Friday, February 18, 2011

Trading In One Language For Another

Reflection: Much like your think piece writing from early in the semester, write about your personal connections to this text. what does it make you think about? how does it relate to you?

        Richard Rodriguez was born into a spanish speaking family. This was the language he grew up understanding and reciting. That is until he entered school and needed to begin using English more and more. He talks about the struggles he went through while his family made the language transfer. This article reminded me of my childhood. I was born into an italian speaking house hold. My mother was born in Italy so her side of the family speaks fluent Italian almost all of the time. My father was not born in Italy but his grandmother and mother speak Italian so as a child I was around much Italian. As I learned to talk in English I was also learning Italian. I could speak and understand both. However there were times where I would confuse the two languages. This became an issue as I entered kindergarten. I was pronouncing English words incorrectly because I was bilingual. I was made to take a speech class which I was very unhappy and embarrassed about. I made my cousin go with me because I needed support. Like Richard had his siblings to struggle with I too wanted someone to change with. Rodriguez had an experience that was harder to change and affected his life more than my personal experience. Although this is the case it does not change the fact that I have been through a similar situation. When I was reading about how he did not know how to address his parents after he and his siblings started speaking more English made me feel sorry for him. His whole life was turned upside down and he could no longer find a happy place, going home was not the same because it was not "special" for him anymore.
        This made me think of a friend from home. She moved to Rhode Island from Mexico in elementary school, she spoke fluent English. Her mother spoke Spanish to her and her sisters at home. Growing up with her I have heard of the struggles she's been through just because of the language barrier. Her mother can not go to parent teacher conferences because her English is not strong enough. She did not talk to her mom about things because it was too much work and sometimes to hard to translate the conversation from language to language. My friend had to step up with tasks parent usually take care of such as taxes and paying bills and what not. This article and personal connection also made me think of the students in the class I am tutoring. Many of them have proven to be bilingual. I am now wondering how many students have been in this situation or will face this problem in the future. When I talk to the students they understand me, some stare at me for a second as if they are translating my statement in their head and then figuring out their english response. When the teacher introduces new words to them I can hear some of the students try to read them and pronounce them with an accent. The teacher tries to make sure all students are reading with an english accent. Knowing how these events affect others as compared to what it did to me can help me and other teachers become better and more understanding.

3 comments:

  1. This is really interesting to hear about your Italian background. That must have been really hard for you, and same for your friend. I agree with the tutoring thing. Some of the students look at you for a minute and you can tell that they are trying to translate what you are saying, and sometimes they will ask you "What?" It can be very difficult. Very interesting post.

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  2. This is a very interesting connection you made with your own life. My mother and father both came from Portugal when they were seven years old and it was very tough for them to speak English. My mother had the hardest time and she was forced to stay back a grade in elementary school because her English was not strong enough. My parents never spoke to me in Portuguese at home so I never had to go through the troubles of speaking English.

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  3. i think its awesome that you could connect it to your life.. it makes it mean a lot more to you than it might to someone who didnt have to give up a language that is spoken at home.

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