Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost.nifl.gov [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.8.7/8.8.5) with SMTP id SAA01671; Mon, 10 Nov 1997 18:18:02 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 18:18:02 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <s4673410.088@NMAIL.EPCC.EDU> Errors-To: lmann@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Andres Muro <AndresM@NMAIL.EPCC.EDU> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:1484] English Only Discussion X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 4.1 Status: RO Content-Length: 2482 Lines: 46 The English Only movement is a movement of scapegoatism, designed to promote fear among uneducated voters. The rhetoric of the movement is similar to Hitler's "My Struggle". This movement, or variations of it, become popular with politicians who want to get votes based on a "reduction in spending" agenda. The argument is that we spent too much money on immigrants who are lazy, do not want to assimilate and refuse to learn English. If we vote for these politicians, they will reduce our taxes by not paying for bilingual education and other programs designed to aid immigrants and blah, blah, blah. The English Only movement is not based on any well researched pedagogical approach, nor it is based on sound cultural studies. It is, as I said before, a movement designed to promote xenophobia. California's Pete Wilson, has been one of the masters at effectvely promoting xenophobia among voters. Regarding the pedagogical value of multilingual education vs. total immersion programs, the merits of these approaches depend on context and ideology. Street argues that literacy practices are rooted in ideology; and acquisition of literacies are often mediated by power struggles. Therefore, the effect of an immersion program, vs. a multilingual program can have different sociocultural and psychological effects, and may be received differently depending on the particular context. Populations who are resisting assimilation and acculturation efforts from a dominant culture will respond differently to pedagogical approaches from those populations who are not. Overall, Lambert argues that an "additive" pedagogical approach (one that adds to the existing cultural experience) is favorable to a "subtractive" approach (one that favors one cultural experience while trying to subtract another one). For oppressed immigrants with poor self esteem, a subtractive approach can be culturally devastating. This type of approach often can lead to passive resistance. In the anthology "Literacy as Praxis" Ogbu makes an analysis of minorities' status and the school experience. Ogbu identifies voluntary vs. involuntary minorities. Voluntary minorities are those who came to the US voluntarily seeking economic well-being. Minorities who acquired such status by slavery, conquest or colonization are involuntary minorities. Involuntary minorities may see an immersion approach as a cultural threat while voluntary minorities may not perceive this. Good discussion, Andres
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