Staff, ICTMN. "Indian Country Today Media Network." Student Suspended for Speaking Native American Language. 7 February 2012. Web. 27 February 2015.
Work Cited: Staff, ICTMN. "Indian Country Today Media Network." Student Suspended for Speaking Native American Language. 7 February 2012. Web. 27 February 2015. There was an article that my friend showed me last semester which I thought was related to the topic of this class, and closely to Motha’s essay. Since Motha is directing her written work towards the audience of teachers, specifically ESL/ESOL teacher, I though this article, “Student Suspended for Speaking Native American Language,” would be a good way to see the type of teaching that has perpetuated language divide. Miranda was a twelve-year old girl who attended Sacred Heart Catholic Academy which is locate in Wisconsin. When she was teaching a fellow classmate some words in her native language her teacher got mad at her and asked “would you like it if I spoke in Polish and you didn’t understand” (Staff, 2012). For words that translated to “hello” and “I love you” from “posoh” and “ketapanen” she was suspended and benched from the school (Staff, 2012). I was amazed that this level of discrimination still happens. I know when I was in elementary school and middle school I was made fun of and even the teachers would sometimes act indifferent towards me. However, I did not experience anything on the scale Miranda did. Since English teaching should be “a neutral enterprise or even benevolent one,” (Motha, xxi) it is a surprise that language discrimination still exists. The fear of letting your native language out is represented through Miranda, if one does not abide by the rules there are repercussions or a consequence unjust as Miranda’s suspension. For Motha’s question: “To what degree are we called upon to be conscious and mindful of potential mishaps,…” (Motha, 18), I feel as if this case is a great example of where the disconnect between students and teachers may happen. This instance is where teachers should have consciousness and be aware that this method perpetuates the desire for some students to cast away their native language or perfect their new language so there is no trace of their old. The article is incomplete in that it does not tell us what the school did to right this wrong. My question would be of how this can be addressed or resolved in the teaching arena, as Motha points out there have been strides towards eliminating this type of discrimination. However, I argue that the world is not aware of this discrimination. When I tell others of my experiences in ESOL classes they are surprised, when I tell them how I was made fun of or bullied in school because of the way I talked they seem to think I am exaggerating on some cases. Even in the article I linked the whole story was not told. There are unanswered questions on whether the teacher still works there, if they are taking steps to grow their educational system, and how Miranda was handled after this wrong doing. There has to be more awareness in our country because I believe a lot of people honestly do not know.
4 Comments
Jenna Maizes
2/27/2015 05:14:31 am
It is so unfortunate that instances like this one still occur in modern American society. To answer your question regarding how this issue can be resolved in the teaching arena, I would propose that students should be able to learn and speak in their native language. If courses were offered in other languages, it would make students feel more comfortable, and eliminate problems associated with language barriers.
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Jalyn
2/28/2015 12:34:07 pm
These incidences are quite ridiculous, but all too real. I experienced something similar when speaking with a Japanese accent during early preschool and kindergarten. I think language discrimination in education will not end until culture and dialects are more promoted in schools as Vershawn Young says we should be mo flexible, mo acceptin of language diversity, language expansion, and created language usage from ourselves and from others in both formal and informal settings (65)... However, I think we should also continue to combat prejudice and stereotypes along with this. Like we do Issues Troop. Maybe doing stuff like that at schools would help people realize that they are doing microagressions. Sometimes they do not realize the hurtful things that kids say to other kids or how they affect their students...
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Rajit Bhandari
3/1/2015 08:16:03 am
I agree with your point that it's awful that this language discrimination still exists, and that students are now more hesitant than ever (at younger ages) to express their native and heritage languages. However, I am not quiet sure that the blame falls on teachers (unless it is an instance like the one mentioned in your post). I think America as a whole has a void against people being bilingual and using multiple languages in cohesion. Patriotism and the idea that speaking English to connect people with different backgrounds and identities in a similar location is a big deal. The fear of being culturally discriminated against based on which language you chose to speak, on the other hand, is outrageous. I hope this changes in the years to come.
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Jacob Ardis
3/1/2015 09:50:41 pm
Many people today want to pretend this type of discrimination is non-existent today and that we are a liberal and accepting society. Unfortunately, this is not the case as we can see by the example of Miranda or by the countless example we could find by using google for five minutes. I agree with you that this lack of awareness in society is a problem. For if we aren't aware of a problem how can it possibly be addressed? Hopefully, a vocal and fair media can draw attention to situations like Miranda's so that society can be aware that this is still a problem in today's society.
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