My Bad March 17-19 2008

[Mia Kalish]

Dear MJ, Don & Everyone else 

 

Yolanda is still working on finishing, but I can probably share the general
directions. . . more when she has finalized. 

Two things of significance seem to be emerging. The first is pretty much a
no-brainer: The immigrant Mexican parents don't want their children to be
like them (although we don't have details on precisely what that means), and
they think that if the children speak English, they won't be perceived as
[whatever the parents are]. This isn't really earth shaking: My father had
this in mind when he wanted me to forego the Eastern European and Gaelic
languages of my ancestors and forebears, and speak only English. To his 6th
grade educated mind, this was the way to "be American" and that was
important enough to him to withstand that fact that his 4 year old daughter
(me) refused to talk to him for months. 

 

The 2nd emergent theme is much more interesting. The parents see educacion
as manners, deportment, values, and carriage or bearing. They do not
distinguish an academic education related to disciplinary content. To them,
what their children are learning seems to be undifferentiated. All they see
is that the children have all these opportunities to learn English. So my
friend originally thought that the reason parents were moving their children
to English immersion, where overall they seem to be doing less well, because
of the information they were getting from their social groups and
connections. It is seeming to turn out to be an issue of information, but
instead one related to what an academic education is as opposed to their
cultural understanding of educacion. 

 

Is this an interesting treat or what? 

 

Tell me your thoughts. We haven't had a really good discussion in a while. 

 

In anticipation, 

Mia 

 

  _____  

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Don Osborn
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 9:00 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] My Bad March 17-19 2008

 

Hi Mia, I'd be interested in your friend's study. 

 

I think that in many parts of the world, parents are eager to do what by
their understanding will benefit their children. So you get parents not
speaking their maternal language to their children (so many places), beating
their kids when they speak other than English (Uganda), having their kids
undergo tongue surgery to pronounce English better (Korea), etc.

 

>From what I've heard and read, a lot of it comes from erroneous notions
about language learning and linguistic ability. Commonly, that speaking 2
languages means you do each less well than if you spent all your time with
one language. 

 

Not sure whether any of this has to do with any of your friend's study's
findings.

 

All the best.

 

Don

 

PS- just posted a few items to AfricanLanguages, of which the excerpt of a
talk by Philip Emeagwali in which he mentions his educational experience wrt
language as a child in Nigeria might be of interest.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/

 

 

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Mia Kalish
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 7:30 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] My Bad March 17-19 2008

 

Hi, Andre, 

 

I like your title, and your graphic. Don't know where Sausalito is, but I
would like to come. 

 

Also - this isn't quite about Ndn languages, but my friend Yolanda just did
a study on why parents choose English Immersion for their Spanish-speaking
children. The results aren't totally earth-shaking, but they are interesting
and to the point. Would people be interested in what she has to say? She's
Tejano. Her dad's part Yaqui. 

 

Let me know what you think.

Best always, 

Mia 

 

  _____  

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Andre Cramblit
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 1:17 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] My Bad March 17-19 2008

 

SAVE THE DATE- SAVE THE DATE- SAVE THE DATE- SAVE THE DATE-

Live Your Language Alliance (LYLA)

Invites you to join us in our 1st Annual Native Languages Conference:

Shut Up & Talk*: Gathering The Tools To Live Our Languages

March 17-19, 2008 @ Humboldt State University-Arcata, CA

More information, call to conference and call for presenters available
online after 12/01/07

* This theme was chosen not to offend but rather as an attempt to challenge
people to make a commitment to developing the skills, knowledge and
resources needed to preserve the vitality of our Native languages and to
speak them in our daily lives.

 

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