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They should be taught in English. Why should we go out of our way to accommodate people at our expense and inconvenience? Immigrants need to adapt to the USA and stop expecting and demanding that the USA adapt to them.
Exactly. It is up to them to adapt to our ways. Nobody asked or forced them to come here.
If they are not here legally, she shouldn't be allowed to attend at all, and should be deported with their parents and have criminal records not allowing them to come back for an extended amount of time.
Yes, maybe a majority of the immigrants want to learn English but recently multicuralism tells us that many people don't want to adapt to the American mainstream which they see as someone else's priorities, not theirs.
Says who?
And what, exactly, is the 'mainstream' you mention?
Immigrants many not want to learn English, but speaking some English is a necessity for most to some degree. If you were to move to Mexico, you would need some Spanish for the same reasons. But learning the necessities and becoming fluent are two entirely different things.
I've heard Mexican-Americans who can speak fluently and have a Spanish accent, who speak fluently with an American accent, and many first generation immigrants who have gradually become more proficient as the years go by and they become more at ease among Anglos.
At the same time, most of the folks who move here want to enjoy all the same things the native born do, but they all tend to keep some traditions of the old country's culture. And that's not just the Latinos; every group if immigrants keeps the old ways for many generations.
In fact, when an anthropologist wants to study old traditions in a country, they don't go to that country. All countries continually change and evolve, losing the old ways and taking on new ways. They seek out colonies of immigrants who moved to other places, and America has many populations that have been studied.
Why? Because the immigrants traditions that they bring with them don't change. They become fixed and set in their new homelands.
At the same time, immigrants always end up sounding, acting, and assuming all the ways here. it almost always takes 2 generations for full assimilation.
The United States always takes on some of the traditions and languages that the newcomers bring. All of us are more acquainted with Spanish than we once were. Salsa now outsells ketchup. Santa Claus is an American combination of Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, and other traditions that came from Europe. Piñatas are now popular for children's birthday parties.
@Old Glory. You're totally exaggerating the current situation in U.S. schools. Spanish (or Chinese or Russian) is used as a temporary "bridge language" in some schools. The number of Hispanic kids who continue to be schooled in Spanish after one year is slight. By third grade, they're bilingual, and by fourth grade, their English is often better than their Spanish (and they're taking all subjects in English). That is the norm.
@Old Glory. You're totally exaggerating the current situation in U.S. schools. Spanish (or Chinese or Russian) is used as a temporary "bridge language" in some schools. The number of Hispanic kids who continue to be schooled in Spanish after one year is slight. By third grade, they're bilingual, and by fourth grade, their English is often better than their Spanish
(and they're taking all subjects in English). That is the norm.
Where did I exaggerate? There are even some schools that tried to make Spanish mandatory for our native English speaking students.
You are totally in over your head, OldGlory. Give up now before it's too late!
BTW: Did any of these schools make Spanish mandatory? No. Not one U.S. public school system requires Spanish. We're lucky when a public school system requires the study of any foreign language at all. At best, U.S. high schools in some states require two years of a foreign language (it can be Spanish, French, Latin or even sign language--you and your child choose it).
Of course we should offer a separate education system for immigrants; in fact it should be mandatory. However care must be taken to make sure it remains equal to the main system. Separate, but equal. Nothing could ever go wrong with that.
@Old Glory. TRANSLATION: The OP's post and leading question are (1) absurd, (2) asinine and (3) tinged with racism (and plain ignorance). There is no need -- and there is no demand -- for an education in any language other than English in the United States.
Got it?
Could you give us links to your data please?
Why are nearly all major cities short of Spanish speaking teachers?
They need bi-lingual teachers to teach non-english speaking students. Hence the shortage of teachers these students can understand and learn from. Some districts in SoCal are having to teach the same courses in both English and Spanish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ALackOfCreativity
Of course we should offer a separate education system for immigrants; in fact it should be mandatory. However care must be taken to make sure it remains equal to the main system. Separate, but equal. Nothing could ever go wrong with that.
It's undermining the system having to teach in two languages.
When people have been here for decades and still require their children to translate for them, it shows a complete unwillingness to assimilate. Spanish has always been an elective course, and (like it or not) English IS the language of this country. Immigrants should WANT to learn it as quickly as possible.
Shouldn't we find it just a little concerning that our DMVs are printing the drivers' handbooks in 19 languages? We are taking PC to bizzaro world levels. It's also creating a self-imposed segregation, of sorts, where people can't venture beyond the neighborhood they live. My great great grandparents spoke decent english. My great grandfather (thier son; born in Italy) spoke perfect Jones Beach English.
Why are nearly all major cities short of Spanish speaking teachers?
They need bi-lingual teachers to teach non-english speaking students. Hence the shortage of teachers these students can understand and learn from. Some districts in SoCal are having to teach the same courses in both English and Spanish.
It's undermining the system having to teach in two languages.
When people have been here for decades and still require their children to translate for them, it shows a complete unwillingness to assimilate. Spanish has always been an elective course, and (like it or not) English IS the language of this country. Immigrants should WANT to learn it as quickly as possible.
Shouldn't we find it just a little concerning that our DMVs are printing the drivers' handbooks in 19 languages? We are taking PC to bizzaro world levels. It's also creating a self-imposed segregation, of sorts, where people can't venture beyond the neighborhood they live. My great great grandparents spoke decent english. My great granfather (born in Italy) spoke perfect Jones Beach English.
Of course we should offer a separate education system for immigrants; in fact it should be mandatory. However care must be taken to make sure it remains equal to the main system. Separate, but equal. Nothing could ever go wrong with that.
At who's expense?
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