Angry White Pyjamas

Be interesting if they tried that down here.

Hiro11

I agree that it's ridiculous to punish this student, but the value of multiculturalism is somewhat dubious to me. To me, the application of multiculturalism ideals in the US has only resulted in in decreased understanding between different ethnicities, increased economic disparity and increased ethnic tension. Once again, the US is hardly alone in this, witness the riots in France. I prefer the "melting pot" idea. For an example of the melting pot, see "Mexican pizza" which is excellent.

Except for Islamic girls in (again) French schools who want to wear a hajib. Once again, the US is hardly alone in this.

Also, how many students in the UK natively speak another language? I'll bet the percentage is far lower than the the percentage in the US. Are foreign language speakers in the majority in many parts of the UK as they are in many school districts in the US? I think not. Your comparison doesn't seem to me to be apples-to-apples, but I could be wrong.

cutina

i think European didn't mean from the UK here.... the UK is bad at languages in general, but places like germany, holland and switzerland are fantastic.

HunterGreen

Would that be The Netherlands? Holland is only a part of The Netherlands, and not a country in itself. Nor is Friesland (though they wish they were).

Elaine

HunterGreen

Can someone find this man and bring him on this board? So I can give him karma for that?

Elaine

Partystar

Ahhhh, the irony of it all!!!

cutina

no, I specifically meant holland Actually, as i've said before, i don't like saying the netherlands... i'm a bit prudish about it.

smart arse

and i said 'places' not countries... i've never been to Friesland... so there!

Just Jenney

I did not say anything about multiculturalism. I was talking about multilingualism; or in this kid's case, bilingualism. There is a difference.

I'm not sure what that has to do with this. I'm not saying I agree with it, but the French government passed a law prohibiting students from wearing religious attire at school. However, this Kansas school district -- even the school itself -- doesn't have a written policy prohibiting students from speaking a non-English language on school property. If they did then your analogy might work, but you're talking apples and oranges here.

Sorry, but again I don't understand your point -- probably because you didn't understand mine.

About 95% of the British population only speaks English -- but does that mean speaking a non-English language on school property in Britain is grounds for punishment?? I doubt it.

The fact is that bilingualism and multilingualism in this country is undervalued and, by some, is actually seen as a detriment to our children, not an asset. And now we have a child who has been punished for not speaking English outside the classroom. Just amazing.

~ Jenney

gruffbrown

Or manzanas y naranjas.

nxylas

Of course not. Foreigners all hate America and worship the Antichrist. Ain't y'all read the Left Behind novels? Warning: if you answer "no" to that question, you are not a real American and the FBI will investigate.

ironporer

I also think we should expell the damn British kids who can't speak the American language also!!

Neathborn

I honestly don't understand this. I grew up in a country where 3 languages were spoken and it just seems natural to me for people to speak more than one language.

Just Jenney

Here's an update:

Spanish-Speaking Student Gets Apology

"'As soon as [Superintendent of Schools Bobby Allen] found out, he contacted the parent and said that should not have happened,' said Bart Swartz, the district's executive director of certified personnel. Swartz said students are not forbidden to speak Spanish at any school in the district, and he knew of no other similar suspensions."

Well, that's a start.

~ Jenney

Stina

Maybe I'm playing Devils Advocate here, but I think there's some merit to suspending the kid.

Granted, he also speaks English fluently, which muddies the waters somewhat.

We complain so much about the ghettoisation of minorities, but a lot of that is because they don't speak English well enough to live in an English-speaking country. I know it's not the official language yet, but it's still the one in which most business is conducted. Schools are there to teach, and part of teaching is social studies - including integration. If we allow kids with a shady grasp of English to converse in their native tongues in the hallways, we are preventing them from developing the necessary language skills to get ahead in the US.

Also, I volunteer some time at a very diverse middle school here in Maine. There are more kids of ethnic origin than there are white kids. I mentor a kid whose father is from Cambodia. So I'm not some kind of white supremacist or racist.

This Wednesday, I was helping a 6th Grade Somalian girl understand basic sentences. She couldn't understand the instructions, much less complete the task. If she is allowed to conduct her everyday school life in Somalian as well as her home life, how is she ever going to be able to integrate into the local community? And I bet that the Somalian populace of Portland, Maine whinge about how they're discriminated against when they make no effort to become a fully-functioning part of this great big melting pot called America.

My reason for feeling the way I do is that it seems to be a slippery slope. I can see it heading so that teachers in high-immigrant communities have to teach Geography classes in Spanish to accomodate the needs of immigrants who have not bothered to learn the language of the country they are immigrating to.

To see how bilingualism works in real life, take a look at how the rest of Canada feels about Quebec, and vice versa.

My 2 cents

Ben

Stina, don't you think it is a bit hypocritical (and oxymoronic) to teach children/teenagers a second language in the classroom but tell them they can't outside of the classroom! I can just see it now - the Spanish teacher instilling into the children the importance of practising their Spanish. Then the children are in the lunchroom waiting on line for their lunch and practice their Spanish with each other and the Social Studies teacher comes along and tells the children off, sends them to the Principal and they get suspended!

My older two are learning Spanish and they speak to their Spanish speaking friends in Spanish during the lunch period to practice. this is encouraged by the teachers because practice does help. this is a two way street because not only do the Spanish speaking children feel included and useful they know they can ask for help in speaking English without feeling ashamed if they struggle.

I can understand your concern for those who don't learn English well enough to function in society well but the Spanish speakers I see here are generally speaking no different to some Americans who struggle with their native English language.