Native Language Essay

All languages are important and realizing it will make you become a stronger, more diverse human being. We need take make an effort not only for ourselves but for other citizens living in the United States who don’t speak English; we need to make them feel welcomed into our country. Marjorie Agosín described that,”here in the United States, where I have lived since I was a young girl, the solitude of exile makes me feel that so little is mine, that not even the sky has the same constellations, the trees and the fauna the same names or sounds, or the rubbish the same smell. These are the dilemmas of one who writes in Spanish and lives in translation”(Agosin 599). Agosín has lived in the United States for quite some time now, yet still feels like she is living a life through “translation”. She should not feel this way, Agosin should feel apart of our country and feel as if she is a citizen. It is important for us to take a stand now to make language become apart of the curriculum within our school systems starting in Kindergarten, so that our children have a more diverse life filled with opportunities. One thing we know about the future for sure is that we will still have our knowledge about language, but it is how we use that knowledge that will depict how we will succeed in life and as a

In her article “Why and When We Speak Spanish Among Ourselves in Public”, Marquez describes how speaking in her parent’s native language is a matter of respect and without a reason assumes that native English speakers will consider this rude in public environments. This brings two subjects to the table: the first being the wrong assumption, since the U.S tolerance for the use of other languages in all kinds of environments has become wider and wider, and second Marquez fails to realize that assimilation does not diminish the roots of one’s culture. Framing the context in her favor, Marquez expresses her disagreement on the preference of foreign immigrant’s descendants’ to use English rather than their “root” language. Just as Tan’s point of view, those descendants will develop their own life in the U.S not in the home country of their parents, therefore in the development of their tool making English a priority is understandable and isn’t a matter of disrespect or cultural

Currently, there are over 6,000 living languages spoken in the world. Even with these many languages spoken, people are still discriminated in America. Language is a part of many cultures and daily life, for example in Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue", Tan says "I've heard other terms used, 'limited English,' for example. But they seem as bad, as if everything is limited, including people's perceptions of the limited English speaker." Language should not be a border where people today are still treated as "broken".

Not all people who speak the English language speak it the same way. It is very uncommon to find two people that speak the exact same English because there are so many different forms of the language. This is the argument that Amy Tan makes in her story, “Mother Tongue”. Tan uses pathos to portray to her audience how through her experiences with her mother and the Chinese language she came to realize who she wanted to be and how she wanted to write.

Approximately 37 million people speak both English and Spanish in the United States and have experienced a feeling of discrimination or rejection. Richard Rodriguez’s memoir called “Aria: A Memoir Of A Bilingual Childhood” demonstrates this with a personal experience. This memoir was taken from the book “Hunger Of Memory” which was originally published in “1982”. The events in this memoir occur specifically in the 1900s, when the author was a young boy, entering an American school for the first time. One of the main issues displayed in his memoir is when Rodriguez recalls being labeled as a “problem student” being a Hispanic-American student in an all-white school. Another issue displayed in this memoir is the difficulties he had had to learn English meantime he felt more comfortable with Spanish. Being discriminated and not being able to adapt to two different languages is a struggle more than half of the world deals with. This is truly a serious issue because this could potentially be the origin of socially feeling uncomfortable. The purpose of this memoir was to tell the reader that individuality can come from both one's private and public communities, but that does not mean that one loses himself. The audience attracted to this memoir are foreigners in America. This memoir is directed to immigrants and other foreign people who have experienced the same difficulty of learning a new public language in America.

In the article, How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua describes how a person is judge based on the speak they have. The people that have English or other languages as a second language are more likely to speak a different way. Therefore, people make fun other those who cannot pronounces words right. Those people are the one that do more have a harder time speaking to people with can lead to mental trauma. These people tend to lose their identity to please others that are persuading them to speak the American language. The author discusses how people that have their second language be the common language is harder to get work that pays good. The author has experience this kind of thing where we are judged base on the way you speak a language.

Rodriguez is able to characterize both the languages he describes through his personal observations. English is characterized a public language and is spoken by the native speaker in a firm way that accentuates their belonging in the public society (Rodriguez 295). However, for Rodriguez English full of uncertainty, not only in the way native speakers sound in his unaccustomed ear, but also in how an immigrants’ confused tongue speaks the alien language. In contrast, Rodriguez considers Spanish a private language, “a language of home,” and was a language that created a feeling of inclusion of an exclusive group of immigrant (Rodriguez 296). While English is characterized as uncertain, Spanish is personified as the complete opposite. Spanish fills Rodriguez

Sedaris argues that language skills come in many way by stating, “Understanding doesn’t mean that you can suddenly speak the language. Far from it. It’s a small step, nothing more, yet its rewards are intoxicating and deceptive.” Sedaris argues that vocal language is not the defining factor when learning a language but it is important because he understands that to communicate successfully one needs to fake proper language skills. Proper language skills that Tan’s mother does not fully possess, “Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” English. But I wince when I say that… as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness” (292). Her mother’s form of English opens doors for judgement because of her choice of words this judgement also opens way for problems to arise from the people judging her. “She said she had spoken very good English her best English, no mistakes. Still, she said, the hospital did not apologize when they said they had lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing.” (Tan 292). Tan brings up this huge issue of respect in this quote explaining that the biases and expectations of people are so high that they cannot even show forms of respect to those who do not speak their language as well. In such a serious scenario these professionals could not look past the language “issue” causing a detriment to the patient and degrading her form of language. This degrading of language is also explained by Anzaldua, “‘Pocho’, cultural traitor, you’re speaking the oppressor’s language by speaking English, you’re ruining the Spanish language,’ I have been accused by various Latinos and Latinas”’ (2948). By speaking both languages she is isolated and oppressed but her argument is

