N áhuatl mandatory in public scho ols in Mexico City

[Kier Salmon]

Having grow up in Mexico and been in Mexican public schools, I  
shudder to think about the logistics of the problem.  The teachers  
would be one step ahead of the students all the way.
I was fully spanish/english bilingual and two of my Secundaria  
teachers were ok with letting me read in class and letting them get  
on with trying to pound the language (very inexpertly) into my  
classmates heads... one decided my brother and I had to perform all  
the tasks she gave the class; I still remember the day she said,  
"Mouse; mice, blouse...   "  That one stalemated in La Directora's  
office.  Now think of the difference linguistically between spanish  
and nahuatl as opposed to spanish and english (both indo-european  
based if broadly seperated.).
One thing I think we will see, however is a much larger support from  
the population for learning nahuatl.  English and french and german  
were very resented as signs of Mexico's subordination on the  
international scene and all my classmates gladly forgot every bit  
they learned as fast as possible.  There is hope that this would not  
be the feeling about nahuatl; for the past 20 years "hablar indio"  
has been much less pejorative than it was in my growing up years.


On Aug 18, 2007, at 9:53 AM, Maria Bolivar wrote:

> I am sorry I have been so busy I did not check if the list has  
> discussed
> Náhuatl becoming a mandatory subject in all of Mexico City's Public  
> Schools.
>
> I am interested to know how is it they plan to implement that  
> decree. I
> truly was not aware of us having so many instructors all ready to  
> start all
> those classes for the cycle 2008-2009 when the decree becomes  
> effective.
> English is a mandatory subject already. I remember in Zacatecas  
> there were
> very few instructors of English and those available did not really  
> speak
> English. I know in Mexico City English is mandatory, but the number of
> people fluent in English does not surface as it should. I hope the new
> measure for Náhuatl does not run the same course. It is wonderful  
> to dream,
> but not just in paper. What do you all think?
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Maria Bolivar
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Nahuatl mailing list
> Nahuatl at lists.famsi.org
> http://www.famsi.org/mailman/listinfo/nahuatl


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