Abolish bilingual education, Gingrich urges

TheVoiceInside

Abolish bilingual education, Gingrich urges

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich equated bilingual education Saturday with "the language of living in a ghetto" and mocked requirements that ballots be printed in multiple languages.

"The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up" to vote, said Gingrich, who is considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He made the comments in a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women.

"The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich said to cheers from the crowd of more than 100.

"Citizenship requires passing a test on American history in English. If that's true, then we do not have to create ballots in any language except English," he said.

Peter Zamora, co-chair of the Washington-based Hispanic Education Coalition, which supports bilingual education, said, "The tone of his comments were very hateful. Spanish is spoken by many individuals who do not live in the ghetto."

He said research has shown "that bilingual education is the best method of teaching English to non-English speakers."

Spanish-speakers, Zamora said, know they need to learn English.

"There's no resistance to learning English, really, among immigrants, among native-born citizens," he said. "Everyone wants to learn English because it's what you need to thrive in this country."

In the past, Gingrich has supported making English the nation's official language. He's also said all American children should learn English and that other languages should be secondary in schools.

In 1995, for example, he said bilingualism poses "long-term dangers to the fabric of our nation" and that "allowing bilingualism to continue to grow is very dangerous."

Bilingual programs teach students reading, arithmetic and other basic skills in their native language so they do not fall behind while mastering English.

On voting, federal law requires districts with large populations of non-English speakers to print ballots in multiple languages.




I really dont care what language you teach kids in the US their education, any method is ok with me. But this is one of most racist and ignorant comments i have heard in a while.

"We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich


hey heres some ghetto talk for ya Newt:

Ojala te chingue un elefante so cabron

josevolution

NEWT is a jack ass ....

soulsinging

while i think it's a bit much to say bilingual education is very dangerous, i agree with the rest of his comments. where does it stop? you come to america, you learn to speak english. that's what immigrants used to do.

norm

soulsinging wrote:

while i think it's a bit much to say bilingual education is very dangerous, i agree with the rest of his comments. where does it stop? you come to america, you learn to speak english. that's what immigrants used to do.

I agree although not in Newt's hate-filled, racist way.

chopitdown

TheVoiceInside wrote:

"The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up" to vote, said Gingrich,

agree b/c citizenship requires passing a test on American history in English.

TheVoiceInside wrote:

"The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich said to cheers from the crowd of more than 100.

Bilingual education is a good thing. It helps people learn English, but I think if you're in America you should strive to use English the best you can as you're able. Just like if I move to France or Spain I would try to learn the language and assimilate to their culture.

TheVoiceInside

soulsinging wrote:

while i think it's a bit much to say bilingual education is very dangerous, i agree with the rest of his comments. where does it stop? you come to america, you learn to speak english. that's what immigrants used to do.

I agree that you have to learn language in order to assimilate in the states. I was raised within a bilingual system and I had no problems so I cant say that im against it. And I must say that knowing two languages is a very good asset.

soulsinging

cutback wrote:

I agree although not in Newt's hate-filled, racist way.

sometimes that's the only way to get people's attention.

soulsinging

TheVoiceInside wrote:

I agree that you have to learn language in order to assimilate in the states. I was raised within a bilingual system and I had no problems so I cant say that im against it. And I must say that knowing two languages is a very good asset.

sure it is. i wish i knew spanish... every legal aid job i apply for treats that as a huge bonus. but ballots shouldn't be printed in spanish. neither should official documents. it's a waste of government money.

TheVoiceInside

chopitdown wrote:

agree b/c citizenship requires passing a test on American history in English.



Bilingual education is a good thing. It helps people learn English, but I think if you're in America you should strive to use English the best you can as you're able. Just like if I move to France or Spain I would try to learn the language and assimilate to their culture.[/quote


My problem is the way this guy actually tries to make a link between poverty and spanish.

TheVoiceInside

soulsinging wrote:

sure it is. i wish i knew spanish... every legal aid job i apply for treats that as a huge bonus. but ballots shouldn't be printed in spanish. neither should official documents. it's a waste of government money.