When people come to the United States of America, they experience changes and many hardships. One of the biggest difficulties for them is not speaking English. In addition to having a hard time adopting to a new life and language, immigrants are usually oppressed by the English speaking population and have to deal with much discrimination due to their lack of English. As the United States was growing as a nation, Americans were hard on the non-English speakers in the name of good will. Whether they were Native Americans, slaves, Latinos, from south western territories, or European and Asian immigrants, the United States passed many laws that restricted the use of their native language in order to restrict their opportunities. America oppressed the non-English speakers by taking away many of their rights, forcing them to learn new ways of living, and threatening them with deportation.

The children in these families try to adapt to the American society, but with the difficulties of learning a new language comes the challenges of having to pick between losing their native language or trying to balance both languages together. The school system often forces the children to forget the language they grew up speaking just so they can fit in with the other kids at school. Transitioning to a new school is hard enough, but when the child does not look or sound like the other children it can make it even harder. Marjorie Agosin understands this treatment a little too well due to her family moving to America to escape the danger in their country In her article she states “A high school in the small town of Athens, Georgia, where my poor English and my accent were the cause of ridicule and insult” (600). Children should not feel ashamed for the way he or she sounds, and then feel like they need to forget about their once beloved language. These children even change their names, so they experience an easier transition at school because the other kids cannot tell they are from another country (Dumas 607). Many languages are abandoned because of the ridicule the children go through at school. The children and teachers need to learn tolerance for these children coming into the American school system. Once others learn tolerance, the children will not feel like they have to change their name and lose their native language to fit in with others at

This was something that Richard Rodriguez is willing to do. Spanish was home for Richard and it was all that he knew growing up. Exposure to only that language led him to feel socially disadvantaged as a child. The Spanish speaking language was a huge part of his culture and represented home and English as a stranger. Inability to speak English made him a foreigner to the outside world. Due to his culture a separation was built between English speaking and non English speaking individuals. Richards transition was painful because the closeness and emotionless that he related to his Spanish language. They were bonded by segregation and separating themselves from the unfamiliar. It was when Rodriguez’s family left their culture behind and embraced the American language they were truly able to reap the benefits of being an “American”. Crevecoeur’s encouraged his immigrant to leave behind old traditions and created new ones with their families. Learning the English language gave the Rodriguez family the ability to do that. No longer were they bonded by segrations or only in kinship with relatives but they were opened up to the world around them. “We remained a loving family but one greatly changed. No longer so close; no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness”. (Rodriguez 5). Leaving their culture behind a being opened to assimilating a

Assimilating into this melting pot that we call America may be a walk in the park to some but to others, there is a high barrier that blocks the doorway like a security guard to the trendiest club in Los Angeles. As easy as it may be for some to come up to the front of the line and walk right through the red rope, there are others who are not as lucky. Most people much like you and I, have to wait in a long line and pay their way through. Whether a native on this land or an immigrant from another country, language is a very powerful tool required in order for one to be successful here in America. There is a high price of hard work and determination that can pay the cost of making this success a reality.

Finally, Rodriguez realized that without a way to communicate with people in his community and the rest of the country he would never gain true individuality. Once Rodriguez became comfortable speaking English he quickly made friends with American children and obtained his social identity. Gaining his social identity and individuality encouraged him to be a stronger, more outgoing person. Now he considers himself an American even though he is still ethnically diverse. Senator S.I. Hayakawa who is also of ethnic decent states that, “Language is a necessary cause of our oneness as a society.” If a person cannot communicate their feelings, ideas, or opinions then there is no way for them to gain their individuality and they often won’t be able to succeed socially or financially.

Although all the strategies help me further understand dual language learners, there are a couple that stand out. Let me start with strategy, planning 5. This strategy helped me to better understand that it is not only beneficial to pick a book that is related to the academic objective, but also a book that the children can relate to. When picking a book most teachers as well as I usually go for the books based on the academic objective. Which is great, but when you pick a book the children can relate to. It helps them to engage and participate more. It also helps with the discussion, because they are listening they can understand the story. therefore, eager to answer the questions when ask. Now when I choose a book to read I make sure it is relatable to the kids. One change I made when I’m doing my lesson plans, is picking the books I know the children’s like and relate to and see how I can fit them in the lesson plan.

There are many bilingual and multicultural people in the world today. For many, the choices of which language they use, and how they use it, correspond to what social or cultural community they belong to. Amy Tan, a Chinese American novelist, portrays this well in her short essay "Mother Tongue." Tan grew up in two vastly different worlds, using different "Englishes." The first world, which consists of her close family, she speaks what we may call "broken" or "limited" English. The second world, which is her business and professional world, Tan speaks and writes perfect standard and academic English. Having to "shuttle" between these two communities with very different languages has had many different positive and negative effects on