Saying ‘Adios’ To Spanglish

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  Posted By: arcadio_luna @ 01/08/2009 5:35:48 PM

  To paraphrase the mission statement of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language: all Hispanic immigrants living in the US must make an effort to dominate the English language of the country that is accommodating them, and they must also retain the mastery of their mother Spanish tongue.
  
  If young immigrant children are not making progress learning English, I blame programs like ESL, which only keep immigrant children behind. My brothers and I came from Mexico and were immersed in an English-speaking environment and learned in months. My ESL-taught cousins didn't learn English for years and still speak it poorly. Parents also play a role in the learning, be it both in English and Spanish. Now that I have a daughter, i speak exclusively in Spanish to her because she's bound to pick up the English elsewhere.
  
  It's up to us parents to ensure the kids are fully bilingual. They have the mental capacity to do it, and well, it's just that we tend to underestimate them.
  
  And to those that speak Spanslish: don't do it unless you speak both English and Spanish fluently.

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  Posted By: rights for all @ 12/31/2008 10:23:57 AM

  I think it is great for a child or anyone to be able to speak multiple languages. Doors open for that person in education, work, and culturally that will not open for others that do not speak multiple languages.
  
  With that being said though, I do believe one of the languages that needs to be taught is English. I am ESL teacher 5 and 6th grade. I have students BORN in the USA who do not speak a word of English. How can that be? Mind you, these children are 11 and 12 years old. They have gone through the education system in strictly bilingual classes that spoke Spanish to them, then go home where spanish is only spoken. They play with children where they speak only Spanish. That is great, but they also need to learn English. These same children struggle everyday in their regular classes. Most are behind not because they are slower, but because they don't know the language.
  
  In my same class, I have students that arrived from the Phillipines. Within a year, they are speaking English fluently. Why is that? These children were immersed in the English language. And they still speak their home language, and have picked up some Spanish. Amazing

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  Posted By: libertad_vargas @ 02/12/2008 10:43:21 AM

  I was born in New York and raised in the Dominican Republic. Learned to speak, read, and write Spanish at home and learned to speak, read, and write English at school. I will forever be greatful to my mother for that instruction and gift. I had pretty much mastered the Spanish language by age 10 and began learning Italian as well. Watching how my peers in school struggled with Spanish made me very sad. As I continued to learn other languages, I became a spanish tutor to my friends and peers.
  As a professional in the corporate world, my being bilingual has not only opened many doors for me but has allowed me to assist others in having more opportunities as well.
  All that to say, no one has a right to limit the possibilites that are available to others, even thier children. I'm glad you saw the error of your ways.