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ENGLISH AS FIRST LANGUAGE?
EFL LANGUAGE CLASSES? I know this will be controversial and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of flack on it but I propose our schools teach ENGLISH AS A FIRST LANGUAGE! Now, having said that, I can assure you that I am a bona fide American Gringo. However, I am fluent in the Spanish language and can speak, read, and write it. How did I manage that? I took classes at both NYU and the So, why do we teach English as a SECOND Language here? Jim Richards 6 comments from 5 users
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posted by
Blaze
on Feb 7, 2007 at 02:14 PM
I wasn't aware of this. They are teaching this in our public schools?
posted by
justcurious
on Feb 7, 2007 at 03:05 PM
It's called English as a second language because the people taking it already speak a language, which would reasonably and logically be considered their first language. Just as you would consider Spanish a second language for yourself. Nothing diabolical about it.
posted by
kidswi
on Feb 7, 2007 at 03:41 PM
Justcurious is exactly right. There is nothing wrong with teaching English as a second language. As educated as you are Mr. Richards, I'm sure you would also know that if someone were to move here from a European country, English may be their fourth or fifth language. However, most Europeans are already well versed in the English language, due to its widspread usage throughout the continent because of people residing or visiting a country other than their birthplace. Really when you think of it, it's not all that different from the Spanish language in the Americas. I think this fear shared by many people in this community is an unjustified paranoia.
posted by
Sparks
on Feb 7, 2007 at 04:17 PM
English can't be a first language to them Jim. English would be their second language because they already have a language. Just as Spanish whether living in Mexico or not is a second language to you. I am all for everyone learning to speak Engish!!! YAY!!!! posted by
TK
on Feb 7, 2007 at 05:30 PM
There's two parts to this as I see it. First is the terminology "English as a Second Language" or ESL. As already mentioned, ESL just refers to the fact that a person who speaks one language other than English will consider English their second language. The second part is the immersion method of learning a language compared to the supported learning we have in our schools. The schools are required to teach students in this fashion, rather than immerse them, because of court decisions becoming laws (and the court cases were not about Spanish as a First Language students). I agree that immersion is best, but immersion with tutoring. Immersion without scholastic help in their native language causes students to lose a year, or more, of academic advancement. When Jim was immersing in a language class I don't think he was also taking math, science and sociology courses in Spanish. Another problem our schools face is that many immigrant children often have very little knowledge of how to read and write in their first language. Once a person has knowledge in one language it is easier to transfer that knowledge into another language. But, if a person has no knowledge of syntax or grammar, addition or subtraction, Marxism or Democracy, then the schools are faced with not only teaching a new language, but teaching a whole set of unknowns in the new language. posted by
kidswi
on Feb 7, 2007 at 07:27 PM
Thank you TK.
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