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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 totally understand your situation. I remember speaking spanish in the lunchroom and the teacher telling me that I was in America and that I should speak English. I told her that maybe she should learn Spanish so she could be able to understand. This can cause many problems not only in a school setting but also in a social atmosphere. Many people fear what they don't know. If I were you, I would tell those girls that the USA does not have an official language. Also, I would inform them about the many many diverse cultures that live in America. Next, I would show the class a statistics chart showing how important Spanish is in the USA. Lastly, you should not impede the use of Spanish in your classroom. This would be discrimination, according to the school's policy. |
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