Language, Upbringing And Group Acceptance

“There is more pleasure to building castles in the air than on the ground.” This quote by Edward Gibbon illustrates the intensity of writing and what gratification it can hold. When one writes, they are not confined to one certain formula. A person is able to express their thoughts and feelings in any way they choose. Language is a border for many people in that some cannot comprehend a certain language, understand how to use it, or recognize what is being said to them. On the other side of the border, they are not viewed as equals or as important compared to those who are not competing with this barrier. In his essay “Coming into Language,” Jimmy Santiago Baca uses his personal experiences to demonstrate how much

Language has been an integral part of human existence since the dawn of time. Our innate ability to communicate has guided the progress of civilization since its modest beginnings and facilitates our understanding of what it means to be human. The only practical way to thoroughly express one’s identity is through language, whether it be verbal speech or written text. It is only through this medium that we are able to fulfill our roles as a social people, who use discourse to cultivate relationships both on a personal and communal level. Language defines the human notion of self by revealing culture and beliefs, making individuality context-specific, and providing identity markers.

Purpose: To highlight the difficulties students have at school and at home when it comes down to learning a language which they aren’t acquainted to and the consequences of such, depending on their social background.

In the same manner as James Baldwin, I defend language to be a political instrument and the most crucial key to identity, in most cases. Language expresses the identity of the human; thus, connecting local and widespread communities. First impressions depict one’s identity among a group, from the moment one opens their mouth, their language outputs an impression in as short as seven seconds.

In a country like America where people all over the world come to obtain a better future for themselves and their children, there is a large diversity in culture and languages. Most immigrant families come to America speaking a different language and have to adapt to the American language, English. However, several people do not learn English or have difficulty learning it. Usually older people struggle to learn English because they do not have time. Though, children may not have a hard time learning the English language because they are often sent to school. Currently children are now expected to learn a new foreign language, but most of the children’s families would like them to continue speaking their native language as well.

Many students who are English language learners come from a background were in their household they speak another language rather than English. This is why it is very hard for them to adapt when they are entering a school. According to the 1968 Bilingual Education Act, this act mentioned how English Language Learners faced problems and how they came up with educational programs to help students who were Spanish speaking students (Stewner-Manzanares, 1988, P.1). The Bilingual Education Act was put in place and with this act they wanted the federal government to deliver programs that would help students who were Spanish speakers (Stewner-Manzanares, 1988,

In recent studies, the United States has seen an increase in numbers in immigration and has affected both adolescent education and the work environment. These families are forced to learn a new language and blend into a new society. In the article Obstacles to Getting Ahead by Martica L. Bacallao and Paul R. Smokowski “Monolingualism and discrimination in interpersonal interactions and social policies directed Mexican adolescents and their parents to learn English and to conform to host culture norms, appearance, and behaviors to advance in school and in their work.” (1). Lately, education has been a struggle for immigrants due to the language barrier and the effects that it has on them such as depression, anxiety, and even feel abandonment.

The mediocre speakers are tasked with translation between their family and the rest of the world. They learn about handling adult responsibilities and protecting their families from the world's criticism before they even finish elementary school. These children learn that there is an unspoken dynamic of us and them, with their families being the underdogs. The world is pushing them to adapt to this new society. Their surroundings preach conformity to this new nation. All the while they try to maintain connection with their past world and rich culture. They endure torment from ignorant peers, are labeled terrible names, and constantly face underestimation from those who view non-native speakers as incompetent. This kind of environment feeds their insecurity and requires repeated effort to disprove the assumptions of others, but where most would give up their efforts, immigrant children persevere. They learn to use their environment to their advantage. For them, the media is now an interesting way to pick up on the language and slang the other kids use. With these newfound words and knowledge the children have more confidence to approach new people and attempt to make

who speak English less than very well” increased by 3.9 million.” Time taking an important role contribute to study language. Immigrants take ESL classes but finding the time between jobs and caring for their kids gonna be difficult. Especially difficult because you already common with native tongue and now had to speak with different tongue. The immigrant children and children of immigrant contribute to one of the fastest growing America’s child population.With children perspective, according to Global Citizen: “ With regards to school, parents often feel disappointed to see their children struggling to keep up in class, and many parents report bullying and discrimination as a result of cultural differences. Kids are often placed by their age rather than by their ability, and for those who are unable to speak English, it’s virtually impossible to keep up.” Not just adult, children have to deal many struggle while they at school. Not being able to mix with other American native speaker, hard to keep up with other make them felt behind and stressful or even

Introduction - Being a part of a bilingual speaking family, like with my mom and dad who are Chinese immigrants, is an experience that no one can imagine unless you are part of a bilingual speaking family. Experiences such as knowing a language that not many of our neighbors don't know can be frustrating for both sides. Being young in my early years, learning English was not only a struggle for me but for my family. I noticed that my parents struggled learning english and communicating with the outside world. From buying groceries to paying for the bills, I observed the painful experiences that my parents persevere through all these years. I was glad public schools gave me the opportunity to not only learn English but to help my family live in this English superior society.

Some of the personal forms they can face are negative interactions with their peers and adults. They can face more narrow learning experiences due to less resources and less positive educational environments. They teachers can have low expectations for the students thus effecting how much is expected of them to achieve and allowing them to fall behind. Home languages can also be frowned upon and see bilingualism or any other language other than English as a negative and not a positive trait to the student. (Adair 2015, pg.6-8)

David Foster Wallace’s essay regarding language and the usage of the English language in America captured my attention from the beginning. Through several gasps of humor and wording geared toward an audience of intellectual scholars, Wallace’s stance on language was raw and honest – nothing was held back that he thought important.

It was customary at this time for there to be non-English and bilingual schools but objections about immigrants around the 1900s changed the way people perceived other languages. During what was known as the “Americanization” era people began to think of non-English languages as disloyal and

This type of education is meant to acknowledge that culture plays a role in many different processes and behaviors such as social behavior, cognitive processes and pedagogical techniques( Gomez-Rey 225). Through advancements in technology this method of education is easier to produce. Many students come to the USA at a young age with very broken English due to the language which was spoken at home. This does not limit their intelligence but being in a classroom with a professor who only speaks English can limit their advancement. Speaking a non-native language as a Language of Instruction has proven to decrease advancement in various subjects (Babaci-Wilhite 5). Through technology a child is able to switch languages on the settings of the device so they are able to learn at an adequate speed while also being able to test and practice their English skills if they wish to (Hollenbeck

Going to a bilingual and monolingual class can have a great difference in the student that vary heavily on their native language and who they are as a student. Studying can already be hard as it is for some students and adding on top of that, learning it in a foreign language to them can make it twice as difficult. In a Bilingual classroom immigrant students are instructed in their native language but are expected to transfer with the rest of the students once they are seen comfortable and capable to be taught in English. As explained by Noël Merino in Introduction to Bilingual Education: At Issue “In two-way programs, the goal is not to eliminate the use of the non-English language, but to create fully bilingual students who have different native languages” (Introduction to Bilingual Education: At Issue). In programs where both native and non-native English speakers learn the other’s language, does not impose the preference of one language and the elimination of the other. In comparison to a monolingual classroom, where they are placed in with every other student and expected to follow along