGUMENT
For this story, I chose to talk about Rodriguez's argument, because I feel that it is very strong, and needs to be highlighted. Rodriguez argues that there is a difference between public vs private individuality. Being bilingual is a very good advantage in society, however, it it important to stick to your roots. Rodriguez lost his identity not only in public places like school, where he was forced to learn an alien language to him, but also at home. His parents did not let him keep in touch with his roots, and soon, Spanish became his alienated language. It is important to stay in touch with your native language, but it is also good to learn a new one too. Society (especially schools and parents) need to differentiate the two languages, and understand that children need both. They need to have a home where they feel safe to keep in touch with their roots, after speaking a new language in public all day. Only speaking the newly learned language can lead to quietness, uncomfortably, a loss of identity, and much more.
QUESTION: How can we teach kids when to speak English and when to speak Spanish?
As educators, we need to differentiate the two languages, but make sure they understand not to lose sight of one or the other. Personally, I also think that all schools should teach another language. Learning a second language at a young age is much easier than it is for adults, and I think that being bilingual is very important and helpful in today's society. There are many misconceptions that prevent kids from being taught a second language. These need to be debunked. This reading is also closely connected to most of our other readings, since most segregated kids will also speak a different language.
I enjoyed reading about your personal thoughts about teaching different languages in classes, and i liked your question about learning how to separate them.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I agree completely that society needs to understand that children need both English and their first language. Teaching children that it is only permissible to ever speak English in any setting strips them of their roots, like you said. I also agree that there is a time and a place for both languages, but we must guarantee that these children are given the time to use and value their first second. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
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