Claudia Sanchez is a 48-year-old Mexican woman who came to the United States when she was 16. She spoke Spanish until 2 years into her move to America, when she forced herself to learn English for the sake of being able to function in a new world where she needed it to survive. When she was 28, she gave birth to me, the youngest of four children, in Dallas, Texas. It was there that I learned Spanish up until the age of 5. Claudia believed that our 3-bedroom house there was too small for her finished family and moved all of us to Arlington, Texas. There, I went to school and grew up with a predominantly white population who spoke no Spanish. I was still young enough to learn English along with the rest of my school group and soon enough, my …show more content…
It was the language from where she was from and she spoke it everywhere she went, having learned from a young age. “When I went to school in Mexico, we were taught calligraphy and typing on the typewriter,” she informed me. “English was not taught there because it just was not important to us.” Today, English is taught in Mexican schools at a younger age and more wide-range, so everyone has an opportunity to learn if they want to. But when my mother went to school in Mexico, they did not recognize the importance of teaching English yet. In Dallas, there is a predominately Mexican demographic that obviously shaped the culture and environment in which I was raised in as a young girl. Learning Spanish that young, I just listened to what my parents and grandparents were saying and did what they did. I understood everything and spoke back to them in Spanish that was perfectly acceptable for a 5-year-old. Learning English that young, I went to school and did the normal studies every child in America does: the traditional grammar-translation method with emphasis on sentence structure, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Being immersed completely in an English-speaking society after being sheltered in the closest thing to a Mexican barrio helped my English skills but destroyed any Spanish that I had learned to …show more content…
The neighbor was understanding and taught her that ‘Gracias’ in Spanish was ‘Thank you’ in English. It was then that my mother vowed to learn English so she may be able to communicate with friends and neighbors she made here. My mother spent long hours at the hospital in Dallas where she was a nurse assistant but the doctors only called her in when they were dealing with a Spanish-speaking patient. She learned English at home, “listening to music and watching TV shows in English. I spent all day saying things in English. There was a full month that I did not listen to a single Spanish word at all.” Practice was key for my mother learning English. Out of all the approaches to learning a language, I believe that she was a mix of audiolingual method and the communicative approach. Claudia learned English through practicing and repeating but also doing so in phrases that she needed first. Having four English speaking children certainly helped her to refine her skills in her new language. We constantly tried to help her with words she mispronounced but her thick accent could not conform to the English language. She would try to say it the way we did but her accent made it sound wrong even if she said it correctly. Learning English was not hard for me since I learned it at the same pace my other classmates did but I learned it as a fluent language. So I felt like Spanish was not
In “Se Habla Español,” the author, Tanya, talks about her personal experience with dealing with language issues. Tanya was born in Guatemala and moved to the U.S when she was only three years old. Tanya’s mother did not want her to speak Spanish, because they believed that when they moved to the U.S speaking only English would help her blend in. For so long Tanya believed that speaking Spanish went hand in hand with being poor and speaking only English made her feel superior. After many years she has tried to learn Spanish but has found it quite difficult because although that is her native language it was like trying to learning a whole new language for her. In “Mother Tongue,” Amy’s explains how she has come to the realization that she speaks more than one “English,” meaning that the way she speaks in front of a crowd is different than the way she speaks with her mother. The way Amy speaks with her mother is still English although it is not proper. Amy expresses how she does not really like the phrase “broken English,” because if something is broken it needs to be fixed and she does not feel that her mother’s English needs to be
When my mother was younger, she came to America as a refugee after the Vietnam War. People tricked, bullied and ignored her because she couldn’t speak the public language. She was an alien in a world of English. Another reason I side with Espada is because of The Burial of Mr.Spanish by Sara Vasquez. She covers a story of a Texan school forbidding Spanish on campus. One of her interviewees, Maggie Marquez, states “I told my friends… Nobody’s gonna stop me from speaking Spanish. And I didn't know the teacher
Throughout Richards early childhood development he quickly understood that in order to succeed in America he would have to learn to confidently speak in English. Richard is Hispanic American and although he was born in America, Spanish was the only language that he was exposed to as a young child. He grew up in a home where Spanish flowed freely, but he soon realized outside of his home the language that he primarily knew was foreign. His parents spoke fluent Spanish along with all of his relatives. The brief encounters he experienced of his parents speaking English were only in public places and the proficiency was very poor. Rodriguez’s home was as a safety net for him and his Spanish speaking family with they are his only real connections to the outside world. It wasn’t until Richards encounter with his teachers that he and his family was heavily impressed on the importance of developing a public language. After the encouragement of the visit home from a teacher as a family
