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    Raft Seniors

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    This document discusses debates around making English the official language in government and schools. It explores both sides of the issue, including arguments that establishing English as official unifies immigrants and helps them adapt, as well as counterarguments that not providing translations can isolate non-English speakers. It also examines how schools identify students who need help with English proficiency and whether current methods are effective, with some parents lying on surveys about home languages to avoid their children being labeled as needing extra support. Changes to testing and surveys are being considered to better serve an increasingly diverse population.

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    Raft Seniors

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    api-311991630
    52 views8 pages
    This document discusses debates around making English the official language in government and schools. It explores both sides of the issue, including arguments that establishing English as official unifies immigrants and helps them adapt, as well as counterarguments that not providing translations can isolate non-English speakers. It also examines how schools identify students who need help with English proficiency and whether current methods are effective, with some parents lying on surveys about home languages to avoid their children being labeled as needing extra support. Changes to testing and surveys are being considered to better serve an increasingly diverse population.

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    This document discusses debates around making English the official language in government and schools. It explores both sides of the issue, including arguments that establishing English as official unifies immigrants and helps them adapt, as well as counterarguments that not providing translations can isolate non-English speakers. It also examines how schools identify students who need help with English proficiency and whether current methods are effective, with some parents lying on surveys about home languages to avoid their children being labeled as needing extra support. Changes to testing and surveys are being considered to better serve an increasingly diverse population.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    52 views8 pages

    Raft Seniors

    Uploaded by

    api-311991630
    This document discusses debates around making English the official language in government and schools. It explores both sides of the issue, including arguments that establishing English as official unifies immigrants and helps them adapt, as well as counterarguments that not providing translations can isolate non-English speakers. It also examines how schools identify students who need help with English proficiency and whether current methods are effective, with some parents lying on surveys about home languages to avoid their children being labeled as needing extra support. Changes to testing and surveys are being considered to better serve an increasingly diverse population.

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    R:

    RoleofAuthor
    A:
    Audience
    F:
    Format
    T:
    Topic
    ____________________________

    RAFTOption#1
    R:Aconcernedparent
    A:TheCaliforniaSchoolBoard
    F:Letter
    T:
    Someparentslieonschoolsurveyaboutlanguagesspokenathome

    RAFTOption#2
    R:TheCaliforniaSchoolBoardorTeacher
    A:ParentofBilingualStudent
    F:Letter
    T:
    Someparentslieonschoolsurveyaboutlanguagesspokenathome

    R:
    RoleofAuthor
    A:
    Audience
    F:
    Format
    T:
    Topic
    ____________________________

    RAFTOption#3
    R:Supporterofmultiplelanguagegovernmentdocuments
    A:GovernmentOfficial
    F:Letter
    T:
    StrongOpinionsonEnglishOnlyLaws

    RAFTOption#4
    R:SupporterofEnglishasanofficiallanguage
    A:GovernmentOfficial
    F:Letter
    T:
    StrongOpinionsonEnglishOnlyLaws

    StrongopinionsonEnglishonly
    laws

    WASHINGTONThegrowingnumberofAmericanswhospeaklanguagesotherthan
    Englishathomeiscausingafightbetweentwostronggroups.
    Ononeside,agroupofstatesandcitiesareadoptinglawsthatmakeEnglishtheir
    officiallanguage.Inthoseplaces,governmentdocumentsmustbewrittenonlyin
    English.
    Ontheotherside,aretheregionsandplaceswithalargenumberofpeoplewhocome
    fromothercountriesandspeakmanylanguages.
    ThatgroupsupportslawsthatmakegovernmentdocumentseasierfornonEnglish
    speakerstounderstand.

    TheUnitedStatesisoneofthefewcountriesintheworldwithoutanationalofficial
    language.Yet,31stateshavealawrequiringthatallstategovernmentcommunication
    mustbedoneinEnglish.
    Manypeoplelikethatidea.

