BLOG #6        Rodriguez “Aria" 

 

Argument: Rodriguez makes a few arguments in his essay "Aria”. One of his main arguments is that bilingual education can create a divide between public and private life, causing a disconnect between school and home environments. He discusses his experiences growing up in a bilingual household and attending an English-speaking school. His family primarily communicated in Spanish at home, creating a private space to express their language and culture.

 

 However, when he entered school and began learning English, he started to use the English language and less of his own.  When he was discussing how he was learning the language and engaging more in school, he said, “I moved very far from the disadvantaged child I had been only days earlier. The belief, the calming assurance that I belonged in public, had at last taken hold.” He always felt like he didn’t belong before learning the language, especially among his classmates. 

Rodriguez believes that bilingual education can cause this division between public and private life. At the same time, he thought public education should focus on promoting the English language, making it easier to communicate in American society. He also acknowledges that English can lead to the loss of native languages at home or in their private life. He describes how conversations in his household diminished and noticed how it affected his parents. 

He talks about how his struggles with English in school made him feel disadvantaged and lowered his self-confidence. However, he also emphasizes the importance of overcoming these challenges and the personal growth that comes with learning a new language.  It allows individuals from diverse backgrounds to communicate and interact with others in a more confident way. 

 

In the videos, Sara Vogel discusses the importance of encouraging a bilingual education, discussing the benefits it brings to both students who are learning English and English-speaking students. Bilingual education helps students maintain their native language and culture, going against the belief that learning a new language can cause a divide. Vogel views language as “a tool for success”, explaining that multilingual students have leverage in society.

 

I agree with Vogel that bilingual individuals possess more leverage than monolingual individuals, particularly in today's diverse society. Being bilingual not only opens doors to opportunities but also helps children keep strong ties to their culture and family. I believe that children who are bilingual have an advantage in their future careers. It is becoming more common to find job postings that prefer bilingual candidates. 

 

It surprises me that some elementary schools in different districts do not offer any language programs until middle or high school. My daughter has been taking Spanish classes since pre-k, and she became more interested in learning another language when we visited the Azores last summer. Now she is excited about learning Portuguese since one of her friends is Portuguese and she frequently learns new words when she has time with her family. I have always thought it was important for individuals to learn about other cultures and languages. With the diverse population in public schools, I think it's a great addition to the curriculum. It gives students a chance to learn and appreciate languages other than English, especially in a society that values diversity.

https://youtu.be/9-p_EBq_ccc?si=2C9a7kWr33arTfO1