PRESS ONE FOR ENGLISH

LIVE HERE, LEARN OUR LANGUAGE

A Wed. Sept. 19, 2007 cover story in The Oregonian daily newspaper (Oregonlive.com) highlighted recent conversations between the Oregon department of education and the Mexican government to bring in Mexican curriculum for the large number of Mexican immigrants coming into this state. Okay, I just plain and simply disagree. People who come to this country are very welcome into this country but if they are going to live in this country, they need to learn our language, which last I checked is English. Though, sometimes I wonder. I get tired of having to “press 1” for English when I call my phone company or other businesses. When I go to another country, I am courteous enough to try to speak the language and I do not expect people to know English. With the education system in American teaching Mexican children in Spanish, they will never get proficient in English. there are so many immigrants in this country, and they should – and can – all learn English. German was my first language, as it was spoken in the home, and so I asked my mom how I learned English and she said just by being in the neighborhood and when I went to school my English got really good of course. Children’s brains are so pliable and they can so easily learn two languages side by side, if we require them to. My mom and dad are both immigrants from Germany having come here for college, and they dove right into the English language by taking classes (in English!) at their colleges. Of course, they had no choice and neither should school children. This whole idea of “English as a second language” does not work. Immersion, however works. Teach subjects in the target language and though it may be hard at first, kids adjust. Challenge our children, all of them, and give them the advantage of learning English by being immersed in English. The Mexican immigrants will hear enough Spanish in their homes and communities to keep up their native language, which I strongly believe in as well. In fact, one of the best gifts my parents gave me was raising me bilingual. I can get by in German speaking countries as well as here. Thoughts? Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMomwww.writermom.netwww.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com