    BeingAbleToAdapt
    Englishhelpsunitepeople,theysay.TheyalsobelievethatknowingEnglishwellis
    importantforimmigrants.Itmakesiteasierforthemtoadapttotheirnewcountry.
    KarinDavenportworkswithagroupthatwantsimmigrantstolearnEnglish.She
    explainedthatchoosingEnglishastheofficiallanguageofastatedoesnotstoppeople
    fromspeakingotherlanguages.Butifnooneasksimmigrantstolearnthelanguage,
    theymayendupbeing"isolated."
    InPennsylvania,somelawmakershaveasimilaropinion.
    Englishgivesimmigrantsabetterchancetomakemoneyandithelpsthemmixwith
    others,saidDarylMetcalfe,astatepolitician.
    ThenumberofnonEnglishspeakersacrossthecountryisrisingfast.Itisdifficultto
    makeeverybodyfollowthesameruleseveninplaceswhereEnglishistheofficial
    language.

    CaliforniaHasAnOfficialLanguage
    InCalifornia,forexample,Englishistheofficialstatelanguage.Allgovernment
    communicationstheremustbedoneinEnglish.Yet,Californiaoffersmanydocuments
    inotherlanguages.Thestate'sDepartmentofMotorVehicleswebsiteevenhasan
    entireversioninSpanish.
    Californiaisnowpushingtohavemedicinebottlescarryinstructionsforpeoplewho
    don'treadEnglish.Someworrythatsomethingbadcouldhappenifthereisamistakein
    theinstructions.Otherssayhavingtheinstructionstranslatedmakesitsaferfor
    patients.

    Drugstoresthatreceivegovernmentmoneymustoffertodosometranslatingfor
    people.Andagrowingnumberofdrugstoresarealsobeginningtodothetranslations
    becauseitattractsmorecustomers.
    Theneedfortranslationsissomethingthatsnotgoingtogoaway,saidEvanWeibel
    ofLanguageScientific,acompanythatofferstranslationservicesfordrugstores.

    "ThingsAreChanging"
    ThenumberofpeoplespeakingotherlanguagesintheUnitedStatesisgrowingfast.
    Almost21percentoftheUnitedStatespopulation,ornearly61millionpeople,speaka
    languageotherthanEnglishathome,accordingtoagovernmentreport.In2000,that
    numberwasjust18percent.
    Morethan40percentofCaliforniansspeakaforeignlanguageathome.InWest
    Virginia,just2percentofthepopulationspeaksanotherlanguageintheirhome.
    Thingsarechanging,saidPatriciaGandara,aprofessorofeducationattheUniversity
    ofCaliforniaLosAngeles.
    TheUnitedStatesisbecomingaplacewheremanylanguagesarespoken,she
    explained.
    Evenasthenumberofpeoplespeakingotherlanguagesgrows,alargenumberof
    peoplecontinuetosupportEnglishasthenation'sofficiallanguage.Theycontinue
    toaskstatesandcitiestoofficiallyadoptEnglish.
    AgroupnamedProEnglishwantstomakeEnglishstrongerinthestateofArizona.
    Theyaresupportingacollegestudentwhowassuspendedaftershecomplainedthat
    membersofherclasswerespeakingSpanishduringgroupwork.
    ProEnglishdidnotagreewiththesuspensionbecauseEnglishisalreadytheofficial
    languageinthestate.Theysaythecaseisagoodexampleofwhyitisimportantto
    haveanofficiallanguage.

    Someparentslieonschoolsurvey
    aboutlanguagesspokenathome

    LOSANGELESNievesGarciacametotheU.S.fromMexicoatage6.Shespent
    yearslabeledasan"Englishlearner"evenaftershelearnedthelanguage.Nowa
    mother,shedidn'twantherowndaughterlabeledthesameway.
    Soshelied.
    WhenGarciasignedupherdaughterforkindergarten,shefilledoutafourquestion
    survey.ShesaidherfamilyspokeonlyEnglishathome,eventhoughherhusband
    doesn'tspeakEnglishatall.
    "IjustsaidwespokeEnglish,English,EnglishandEnglish,"Garciasaid.

    WhoNeedsExtraHelp?

