Kathleen,

I am very glad to hear so many other languages are
spoken in America aside from English.  Just so that I
am clear, are you referring to homes and bi-lingual
schools?  Cause I am left wondering how many
businesses and universities use a language other than
English as the language of operation.  My guess is not
too many.   

I also find it highly questionable of you to think
that people in power are not very well aware of the
fact that there are members of society who are not
fully functional in English.  Please give them some
credit and do not make sweeping generalizations of
this nature.  

And please tell me that this list-serv is not turning
into some
boo-hoo-left-wing-everything-is-bad-with-America
forum.

I am also left wondering Kathleen if you think that
the people in power in Germany should accept, polish,
russian, turkish, czech, slovak, hungarian and just
about every other language becuase the immigrants to
this country might feel a bit slighted by the fact
that they HAVE to learn German in order to get a job
and function in society.  not gonna happen.  and guess
what Kathleen, I would bet that the situation is quite
similar in France, the UK, Russia, Japan, and just
about every other country in the world.  I can not at
all begin to fathom what your expectation is or what
the problem is with having one common language in a
country.  I think this facilitates education, economic
growth and participation in a society.  

Had I not learned German when I came to Germany, I
would have not been able to integrate into the society
as well as I did.  I would not have gotten a job, I
would not have developed my circle of friends, I would
not be able to participate in the culture in which I
am living.   Kathleen, do you think that becasue I
speak a world language other than german, everybody
should have bent over backwards to meet my needs and
learn my world language.  

Please, come down out of the ivory tower, plan some
lessons that are rich, meaningful and purposeful for
the learners that you work with, honor their language
in the classroom and in any other forum, but
please...there is no need to go on and on about this. 
Its old hat.

Regards,
Robert Wisz,
Baden-Baden, Germany


--- "dezreen at excite.com" <dezreen at excite.com> wrote:


> 

> We are sensitive becuase language is power. 

> To ignore this is to believe that only English is

> spoken in the US. 

> Some of those in power in the US would like to

> continue this myth. 

> 

> Kathleen

> 

> 

> 

> 

>  --- On Thu 09/28, Robert wisy < rwisy at yahoo.com >

> wrote:

> From: Robert wisy [mailto: rwisy at yahoo.com]

> To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov

> Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:39:54 -0700 (PDT)

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 733] Re: looking at our

> language

> 

> <br>www.m-w.com says:<br><br>Main Entry: for·eign

> <br>Pronunciation: 'for-&n, 'fär-<br>Function:

> adjective<br>Etymology: Middle English forein, from

> Anglo-French,<br>from Late Latin foranus on the

> outside, from Latin<br>foris outside -- more at

> FORUM<br>1 : situated outside a place or country;

> especially :<br>situated outside one's own

> country<br>2 : born in, belonging to, or

> characteristic of some<br>place or country other

> than the one under<br>consideration<br>3 : of,

> relating to, or proceeding from some other<br>person

> or material thing than the one

> under<br>consideration<br><br>Only in America can

> one find this degree of<br>hyper-sensitivity over

> one word.  I wonder if<br>splitting hairs like this

> really serves any purpose<br>within the language

> classroom.  So what is the new job<br>title does

> this make for all of us who teach english<br>as a

> foreign language or teachers of English

> to<br>speakers of other languages. 

> <br><br>Somebody, quick!!! Inform ACTFL, the Foreign

> 

> Service,<br>TEFL.com, and iatefl  that they are all

> running the<br>risk of not being inclusive

> enough.<br><br>Robert Wisz,<br>Baden-Baden Germany 

> <br><br>--- "dezreen at excite.com"

> <dezreen at excite.com> wrote:<br><br>> <br>> The word

> "foreign" has a lot of weight and can mean<br>> many

> things. One connotation is that if you are<br>>

> foreign you are from the outside, you don't

> belong,<br>> you don't have the same rights as

> others, etc.  <br>> <br>> The use of "world"

> languages is much more inclusive<br>> and does not

> aim, intentionally or not, to exclude<br>> anyone.

> <br>> <br>> I have often been reminded that the

> Spanish<br>> language, in particular, is not foreign

> to the US.<br>> It has been used longer than English

> in some parts<br>> of the US, a country that doesn't

> have an official<br>> language. To refer to it as

> "foreign" is to use a<br>> 100 year old model, one

> that I believe we have moved<br>> beyond. <br>>

> <br>> Kathleen Morgan<br>> Telluride CO<br>> <br>>

> <br>> <br>> 

> <br>>  --- On Wed 09/27, Kearney Lykins <<br>>

> kearney_lykins at yahoo.com > wrote:<br>> From: Kearney

> Lykins [mailto:<br>> kearney_lykins at yahoo.com]<br>>

> To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov<br>> Date: Wed, 27 Sep

> 2006 14:11:24 -0700 (PDT)<br>> Subject:

> [EnglishLanguage 722] Re: looking at our<br>>

> language<br>> <br>> Sarah, <br><br>Re: Your

> suggestion that "we talk<br>> about

> world<br>languages rather than foreign<br>>

> languages."<br><br>Why?<br><br>Kearney<br>>

> Lykins<br><br>--- Sarah Beaman-Jones<br>>

> <sbeaman at webster.edu> wrote:<br><br>> As we

> develop<br>> our discussion about languages, I<br>>

> would like to<br>> pass on <br>> an insight from my

> grandson's school<br>> principal.  He<br>> suggests

> we talk <br>> about<br>> world languages rather than

> foreign languages.<br>><br>> -- <br>> Sarah

> Beaman-Jones<br>> Literacy Program<br>>

> Developer<br>> LIFT-Missouri<br>> 815 Olive

> Street,<br>> Suite 22<br>> St. Louis, MO

> 63101<br>><br>> 1-800-729-4443<br>> 1-314-678-4443

> x206<br>><br>> 

> 1-314-678-2938 [fax]<br>><br>>

>

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