WEEK
12
Prospectus
Joe
Nieto
Prospectus,
a poem written by Joe Nieto, provides us a broad view about what a bilingual
third grade student of Chilocco Indian School, in Oklahoma, feels about
English. The student compared English learning to life’s challenges. He
describes how he lives, sleeps, eats, and plays on the reservation. The student
realizes that he lives in poverty and the only way to change his life is to
speak English. The fact that student prays to the “Great Spirit” (God for
American Indians) and speaks his language makes us think that learning English
will be his main achievement. Many people believe that learning English is a
positive way for improving their lives. There are people who believe that God
will listen to them, if they just pray in English. Thus, English becomes a
priority for being worthy.
Learning
Silence
Maria
Mazziotti Gillan
Learning
Silence by Maria Mazzioti Gillan describes the fears of a first grade student
and how she tries to escape from her fears by taking books and pretending to
turn into the characters. The student mentioned that she is afraid of her
teacher, Miss Barton, her peers and even her classroom. The student’s fears
make her feel isolated, nervous, sad and quiet. This poem provides us the
opportunity to think and analyze the silent period in students, especially bilingual
students. Although in the poem the student learns by herself, without an
appropriate communication with her teacher and classmates, she is clearly
suffering. The silence period is not positive for student learning process in
any case. The student should be comfortable in the school and teachers have to
motivate students to put their fears away. The silence affects student’s
personal and social development, and damages all intent for making them want to
learn.
No
Questions Asked
Armand
Gamet Ruffo
Analyzing
poems about languages makes us notice the different situations that monolingual
and bilingual persons may face. The poem No Questions Asked by Armand Gamet
Ruffo describes what bilingual people may experience when they learn another
language and lose their command of their native tongue. In fact, many people
may learn another language without knowing when they learn. I think that nobody
can truly say the exact moment when they become bilingual or lose their own
language. In fact, as the poet have said; “Gradually you lose your tongue”, and
explain his new position to enjoy it, after losing it. However, we have to
realize that there are many factors that influence how we acquire and lose a
language; one of them is silence. People do not know what happens when a person
loses their own language, therefore, nobody can make questions.
English con Salsa
Gina Valdes
The poem
English con Salsa by Gina Valdes, describes broadly how English language
reflects that United States of America is a multicultural society and it is a
valuable element for cultural and racial integration. The poet using figures and
metaphors provides us with relevant information about how English is spoken in
United States. The idea of considering US a Melting Pot because immigrants put
away their cultures in order to become Americans, in this poem, is over. We
have to think that United States is like a Salad Bowl because immigrants
maintain their culture. The author, in her poem, suggests that English in
America has different accents and ways to be spoken. Although there are opinions such as bell
brook to reinforce Standard English or of Njabulo Ndebele to maintain control
over English by its native speakers, immigrants are in a multicultural country
and they have to be understood.
