Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.3/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id LAA08462; Tue, 16 May 2000 11:29:38 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 11:29:38 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <20000516152639.2781.qmail@web614.mail.yahoo.com> Errors-To: listowner@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: Barbara Van <teacherbarbara@yahoo.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:4460] Re: "English"-only names X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Status: O Content-Length: 2584 Lines: 76 We don't do that in our ESL classes here in Illinois, though some students "Americanize" their first names, I assume, for easier pronunciation by Americans or perhaps to "fit in" better with a group, especially in the case of teen-age students. My daughter's Spanish teacher had changed all her students' names to "Spanish style" when she studied Spanish in high school about 10 years ago. The kids thought it was fun. I had a student from Hong Kong several years ago who was also given an English (British) name. She had both names on her birth certificate, she said. Peresonally, I don't believe any name should be forced on someone. When my husband had business visitors from Japan, he discovered that they had all changed their names when they arrived in the U.S.! He said it was really strange to call a Japanese man Bill, Joe, or Tom! My Indian neighbor, whose husband's name is Gunvent, was told, by his Indian friends, to change his name to Gary, when he moved to this country. He didn't. Americans address him as Gun. --- Gerry Lassche <baccachew98@yahoo.com> wrote: > Over 50 years ago, the Japanese occupied Korea. > While > doing so, they forced the Koreans to change their > names to Japanese names, and forced them to speak > and > write only Japanese. > > Today, some places in Korea routinely provide their > students with "English" (always British/American > names) names in their English classes, to give a > more > "foreign" atmosphere in the class. I do not like > this > practice, because of the historical precedent set by > the Japanese. Also, I think that Korean names are > beautiful, and that the identity/name of the student > should not hinder their appreciation of another > culture (ie they don't have to change their name in > order to learn about another culture). > > Two questions: > (1) How do you feel about this issue? > (2) Is the giving of "English" names a practice > limited to Korea, or do schools in other countries > do > this also? > > > ===== > Gerry Lassche > O: 0562 221 5085 F: 0562 221 5030 > ************************************ > Globalization Education Team > POSCO Education & Training Center > PO Box 36, 74-3 Gigok-dong, Nam-ku > Pohang City, Kyungbok KOREA 790-390 > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! > Messenger. > http://im.yahoo.com/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/
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