I agree but there is no need to dump on a whole language.

chopitdown

TheVoiceInside wrote:

My problem is the way this guy actually tries to make a link between poverty and spanish.

that was problematic for me as well.

josevolution

the fact of the matter is when people migrate to the US specially older spanish speaking folks they feel no need to learn english, everybody around them and neighborhoods are all spanish they can live there and not speak any english for months at a time. and i should mention ORIENTAL communities as well ......by the way i immigrated here in 1971 and the first thing on my mind was to learn the language so as to be able to communicate ........

soulsinging

josevolution wrote:

the fact of the matter is when people migrate to the US specially older spanish speaking folks they feel no need to learn english, everybody around them and neighborhoods are all spanish they can live there and not speak any english for months at a time. and i should mention ORIENTAL communities as well ......by the way i immigrated here in 1971 and the first thing on my mind was to learn the language so as to be able to communicate ........

then they can sit in their enclave and speak spanish. but fuck them if they think they are entitled to make my government spend my tax dollars so that they dont have to even make an effort to learn the language.

chopitdown

soulsinging wrote:

then they can sit in their enclave and speak spanish. but fuck them if they think they are entitled to make my government spend my tax dollars so that they dont have to even make an effort to learn the language.

I must say I agree.

Collin

soulsinging wrote:

then they can sit in their enclave and speak spanish. but fuck them if they think they are entitled to make my government spend my tax dollars so that they dont have to even make an effort to learn the language.

Isn't it also their government and their money?

Anyway, I don't think abolishing bilingual education will help or motivate non-native speakers of English to learn English.

josevolution

soulsinging wrote:

then they can sit in their enclave and speak spanish. but fuck them if they think they are entitled to make my government spend my tax dollars so that they dont have to even make an effort to learn the language.

i totally agree i've asked a lot of them if they would vote and 7 out of 10 say why bother, really a disturbing trend amongs minorities but they will be the first to cry racial discrimination or put their hand out for social welfare ,it should be mandated that you have to learn english with in 4 months of being here that is plenty of time for anyone to learn a lot of the language ....

caifan82

Fun stuff... usually bilingual education is a good thing. I had a trilingual education in my school, and I can definitely say it greatly improved my knowledge and culture. But hey, if this guy wants to keep his mind closed and miss works from such authors like Miguel de Cervantes, Isabel Allende, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz, and so many many others, because obviously they all live(d) in ghettos ... he can go right ahead. But I would feel bad for americans if this ever became law.

Collin

josevolution wrote:

it should be mandated that you have to learn english with in 4 months of being here that is plenty of time for anyone to learn a lot of the language ....

I disagree, I think four months isn't plenty of time at all.

soulsinging

Collin wrote:

Isn't it also their government and their money?

Anyway, I don't think abolishing bilingual education will help or motivate non-native speakers of English to learn English.

it is. but by whining really loudly we've managed to waste a shit ton of money that helps maybe 10% of the population who don't need the help.

im not opposed to bilingual education per se (though i have pretty radical education views in general), i am opposed to every government document having to be printed in 6 different languages becos immigrants would rather demand we change our printing presses rather than expend the effort to learn how to participate here.

soulsinging

caifan82 wrote:

Fun stuff... usually bilingual education is a good thing. I had a trilingual education in my school, and I can definitely say it greatly improved my knowledge and culture. But hey, if this guy wants to keep his mind closed and miss works from such authors like Miguel de Cervantes, Isabel Allende, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz, and so many many others, because obviously they all live(d) in ghettos ... he can go right ahead. But I would feel bad for americans if this ever became law.

if what ever became law?

im reading marquez... in translation

Rushlimbo

I guess Newt and the GOP are giving up on the hispanic vote now.

whispering hands

almost every other coubntry teaches english as a second MANDATORY language.. while we piddle away at elective languages. I seriously agree with expanding the language predestinations of our children by requiring them to learn a second language as well as English. I have been to several other countries ( work missionary trips, and pleasure trips) and they require that all students from grade up learn English even in some places in Russia they are doing this now.. why?? Because America is a huge potential for future resource and they know that in the end they will need to speak English to accomplish work related tasks.

