It May Sound Bad, but Just Learn the Dominant Language

Response/Reflection on Aria by Richard Rodriguez:

I feel as if I can definitely relate to this article firsthand because I was once in the same situation as the author. Ten years ago, my family and I moved to the United States from Canada, where I was born. Since I had lived there for the first nine years of my life, French was my first language. When I moved here, I could not speak English, and the beginning of the school year was just around the corner. Trust me, when I stepped into that school to go to fourth grade and I didn't fully understand what people around me were saying, I was sure glad to have that ESL teacher.

ESL, for those who aren't aware, stands for English as a Second Language, and these educators are available for students like me who need help learning English; it could be just learning a few grammar skills, or learning the entire language from anew. And without mine, I know I most certainly would not be where I am today.

However, while I was learning my second language, I started feeling the same way Rodriguez did. I began thinking that maybe my French culture would slowly go away. Since now I was speaking English at school with my friends, doing my homework and watching TV in English, and even had to speak it at home all the time, I was afraid that I would never be "French" again. I started resenting my new life and my mother for making me move and change my entire way of thinking. I felt uncomfortable in class as well as in my own house. I felt as if I didn't belong, and as if no one wanted me to. It took me a very long time to understand that this type of change was for the better and I would appreciate it in the long run.

Although I have lost some of my fluency in French, I can still speak it and read it very well and it is still a huge part of my life. I go to Canada every summer to visit my dad and the majority of my family, and during this time, I speak French and go back to my life before I ever left. Nothing can change the fact that, everyday, I miss where I am from and all of the people that live there, however, moving here and learning English was the best thing that ever happened to me. It opened up so many more doors and gave me hundreds of opportunities that I would not have had if I hadn't been forced to learn it.

Learning this second language was a very challenging task, but it has made me the person I am today. If my school offered to teach me both in English and in French, I would not have felt the need to push myself to learn the new language at all. Then, I certainly would not have been as successful in school and I probably would not be writing this blog right now. Think about it, there are no French schools around here. There are no French companies, radio stations, or television channels. There are no opportunities for a French person to succeed here, unless they learn the dominant language. So that is what I had to do, and I am so grateful that I was able to do so because without it, I would be very unsuccessful in this country.

There are so many people that are here in the United States that cannot speak fluent English and demand others to learn their language and make all public places bilingual. Don't get me wrong, I do not have a problem with those who speak a different language. In fact I encourage them to hold on to their culture, however, I also encourage them to broaden their horizons and learn about new ones; the ones they are surrounded by.

Rodriguez ends his story by stating "they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality," and I strongly agree. If I were still unable to speak English, sure I would be an individual in the sense that I would not be able to understand anyone around me and I would basically be isolated from society. Since I have learned this dominant language, I am now able to do what any other American can, but in my own way; and I am still a unique individual.

This video shows some reasons as to why teaching English above all else is a priority. Towards the end, however, there are bilingual education supporters who are quite offended and make their claim that bilingual education should indeed persist.

In class, I plan to discuss this issue further. I am almost positive that some will strongly disagree but I am prepared to back up my blog and stay true to my opinion. I don't really feel the need to talk about my personal experience any further since I've written about it, unless anyone is curious about a certain issue. See you all Tuesday!

I'm so excited!!

okay so yesterday was my first day at my school for my service learning and, as usual, i was nervous for absolutely no reason. It was so much fun! Of course, i got lost on the way over, because dirrections and i do NOT get along, but once i parked and walked in, it ran really smoothly. The teacher that i am working with is super nice. The entire hour and a half that i go into the classroom happens to be during their DI class, and yesterday was my first time ever experiencing that and it was actually really interesting. I had the chance to introduce myself to the principal before leaving too and she was so sweet. I'm really happy with the way my first day went, and i'm very excited for the rest of the semester. So for whoever hasn't gone yet, i know it's easier said than done, but relax because there's really nothing to be nervous about. :)

Response to Caiti's Blog - Amazing Grace

Caiti's blog post:

"Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol, Quotes

Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol was a serious tearjerker.  Every page had something shocking and horrible on it.  This piece really affected me.  I am glad that I read White Privilege by McIntosh first, because to be honest when first reading that article I did not agree with a lot of the “privileges” that were placed upon me and my race, but after reading Amazing Grace it opened my eyes to how truly blessed I am. 

This quote from Kozol demonstrates how the innocence of many children has been stolen from them due to the environment they were born into and the pain they go through everyday.  “He doesn’t answer me but smiles at the bears affectionately.  I saw a boy shot in the head right over there,” he says a moment later, in a voice that does not sound particularly sad, then looks up at me and ask politely, ‘Would like you like a chocolate chip cookie?’”   The way the little boy just mentions it in passing shows how little tragedy effects him since he has to deal with it every day, it is almost normal to him. 

So many people need help from the government and it makes me so angry that people that legitimately need it do not receive it.  “After she died, the checks began to come. Now they keep on coming.  Her boyfriend cashes them each month. She’s dead! They have to know she died. They paid to bur her.  They had to see the death certificate.” This shows how truly “effed up” the government systems are.  They finally help a woman when she is already gone. 

This story stuck out to me the most.  The little boy was sent to the store to buy three slices of pizza one for him and one for his mom and dad.  He saw a man less fortunate then him and gave him some pizza.  When Kozol asked the little boy if his parent were mad he gave away some pizza he responded, “ Why would they be mad? God told us share.”  This shocked me he has so little yet he still has the heart to give to the less deserving while there are people out there who have so much but do not give anything to the poor. 

In class I really want to talk about the first quote I mentioned, I do not understand how something as serious as seeing a child shot in the head could not faze a child.  I want to discuss how this could have happened in our society. "

Moi ♥

Hey guys!
My name is Jess and i am a sophomore here at Rhode Island College. I am majoring in elementary education with a concentration in mathematics. I live in Coventry, RI but I was born in New Brunswick, Canada. I moved here when I was nine and I had to learn English in fourth grade while going to school, which, of course, was very challenging, but it has definitely made me a stronger person. 
I am one of seven children in my family. When we moved here, I had two brothers and one sister, but five years later, in 2005, my mother adopted three precious girls into our family. Being part of such a large family does get extremely frustrating and difficult at times, but nothing compares to how rewarding it is. 

I will be the first to admit that I am possibly the clumsiest person you will ever meet. I'm pretty outgoing, depending on the situation, and I love making people laugh. I love the color green and I adore the Earth, so take care of her!! 
I like...meeting new people and making new friends, dancing, laughing, taking pictures, making videos, going on roadtrips, and of course, listening to music. Music is the basis of my life. 
I have the most amazing best friend on this planet. We do everything together and she means the world to me. Although we have NO musical talent whatsoever, we love making music videos. We're basically professionals at it, and it's hilarious. Check them out sometime! http://www.youtube.com/abovebeingunder

One of my favorite quotes : "Live at the Bottom, even if you're at the Top"

I'm really looking forward to getting to know everyone in this class and to a great semester! 
Peace and Love,
Jess :)