🚀 go-pugleaf

kaubrey@idirect.com (Kathy Aubrey) writes:

>I havn't read the whole thread yet, as I am nearly out of time. so would like 
>to respond now.
>There was a program a couple of months ago on the Asian immigrants in 
>B.C.  where they where interviewing teacher and others about the influx of 
>asians etc.  A teacher did admit that the Canadian children were being held 
>back in the courses because of the amount of time spent with the Asian 
>kids who did not understand due to the language problem.  I firmly believe 
>that a requirement of immigration should be working knowledge of English. 
> Kids who do not speak English should be tutured in English prior to 
>entering the regular classes.  This should be paid for by the immigrants, 
>not the taxpayers. 

Just a point of curiousity as a Atlantan who recently visited Vancouver:
But aren't the recent immigrants taxpayers too?  Doesn't that entitle them
to some flexibility in the school system to adapt to the changing needs of
the population?  If 50% of the children can't speak English, then the
school needs to address that problem. Expecting the parents to pay to have
them learn English before they get to school is unrealistic.  And as new
taxpayers they have a right to expect the schools to adapt to their needs,
especially when their children make up 50% of the classes.  

I stayed at a hotel in Metrotown and took the SkyTrain downtown and was
amazed at the number of Asian people (but of many backgrounds).  There were
also native Indian stock.  I remember getting ready to get off the train
at a stop and being blocked by a family of what appeared to me to be Inuit
with two small children.  I said, "Excuse me" to the small boy in front,
and the mother turned to me in perfectly unaccented English and said,
"We are about to get off too."

So, it seems to me some progress is being made.

By the way, I support U.S. English in the states, because in the long
run I think that is essential for the stability of a multicultural
nation to have a single official language. I do not support forcing
businesses to have signs in English or to do business in English.  Only
the government should do business in English.  


-- 
Stanley A. Mulaik 
School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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