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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>How about a policy that *requires* valedictory addresses to
include a very brief passage in a language other than English? Presumably one
that the student has (some of) from classes and/or heritage. (Of course with a
translation, which is simply a matter of courtesy .) The object being to call
attention to the importance of learning a second language.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
owner-lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
[mailto:owner-lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Harold
Schiffman<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, July 13, 2008 8:02 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> lp<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Insistence on 'English only' dulls competitive edge<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Insistence on 'English only' dulls competitive edge<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=by>By </span><span class=byline>Ruben Navarrette</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>July 12, 2008<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=bylineextra>San Diego Union-Tribune</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=articlegraf>The language wars flare up whenever insecure Americans
worry that English is becoming passé. It's a cultural paranoia that is
laughably off the mark. According to research, children of immigrants stand a
better chance of losing their native language and speaking only English than
never learning English at all. Still, it's a fear that is resistant to facts. I
ought to know. I've seen it up close. Twenty-three years ago, the night I
graduated from high school, one of my co-valedictorians wrote into his speech a
single sentence welcoming his grandparents, who had traveled to the United
States to attend the ceremony. The sentence was in his grandparents' native
language.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=articlegraf>The night before, at the eighth-grade graduation across
town, a young girl, another valedictorian, did something similar. She included
a single sentence thanking her parents - in their native language - for their
support.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=articlegraf>The line in the high school speech was in German; the one
in the speech for the junior high school was in Spanish. Guess which speech
caused a fuss?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=articlegraf>A few days before graduation, the junior high principal
tried to pressure the student to remove the line in Spanish, because he was
afraid those in the audience who didn't understand Spanish might feel
uncomfortable. It was probably more likely the principal was afraid he'd get
angry phone calls that might make him uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=articlegraf>The girl stood her ground. And the principal backed down.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Conversely, no one said a word about the line in German,
even though - in a town that was then about 70 percent Latino - it's a safe bet
that there were more people in the audience who didn't understand German than
Spanish.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080712/A_OPINION0611/807120309/-1/A_OPINION06">http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080712/A_OPINION0611/807120309/-1/A_OPINION06</a><br
clear=all>
<br>
-- <br>
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