So why then if as Americans we also know we are to eventually relate to foreign cultures as a ned for future commerce don't WE learn a few languages ourselves?? Shoot move to Haiti.. there if ya don't speak Spanish French or Creole, you're screwed.. And Russia ya better learn it.. because we are in THEIR country.. right? so yes learn English well ( even though most Americans these days don't even speak correct forms of English anyway; I find that sad) but also embroaden your minds and learn a few other languages as well.

Collin

whispering hands wrote:

Because America is a huge potential for future resource

I doubt that's the reason.

caifan82

soulsinging wrote:

if what ever became law?

Banning bilingual education.

soulsinging wrote:

im reading marquez... in translation

I can assure you, it's not the same. So many things get lost in translation. Reading Molière in Spanish wasn't as fun as reading it in French. There are very good translation, but it's never the same.
Still, my point was actually that since this guy says that Spanish is ghetto language, then he is saying that every writer that's written a word in Spanish has lived in a ghetto, thus not worth reading (that's not what I think, but what he implies with his derogatory words).

soulsinging

caifan82 wrote:

Banning bilingual education.


I can assure you, it's not the same. So many things get lost in translation. Reading Molière in Spanish wasn't as fun as reading it in French. There are very good translation, but it's never the same.
Still, my point was actually that since this guy says that Spanish is ghetto language, then he is saying that every writer that's written a word in Spanish has lived in a ghetto, thus not worth reading (that's not what I think, but what he implies with his derogatory words).

then maybe i should pawn the books i dont have time to learn spanish just to read a novel. and there are enough good english novels to keep me occupied for a while. im not saying every hispanic immigrant should move here and master it to the point they can understand ulysses or catch-22. but learn enough to speak or read a ballot.

josevolution

Collin wrote:

I disagree, I think four months isn't plenty of time at all.

it is to get the essentials of communicating with the majority of the public ,i wen't thru this my self .........

caifan82

I just read the poll results in CNN.com, and actually 44% of the readers agree with "Do you agree with Newt Gingrich that bilingual education teaches "the language of living in a ghetto"?".

Now that's sad.

http://www.cnn.com/POLLSERVER/results/31048.exclude.html

Pearl Jam and toast

cutback wrote:

I agree although not in Newt's hate-filled, racist way.

Yeah I can understand the basic point that people need to learn English if they come to live here but jesus christ Newt.... Maybe we should find some people that aren't seething with nationalism and racism to work on this instead of people in the republican party like mr gingrich.

pjfanatic4

TheVoiceInside wrote:

"The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich said to cheers from the crowd of more than 100.

Wow... now I wonder if some African language was being taught in schools what the reaction would have been...

I know it's purely political, because minorities (hispanics) tend to vote dem, but he should be smarter than that...

kenny olav

From what I understand, bilingual education is the most effective means to teach immigrants English. There was a ballot initiative vote on bilingual education back in 2002, and I remember a local Asian immigrants' group fought against it. There's a town near me called Quincy where there is a large number of immigrants from China and Korea. Imagine moving to the U.S. from China when you are 5 or 6 years old, and you have to be immersed in English only classes. The difference between English and Spanish is nothing compared to the difference between English and Mandarin. So really, bilingual education is the only way to teach these kids, and that goes for Spanish-speaking kids too.

Now, I am all for one country/one language, or if we had two languages, then everyone in the country should learn both languages, like in Canada where I'm pretty sure everyone is proficient in both English and French. I think learning multiple languages is a great thing, and I wish I was proficient in a few other languages, but it makes things too complicated when people who live in the same area can't understand each other.

pjfanatic4

Kenny Olav wrote:

like in Canada where I'm pretty sure everyone is proficient in both English and French.

I'll wait for a Canadian friend to confirm, but Quebec is the bilingual, not all of Canada. In fact, English is the SECOND language in Quebec. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.