disadvantaged child, I considered Spanish to be a private language. What I needed to learn in
Gloria Anzaldua, wrote the essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” communicating and describing her adolescence in a society brimming with sexism, cultural imperialism, racism, low self-esteem, and identity formation. The reason one comes to America is to finer themselves academically, and intellectually. One must learn to speak English to live among the American’s, because that is the language they speak. Though, no one has the right to deprive you of your familiar tongue. At a young age, Anzaldua was scolded, even mistreated for speaking her native “Chicano” tongue. Anzaldúa described this ignorance, cruelty, and discrimination when she states: “I remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess – that was good for three licks on the knuckles with a sharp ruler.” She overcomes this hostility throughout her life.
When Marquez argues that “being and American has very little to with what language we use during our free time in a free country”, she is completely right (207). The language that you speak at home or with your family should not matter, as long as you’re not rude and do not speak that language to people who do not understand, there should not be a problem (Marquez 208). People need to understand that when you speak Spanish to your family it’s not an attempt to be rude, but it’s a matter of respect (Marquez 208). Although it may appear to be rude to speak Spanish in public, that was never the intention of the speaker.
Growing up as a Mexican-American, I was exposed to a completely different range of foods, people, and customs. My household was largely filled with images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other numerous saints. These images as well as a number of different candles and incenses demonstrated my cultures’ strong belief in the Catholic faith. Even the food had a distinctive Mexican taste as the flavors combined with the spiciness of peppers produced an overall mouthwatering meal. Spanish was regularly spoken at home in everyday conversations with family and friends. It was not until I started kindergarten and – to a lesser extent, preschool – that I became fully fluent in the English language. However, I began to acquire English long before by watching educational television shows such as Caillou, Dragon Tales, and Clifford the Big Read Dog. I developed a routine pattern of religiously watching these educational shows where the main characters became like close friends constantly teaching me new things and show...
Many people immigrate to the United States from different countries to begin a better life. Once in the American territory, the first step for success is to learn the English language. Richard Rodriguez, the writer of "Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood" describes the language decisions he faced as a child: "Outside the house was public society; inside the house was private" (16). The English language is the primary language in the United States, and it must be learned to be able to communicate with the public world. The language that we speak at home is considered to be private because it is only used in the presence of the people we feel comfortable with, our family. Families immigrate to the United States from Mexico to find and give their children a better opportunity to succeed. The children of immigrants who have been raised or born in the United States were able to adapt much faster to the English language. The Spanish language, in the case of Mexicans, is part of our origin that most of us inherit from our ancestors although in the United States many, including me, seem to add a new language, which gives us better opportunities.
Anzaldua grew up in the United States but spoke mostly Spanish, however, her essay discusses how the elements of language began to define her identity and culture. She was living in an English speaking environment, but was not White. She describes the difficulty of straddling the delicate changing language of Chicano Spanish. Chicano Spanish can even differ from state to state; these variations as well as and the whole Chicano language, is considered a lesser form of Spanish, which is where Anzaldua has a problem. The language a person speaks is a part...
A large number of people in the Hispanic community whether Hispanics are not able to get the English literacy skills that they need not because they want to keep born in Latin America or the United States, speak Spanish primarily. This is basically because in present day time, Hispanics are more likely to pass Spanish to their kids now than they have done in the past. (Ortiz, P.149) This is seen as a social problem, especially because of the fact that there is an increasing demand that English should only be taught in public school and it should also be spoken within the Spanish community. Even though Hispanics do speak a lot of Spanish most of the time, they still do learn English also, especially the young. But, because of the large flow of immigrants, the use of Spanish is used more often because they are constantly encountering immigrants who speak no English. (Ortiz, P. 150) Before hand there has been said to have been lower achievements when Hispanics make frequent use of the Spanish la...
