tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839104329994693160.post9058288897020162117..comments2010-05-04T21:53:47.680-04:00Comments on Snow Day and Beyond: A Family DividedDr. Lesley Bogadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01304182571326626786noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839104329994693160.post-64564911779110596032010-04-01T17:30:14.652-04:002010-04-01T17:30:14.652-04:00I agree with Kate that Aria was a very depressing ...I agree with Kate that Aria was a very depressing story. To spend an entire youth so detached and seems awful. For most of the reading I thought Rodriguez point was how this manner of forcing English on students needed to stop. However, in the very last line he states "while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality". It sound as if Rodriguez is suggesting that the ends justifies the means in his situation. Do you agree that is what he is saying with that line? If so, that really surprises me. There must be a more supportive and nurturing way for immigrant youth to learn English! What about the methods Collier mentions.Thia and Coryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12266959144529131722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839104329994693160.post-88692832492713595132010-04-01T15:40:54.797-04:002010-04-01T15:40:54.797-04:00Language is a major part of culture. In Sociology...Language is a major part of culture. In Sociology we due a whole lesson on the importance of language in understanding an appreciate culture.<br /><br />This article made me consider incorporating a lesson about the importance of maintaining language with family members and also about being bilingual (not forgetting your home or family language).Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03709182924789434660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839104329994693160.post-46258432515191327272010-03-31T19:55:20.423-04:002010-03-31T19:55:20.423-04:00I had a student like Jill. He was tested at the e...I had a student like Jill. He was tested at the end of the school year last year because he wasn't talking really and failing all of his subjects. It was finally discovered that he had a language barrier that went unnoticed through elementary school. He is unfortuantely repeating his 7th grade year because of this.<br /><br />I too find it interesting when Kate mentions the dad not converting to the English as the rest of the family. The mother seemed to defend him by saying he was traumatized as a child, but I wonder if this is an excuse for still portraying the "other" way in the community. Makes me wonder how the family felt "moving forward" without dad.Miss Alexionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07851690280601432022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839104329994693160.post-78761310490558909152010-03-31T19:47:26.648-04:002010-03-31T19:47:26.648-04:00Lauren,
I think that is a great point about rebe...Lauren, <br /><br />I think that is a great point about rebellion and our students. About a month ago, a student who comes from a 100% Portuguese speaking family was transferred from another team and into our co-taught class. Since then, the school has been working to have her accepted into the special education program for behavioral reasons. So, now there is a behavior chart that has to be passed from class to class and filled out before she leaves the room. On one particular day the resource teacher in the room filled out the chart. When the student read it replied 'oh well, she's not going to understand what it means anyway-- I'm just going to keep at it." At the time, I didn't really think anything of it, but now I wonder to what degree the student is rebelling, or if she is having a hard time finding a balance between her public and private identity.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10802604704165250611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839104329994693160.post-56174460357918032562010-03-31T16:25:08.267-04:002010-03-31T16:25:08.267-04:00Like Kate, Rodriguez's article really made me ...Like Kate, Rodriguez's article really made me sit and think. My first couple of years of teaching, I never had ESL students, but last year, I had two; and this year, I have several. Last year, I had students who really assimilated into the American culture, and it was not until we did narrative and memoir writing did I even know how different their culture was. This year, I had a student who clearly could not communicate in English, and often seemed confused. I was shocked to learn he was not in ESL and went to seek guidance from our ESL teacher. I referred him and he was astounded that this student had slipped through the cracks. HE was taken out of my class and placed in ESL, and last I checked he was doing great. I now wonder did he slip through because his parents could not communicate, and the "system" just gave up trying? Similarly, I have another student who communicates well verbally; although, her bilingualism is clear, but she cannot express herself clearly through writing. I have tried to sit down with her and explain, and recongnize her bilingualism but it hasn't been cutting it. When I went to Guidance, the Guidance Counselor kind of dismissed me. I went to the ESL teacher and he came with me to Guidance. While the guidance counselor was resistant we did get out of her that the parents would not put her in ESL because they wanted her to learn ENglish because that is what makes her successful. This reminded me of Richard's parents. It really makes me sad for both my students and their parents.Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00378255838745571937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839104329994693160.post-89694405209521343632010-03-31T15:18:12.141-04:002010-03-31T15:18:12.141-04:00Kate's point about the breakdown of the family...Kate's point about the breakdown of the family unit due to the learning of the English language is huge. Teenagers as a whole often rebel against their parents and begin to shut down and not offer up important ideas or information to their parents or guardians, but the way the Rodriguez children shut down so quickly was disturbing. It seems that they lost their communication completely with their obtainment of the dominant language. Their frustrations with their parents not being able to understand as quickly as they wanted them too was evident. As a reader it was difficult to see the parents stick to what the nuns had suggested and speak strictly English at home. Code switching as Collier discusses in her article would have helped to maintain the natural language and communication at home as well as possibly promote the English language as a family bonding experience.Laurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15833155464847743040noreply@blogger.com