In recent years, bilingual education has become a controversial issue in the United States. While, some people believe that they have the freedom to speak the language they prefer, others believe that the use of any language other than English in the United States created the loss of their identity, and their native language. However, because exist many people from various nationalities in the United States the number of bilingual people is increasing through the years. A bilingual person had many advantages beneficial in their personal and social life which include cognitive benefits, increase job opportunities, and increase their appreciation of another culture. In fact, sometimes bilingual people have to face with some disadvantages like
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Usually many people at this time who do not speak perfect English try their best to communicate with others. However, heartless people, who don’t have tolerance for these individuals, take advantage of their situation to undervalue them. Amy Tan in her article “Mother Tongue” describe perfectly how people who immigrate to this country and try to fit in the society still have to handle with racial problems. It’s a story about a Chinese girl who narrates her life, and how her mother suffered because she didn’t speak English correctly. She narrates how her mother tried to communicate with others, but people didn’t “understand” or just ignored her. She mentioned that sometimes she had to fight back with people because they undervalued her mother. Tan narrated how frustrating was to see “people in department stores, banks, and restaurants don’t take her mom seriously. They also did not give her a good service, or even acted as if they did not hear her” (624). Tan also described her mom’s English as a “broken” because of her lack of the language, and the English she used to communicate with her as a “simple” (627). Another article that emphasizes the disadvantages of a bilingual person is “The F Word” by Firppzeh Dumas. It’s a story about a girl who changed her Iranian name to an American name because people make fun of her English accent. She changed her name to Julie, so …show more content…
There are few people who came to this country in an early age that as the years pass they start to forget about their native roots and languages, or they just prefer to relinquish one for the other. A program produced by Steinbach, Mosher and Whitehead focus on how nowadays languages are disappearing. According to a recent UNESCO study, “six thousands languages are currently spoken in the world, only half are expected to survive this century”(Twin Cities Public Television 630). They also stated that most “native communities are seeking to keep their language alive in context where English is the dominant language of the larger society” (628). Amy Martinez, staff writer of the Portland newspaper, reported a story of a Hmong woman who, after spending two years in a refugee moved to Portland Oregon. Martinez narrated Hmong elder’s experiences when they tried to fit into American society, and how her native language and customs were disappearing in their new generations. Sao Yee Chaa mentioned, "It hurt me to see my grand children accept American culture, and forget their ancestral traditions” a very touching phrase that explained how the new generations of first speakers languages are losing their roots (Martinez
Usually many people at this time who do not speak perfect English try their best to communicate with others. However, heartless people, who don’t have tolerance for these individuals, take advantage of their situation to undervalue them. Amy Tan in her article “Mother Tongue” describe perfectly how people who immigrate to this country and try to fit in the society still have to handle with racial problems. It’s a story about a Chinese girl who narrates her life, and how her mother suffered because she didn’t speak English correctly. She narrates how her mother tried to communicate with others, but people didn’t “understand” or just ignored her. She mentioned that sometimes she had to fight back with people because they undervalued her mother. Tan narrated how frustrating was to see “people in department stores, banks, and restaurants don’t take her mom seriously. They also did not give her a good service, or even acted as if they did not hear her” (624). Tan also described her mom’s English as a “broken” because of her lack of the language, and the English she used to communicate with her as a “simple” (627). Another article that emphasizes the disadvantages of a bilingual person is “The F Word” by Firppzeh Dumas. It’s a story about a girl who changed her Iranian name to an American name because people make fun of her English accent. She changed her name to Julie, so …show more content…
There are few people who came to this country in an early age that as the years pass they start to forget about their native roots and languages, or they just prefer to relinquish one for the other. A program produced by Steinbach, Mosher and Whitehead focus on how nowadays languages are disappearing. According to a recent UNESCO study, “six thousands languages are currently spoken in the world, only half are expected to survive this century”(Twin Cities Public Television 630). They also stated that most “native communities are seeking to keep their language alive in context where English is the dominant language of the larger society” (628). Amy Martinez, staff writer of the Portland newspaper, reported a story of a Hmong woman who, after spending two years in a refugee moved to Portland Oregon. Martinez narrated Hmong elder’s experiences when they tried to fit into American society, and how her native language and customs were disappearing in their new generations. Sao Yee Chaa mentioned, "It hurt me to see my grand children accept American culture, and forget their ancestral traditions” a very touching phrase that explained how the new generations of first speakers languages are losing their roots (Martinez