    Californiaeducationofficialssayit'stoughtoknowhowmanyparentslieonthehome
    languagesurvey.Educatorssayit'simportanttoidentifywhichkidsneedextrahelpin
    English.Iftheydon'tgetthehelptheyneed,theycanbesetbackintheschoolwork.
    ParentslikeGarciafearthatiftheyadmitthetruth,theirkidswillbeseparatedfrom
    nativeEnglishspeakersorlabelednegatively.Thekidsmightalsomissouton
    advancedclasseslateron.
    RosaiselaRodriguezdidn'tdeclarethathertwinsonanddaughterknewSpanishwhen
    theystartedschool.Shesaidmost5yearoldsarelanguagelearners.Shedoesn'tthink
    itmatterswhethertheyarebilingualmeaningtheycanspeaktwolanguages.
    Increasingly,asmorepeoplespeakdifferentlanguages,statesaretakinganotherlook
    howtheyidentifyEnglishlearners.

    ChangingTheSurvey
    CaliforniaplanstorolloutanewEnglishlanguagetestin2016.Itisalsoconsidering
    changingitshomelanguagesurvey,saidElenaFajardo,whoiswiththeCalifornia
    DepartmentofEducation.Thesurveywasdevelopedin1980andthestate'spopulation
    andimmigrationpatternshavechangedsincethen.
    Nearly44percentofCaliforniansage5andolderspeakalanguageotherthanEnglish.
    ThemostcommonlanguageisSpanish.Atotalof57percentofSpanishspeakersin
    thestatesaytheyspeakEnglishverywell.
    That'sabigchangefrom1990.Then,lessthanathirdofthestate'sresidentsage5and
    olderspokeanotherlanguage.AndbackthenlessthanhalfofSpanishspeakers
    claimedtospeakEnglishverywell.
    MoststatesincludingCaliforniaaskparentstofilloutthehomelanguagesurveybefore
    theirchildrenenterschool.Childrenwhospeakanotherlanguagearetestedtoseehow
    welltheyknowEnglish.

    HardTestForPreschoolers
    InCalifornia,nearlyaquarterofpublicschoolstudentsareconsideredEnglishlearners.
    In2012,morethan200,000incomingkindergartenersweregiventhetest.Only9
    percentwereabletospeakthelanguagewell.Theresultsledsomeparentstoslamthe
    ideaoftestingpreschoolerstodeterminewhatkindofclassestheywilltakelateron.
    Thetestistakesplaceonasingleday,andparentssayitistoodifficult.
    AlisonBaileyisaprofessorwhostudiesbilingualismattheUniversityofCalifornia,Los
    Angeles.Shesaidmanystates,includingCalifornia's,don'treallyconsiderthe
    possibilitythatachildmightspeaktwolanguageswell.
    SomebilingualchildrenwoulddofineinanEnglishonlyclass,shesaid.Baileybelieves
    toomanychildrenprobablytaketheEnglishtest.

    "CatchingTooManyKids"
    Someparentsdon'twanttheirchildrenclassifiedasEnglishlearners.Theyfeartheir
    kidswon'tbeabletomoveintomoreadvancedclassesinmiddleandhighschool.Also,
    Englishlearnersdon'tperformaswellontheCaliforniaHighSchoolExitExam,
    accordingtothestate.Passingtheexamisnecessarytograduatehighschoolin
    California.
    CherylOrtegaisthedirectorofbilingualeducationforUnitedTeachersLosAngeles.
    Shesaidshe'sseenSpanishspeakingparentslieonthehomelanguagesurvey.
    Ortegasaideducatorsoughttomeetwithparentsandexplainthesurvey.
    Earlierthisyear,TeshaSenguptaIrving,aneducationprofessor,registeredhersonfor
    kindergarten.Atthetime,herparentswerevisiting.Shewasspeakingtothemintheir
    nativetongue,Bengali.SoshewroteonhersurveythatBengaliwasspokenathome.
    HersonknewjustafewwordsinBengali.Yet,hewastestedandclassifiedasan
    Englishlearner.Shewasunhappyaboutit,becauseshehadtirelesslytriedtoteach
    himBengaliandhestillspokeonlyEnglish.
    SenguptaIrvingsaidthesurvey"iscatchingtoomanykids."

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