Reflection of Ryuko Kubota and Lori Ward's Exploring Linguistic Diversity through World Englishes

Sometimes WE makes me think of how come other languages doesn't have that much variety as Englishes. I think I've come to the conclusion of because there are so many countries that have English in the Inner Circle. But then again, what about Spanish speaking countries? Spanish is nearly spoken as an official language in about 20 countries yet there is no such thing as "Word Spanishes". Not only that, Spanish speaking countries make fun of each other based on what they sound like when they speak Spanish.

Besides World Languages (English, Spanish, etc.), this article does a very good job in implementing a lesson plan. I think having a unit dedicated to introduce WE is a very good idea, however, because many schools have a set curriculum, being 7 days behind schedule might be hard to catch up. Maybe dedicating four to five days would suffice. It can help create a safe and comfortable classroom feel.

旭亨

Reflection of Farr and Song's Language Ideologies and Policies: Multilingualism and Education

This text introduced me to plurilingualism. I first interpreted this vocabulary as someone who knows multiple languages, hence the root "plural". However, as I started to read further, it sounds like it is not that similar multilinguals. Multilinguals not only know a different language, but also a different culture. A plurilingual doesn't have to be fluent in a different language, but even knowing a couple words would be considered one.

I used to say "US is becoming such a diverse place" but it's not the case anymore. "US is a diverse place." US being so diverse, classrooms should reflect the society. With classrooms in school being monolingual, it tells future citizens English is the way to a successful future and that other languages are barriers. Deculturation.

In a bilingual classroom, all languages and cultures are assets. This is what really reflects US society: multilingualism and multiculturalism. Acculturation.

旭亨

Reflection of Lippie-Green's English with an Accent :: Language, ideology, and discrimination in the United States

"... a dialect is nothing more than a language that gets no respect." Is that why Vernacular language is debatable as to is it a language or not? Is a language more respectful than a dialect? Why is that? What is wrong being a dialect of a language?

Click for bigger picture

Is English being a Germanic (more specific, West Germanic) language a degrading thing?

The following quote helped me thought about Vernacular English.

"Two varieties of a single language are divided by accent when differences are restricted primarily to phonology (prosodic and segmental features).

If two varieties of a single language also differ in morphological structures, syntax, lexicon, and semantics, then they are different varieties, or dialects, of the same language.

If two varieties of a common mother language differ in all these ways, and in addition have distinct literary histories, distinct orthographies and/or geopolitical boundaries, then they are generally called different languages."

Don't all dialects have their own history, geopolitical boundaries, and sometimes orthographies (A Clockwork Orange, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)?

Maybe next time, Mr. Kahakua can say,

You would like me to obtain a Standard English accent? Sure! Please tell me what kind: Eastern English, Midwestern English, Southern English, or Western English? You want me to have the Hollywood accent? Sure, Would you like the accent be from California then? Would you want the standard English be from San Fransisco, or San Diego?

旭亨

Reflection of Akamatsu, Lin, Riazi, and Wang's Appropriating English, Expanding Identities, Re-Visioning the Field: From TESOL to Teaching English for Glocalized Communication (TEGCOM)

Both Angel and Wendy experienced from being a "big fish from a little pond" to a "little fish in a big pond". After being so fluent in English back from where they have started to learn English, the felt less competent in the language after moving to a different setting.

What irritated me more is the devaluing of a different English is even relevant in Hong Kong, the same location where Angel grew up. Not only does the devaluation occurs in-state, but internationally as well. I give Angel kudos for continuing and able to do what she is doing right now. During her period of silence where she thought her English was Cantonese-sounding/not fluent, the teacher should have stepped up and accepted it. If students weren't respecting different accents, it probably was being the teacher didn't create a safe environment where any accent was okay.

In Costa Rica, I was shopping at a flea market with a friend of mine and we were both speaking Spanish. At one of the tables we came across, we both wanted something from that table. Since there were two employees there, we each went to each employee to purchase our items. I spoke to my salesperson in Spanish, but I heard the other salesperson say to my friend "English please, English please. I understand English." It was true my friend had only taken a semester of Spanish prior to the Costa Rica trip and her English-accented Spanish was pretty think, but what the salesperson did really lowered the self-esteem of my friend's. Would the World Englishes be applicable to World Spanishes? Or World "any other languages"?

旭亨

Reflection of Kendall King and Lyn Fogle's Bilingual Parenting as Good Parenting: Parents' Perspectives on Family Language Policy for Additive Bilingualism

It surprises to hear that there are parents out there who support bilingualism. Over the past couple of years, I was told that there are many parents who would rather not put their kids through bilingual programs due to language confusion or language incompetence. I've heard many many reasons/excuses as to why they only want their children to be fluent in one language. It breaks my heart to know that these children can have a potential in doing well in school but they cannot because of language barrier. But it breaks my heart ever more to hear parents not supporting their native language at home and keeping that part of their culture.

It is nice to hear that parents are doing research or even considering the articles they read about bilingualism. It’s too bad that the article doesn’t talk too much into detail about Dual Language programs. These programs can even help the parents by providing both languages (home language and outside language) to the students. The article did mention a little about having students start to learn a new language but they did not go into further detail than that.

In the end, I’m glad there are many more parents believing in bilingualism. This shows some home that in the future, children in American may not have to grow up in the monolingual society.

Reflection of Ryuku Kubota's Race, Culture, and Identities in Second Language Education

Mike Wallace: How we gonna get rid of racism?
Morgan Freeman: Stop talking about it.

This reminds me of the color blind theory: to not acknowledge the differences. People try so hard to avoid it and not talk about that and it becomes an "underground topic" (in case of offending any races). Being "color blind" in a way (ideally and theoretically) should reduce racism, but that just brings everyone under one category/race, and which race would that be? Of course, the dominant culture/race (here, the "American"/white culture). Many people believe that monthly culture awareness is a way to acknowledge the differences and to accept differences. In America, there are so many differences, it's hard to avoid it. That's what makes America such a rich country!

I do believe that Black history is American history and that there is no need to separate those two. According to Dr. Angela Davis, Black history month should be more concentrated of the struggle to freedom as opposed to the history.

Black history month, if talked in a sense of what Dr. Angela Davis said, shouldn't be just one month, it should be constant. With this consistency, we don't have to be color-blind and embrace the differences.

Reflection of Awad El Karim M. Ibrahim's Becoming Black: Rap and Hip-Hop, Race, Gender, Identity, and the Politics of ESL Learning

Ever since working in ISU's dining center, I've met a lot of Haitian. Before getting to know them, my first judgement was that they were African American. It wasn't until I got to know them that I started to understand their past, their story, and their family.... and most importantly, their individual self.

Not be identified as "Black" back at home but is here in the States, it shows how much generalizing there is based on outer appearance. We also have to keep in mind that each individual cannot be group with another because of what they look like.

I also see this happen in Asian (oriental) cultures as well here in the States. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, and Filipinos Americans all associate themselves together with the same "Asian culture". However, it's more than just that. Japanese culture is different from Filipino culture just like Djibouti culture is different from Black American culture.

From a teacher's perspective, if the students feel more comfortable associating themselves (not by peer pressure or any sort of pressure), with the culture that "seems" similar to their own, the teacher should not stop them. But teachers should be aware that not just because one seems "Black", "Asian", "Latino", or "White" that that person is generalized.