Book: U.S. English language policy

[Scott McGinnis]

"Why Don't They Learn English?":
Separating Fact from Fallacy in the U.S. Language Debate

Lucy Tse

"In clear and elegant prose, Lucy Tse debunks prevalent myths about
English-language learning among immigrant children."
-Jim Cummins, University of Toronto

"Lucy Tse is among the few to explain the causes and consequences of
language loss in human terms. Her perceptive, readable, and thoroughly
documented study should be on the bookshelf of every educator of
immigrant students."
-James Crawford, author of At War with Diversity: U.S. Language
Policy in an Age of Anxiety

This compelling book examines the often cited but poorly supported
claims that immigrants fail to learn English, and the mistaken belief
that immigrant communities cling to their heritage languages. The author
reveals that, on the contrary, English is being learned at a rapid pace
while heritage languages are disappearing quickly from family use. She
shows us how current assumptions have a pervasive influence on language
policy in the United States.

The author examines the state of heritage languages in the U.S.,
focusing on the benefits of fostering heritage language development for
students themselves, as well as for larger society to build a political,
economic, and educational resource.  Ultimately, the author argues for
an educational approach that effectively embraces immigrant communities
as they tackle the obstacles to language learning in the United States.
This unique volume offers a short, readable
introduction to these issues suitable for nonspecialists as well as
educators, researchers, and other professionals.

BIO: Lucy Tse is an associate professor of education at California State
University, Los Angeles. She is co-editor of the book Heritage Language
Development and has published widely in the areas of second language
acquisition, heritage language learning, and bilingualism and
biliteracy.

Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
To order call toll free: 800-575-6566
http://www.teacherscollegepress.com/

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