Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e7RMXw826978; Sun, 27 Aug 2000 18:33:58 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 18:33:58 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <200008272230.PAA02852@gull.prod.itd.earthlink.net> 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: "Ann Woody" <annwoody@earthlink.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:4931] Re: Mexican immigration X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express Macintosh Edition - 4.5 (0410) Status: O Content-Length: 8979 Lines: 181 Boy, what is your PROBLEM, Melinda Roberts? ---------- >From: Melinda Roberts <salmo27@earthlink.net> >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:4925] Re: Mexican immigration >Date: Sun, Aug 27, 2000, 12:36 PM > > > --------------A5DE93249F0ED49BF3CBF021 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Dear ARPardes: > Your prejudice towards the White community SCREAMS throughout your story. Where > I teach ESL (in Orange County, California), many of our students ask for native > speakers of English because they do not want to learn English from someone who > speaks with an accent. Of course, in a community as diverse as ours, there is a > plethora of native speakers (or adults who learned English as young children) who > are not White and who are bilingual. Our bilingual teachers come from many > backgrounds, although most are Hispanic. And, if you know anything about Orange > County, you will know that many of us White folks took the time to learn Spanish > and are fluently bilingual. I seriously question your claim that Japanese > students understand a Spanish accent better than that of a native speaker > "because we speak with an accent too" -- since the Japanese accent is so markedly > different from that of a Spanish accent -- but then I guess that adds to the > argument against us "White" instructors, which, if I read your story correctly, > is the only type of "native speaker" of English. > But the remarks that have caused my blood to boil -- "After many years the ESL > instructor (sic) continue being white, native speakers, who make (sic) loud > questions with a lot of gestures, and a t (sic) the end ask "do YOU UndeRsTanD?" > I have NEVER taught this way, and I can assure you that the programs with which I > am proud to be a part would never allow that kind of insensitivity in the > classroom, whether the instructors are White or any other "color." > Finally is your remark that "even though they would avoid writing because they > don't know how to spell." I am enraged at the racism behind your comments. I > assume the "they" is us White folks -- and your remarks that "they" don't know > how to spell is an outrage!!! By the way, (sic) in a quote denotes a > spelling/typo error in the way the text was originally written, so that readers > realize that the quoter is quoting with the errors of the quotee . . . (For > example, "continue" is the plural form of the verb, thereby requiring that > "instructor" be plural as well, i.e., "instructors continue"; also, in English we > say that people "ask" loud questions, not "make" loud questions.) > Your story really is not so old. Prejudice comes in many forms and colors. And, > as you -- identified as "not Mexican, but from another Latin-American country" > have so aptly proven -- you don't have to be White to be prejudice. > Melinda Roberts > > > > > ARParedes@aol.com wrote: > >> I'm not Mexican, but from another Latin-American country. However, let me >> tell this old story about what happened to me while I was teaching ESL to >> middle school students in 1985 in Boulder, Colorado. >> >> A delegation of Japanese teachers came over to visit my classroom and observe >> teaching techniques. Very politely all of them were sitting and listening, >> attentively, what I was telling about teaching ESL through content areas, >> such as Geography, Social Studies, etc. >> >> One other ESL, Anglo teacher, noticing that the Japanese delegation was very >> silent, interrupted me and were ahead with explanations of her own. After 2 >> or 3 minutes, she said: "I just wanted to make sure they understood what you >> were trying to say, because you have an accent." One of the visitors raised >> his hand, and said: " Excuse me, but we were understanding him perfectly, >> instead we were having difficulties understanding you, you see? we also have >> an accent" >> >> The moral of the story is: There have been the belief that better ESL >> teachers are those who speak native English (without an accent), even though >> they would avoid writing because they don't know how to spell. After many >> years the ESL instructor continue being white, native speakers, who make loud >> questions with a lot of gestures, and a t the end ask "do YOU UndeRsTanD? >> >> Yes, indeed, teach with whatever you have. Mostly with your heart. > > --------------A5DE93249F0ED49BF3CBF021 > Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > <!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> > <html> > Dear ARPardes: > <br>Your prejudice towards the White community SCREAMS throughout your > story. Where I teach ESL (in Orange County, California), many of > our students ask for native speakers of English because they do not want > to learn English from someone who speaks with an accent. Of course, > in a community as diverse as ours, there is a plethora of native speakers > (or adults who learned English as young children) who are not White and > who are bilingual. Our bilingual teachers come from many backgrounds, > although most are Hispanic. And, if you know anything about Orange > County, you will know that many of us White folks took the time to learn > Spanish and are fluently bilingual. I seriously question your claim > that Japanese students understand a Spanish accent better than that of > a native speaker "because we speak with an accent too" -- since the Japanese > accent is so markedly different from that of a Spanish accent -- but then > I guess that adds to the argument against us "White" instructors, which, > if I read your story correctly, is the only type of "native speaker" of > English. > <br>But the remarks that have caused my blood to boil -- "After many years > the ESL instructor (sic) continue being white, native speakers, who make > (sic) loud questions with a lot of gestures, and a t (sic) the end ask > "do YOU UndeRsTanD?" > <br>I have NEVER taught this way, and I can assure you that the programs > with which I am proud to be a part would never allow that kind of insensitivity > in the classroom, whether the instructors are White or any other "color." > <br>Finally is your remark that "even though they would avoid writing because > they don't know how to spell." I am enraged at the racism behind > your comments. I assume the "they" is us White folks -- and your > remarks that "they" don't know how to spell is an outrage!!! By the > way, (sic) in a quote denotes a spelling/typo error in the way the text > was originally written, so that readers realize that the quoter is quoting > with the errors of the quotee . . . (For example, "continue" is the > plural form of the verb, thereby requiring that "instructor" be plural > as well, i.e., "instructor<u>s</u> continue"; also, in English we say that > people "ask" loud questions, not "make" loud questions.) > <br>Your story really is not so old. Prejudice comes in many forms > and colors. And, as you -- identified as "not Mexican, but from another > Latin-American country" have so aptly proven -- you don't have to be White > to be prejudice. > <br>Melinda Roberts > <br> > <br> > <br> > <p>ARParedes@aol.com wrote: > <blockquote TYPE=CITE>I'm not Mexican, but from another Latin-American > country. However, let me > <br>tell this old story about what happened to me while I was teaching > ESL to > <br>middle school students in 1985 in Boulder, Colorado. > <p>A delegation of Japanese teachers came over to visit my classroom and > observe > <br>teaching techniques. Very politely all of them were sitting and > listening, > <br>attentively, what I was telling about teaching ESL through content > areas, > <br>such as Geography, Social Studies, etc. > <p>One other ESL, Anglo teacher, noticing that the Japanese delegation > was very > <br>silent, interrupted me and were ahead with explanations of her own. > After 2 > <br>or 3 minutes, she said: "I just wanted to make sure they understood > what you > <br>were trying to say, because you have an accent." One of the visitors > raised > <br>his hand, and said: " Excuse me, but we were understanding him perfectly, > <br>instead we were having difficulties understanding you, you see? we > also have > <br>an accent" > <p>The moral of the story is: There have been the belief that better ESL > <br>teachers are those who speak native English (without an accent), even > though > <br>they would avoid writing because they don't know how to spell. > After many > <br>years the ESL instructor continue being white, native speakers, who > make loud > <br>questions with a lot of gestures, and a t the end ask "do YOU UndeRsTanD? > <p>Yes, indeed, teach with whatever you have. Mostly with your > heart.</blockquote> > </html> > > --------------A5DE93249F0ED49BF3CBF021-- > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 16 2001 - 14:45:06 EST