In the academic article, That Child Is a Yellow: New Immigrant Children's Conceptions of English Language, Literacy, and Learners' Identities in the NCLB Era by Sultan Turkan and Ana Christina DaSilva Iddings they both illustrate how many children of immigrants and who are spanish speakers trying to learn english are motivated to succeed due to the pressure of fitting in and getting an education for upward mobility. Sultan Turkan a doctoral student during the course of this study at the university of arizona, Ana christina dasilva iddings an assistant professor at the same university. They conducted a study in which they drawed observations on three new immigrants who are also native speakers (Gabriela,Juan,and Maria). Turkan and Iddings observed
My parents did everything they knew to help my sister and I learn and respect our Mexican culture. Born into American culture but raised by Hispanic parents, often was difficult for me. Since I was little I had to manage and balance two very different cultures at the same time. There were many times while growing up that I encountered complex situations in regards to language, whether to speak Spanish or English and when it was appropriate. I felt a lot of pressure having to act as an interpreter for my parents when we were out in public. At home I was told to speak Spanish so I would not forget, but at school I was taught to only speak English with my teachers and friends. However, when we would go visit family in Mexico, I was expected to only speak in Spanish, since speaking in English in front of family members who only spoke Spanish was seen as disrespectful. So learning two languages has been very beneficial to my life and for my family. By
While reading this article one of the most shocking sections were when the students were talking to Monzó and sharing their outlook on their place and their language’s place in society. These students even at this early age are feeling how devalued their first language has been. They feel like they have to speak the right* English, only use English in public places, never their first language, and that they must assimilate to the American culture as much as possible. This reminded me of a chapter in Lippi-Green (2012)’s text. Within this chapter Lippi-Green (2012) discusses how in the United States Spanish speakers are not only expected to learn English but they are expected to learn and utilize the right* English determined by the majority and assimilate entirely to American culture. Throughout Monzó and Rueda (2009)’s text the children in conversations expressed their observation of the social order in relation to language and race. This was surprising to me since they are only in 5th grade. During a conversation with one of the children Monzó and Rueda (2009) recorded an alarming statement, “He said that his mother could not be considered American because she did not...
When it comes to languages- language is a major role that helps us communicate. Whether it's solving an issue or informing one another. In society, language can either make you feel as if you're apart of a civilization or it can make you feel isolated if you don't speak it the proper way. In the article, Se Habla Español, by Tanya Maria Barrientos, Barrientos talks about how growing up Hispanic and not being able to speak her native language (Spanish) was very challenging. Barrientos came to America from Guatemala in the year of 1963 at the age of three. Since then, Barrientos wasn't able to speak her language due to her parents assimilating into the American culture. Back then, America wasn't the most accepting country. Anyone who identified themselves as Mexican American or Afro American was viewed and considered dangerous radicals. Barrientos parents just wanted Barrientos to grow up, living outside of the American stereotype of minorities. Another writing that supports my accusation about how language and physical appearance can make a person feel isolated is Mother Tongue by Amy Tan. Tan expresses that her mother is Chinese and she speaks what Americans called "Broken English". According to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=broken+english "Broken English is a "Incorrect or awkwardly structured English, usually spoken or written by non-native speakers." "Broken+English." Urban Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.
My parents arrived in the United States hoping for a better future not for themselves, but for the baby they carried in their arms. We would often move from relatives ' houses since my parents couldn’t afford renting an apartment themselves. We were fortunate enough to have caring relatives who didn 't mind us living with them since they knew the hardships we were going through. I grew up in a household where only Spanish was spoken given that both my parents didn’t speak any English at all. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher was afraid that I would be behind the rest of my classmates, given that I only spoke Spanish fluently. I was fortunate to receive free tutoring from my kindergarten teacher. We would often read books together until