Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: English Only! We recently finished reading and discussing The House on Mango Street in my 7th grade English class. Students had mixed reactions to the book, but they were really into discussing the issues in the book. Last Tuesday, I assigned my students to small groups to discuss Esperanza's (the main character in the book) experiences in her new school. Two of my Hispanic students in one of the groups started speaking Spanish to each other, but it was obvious that they were talking about Esperanza's experiences. So, I did not mind this. However, some of my other students started staring at these students and two of them said "English, please! You are in America." I told my students that it was okay for them to speak Spanish because they were on task. Then, some of my other students protested my position and said "if all international students speak their native languages, then how are we English-only speaking students going to understand anything?" How should I respond to this situation because it seems like I will have this issue again? Should I not allow any other language in the classroom? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I agree with the approach you decided to use within your classroom. Students should be allowed to use their native language when having discussions. This allows students to keep their identity. The students who made the rude statement should have been reprimanded. Students should feel comfortable speaking their native language among others. When having a discussion the Spanish speaking students should translate to the other students, this would satisfy everyone.