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Macaulay Honors College
at Baruch, Spring 2013Professor Els de Graauw
ITF Benjamin Miller Log in
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When Your Children Speak English Better Than You Do
[I spoke] very little English and then little by little, listening to the TV or to the, or to the radio or listening other people speak or taking a book and reading a book is how you pick up more the language. And I’m still not, eh, as good as I like to, but I can defend myself.
Language and Norms: Introduction
Although the United States does not have an official language, learning English is arguably the most important component of integration for immigrants. Being able to communicate with other Americans is practical socio-economically, and yet it is not always so easy. Many struggle with learning the language, let alone its unusual idioms, the slang that is so pervasive on New York City streets, and feel even more alienated as a result. To add another level of complexity, immigrants must often communicate with other immigrants who also lack English proficiency! While some use television, books, and music to learn English, others manage to fit English classes into their busy city schedules. Younger immigrants can learn English in the American education system, and yet many immigrants also view learning English crucial to doing well in school so that they can find higher-paying jobs. Learning English is undoubtedly a stepping stone for immigrants, whether it is for themselves or for their children.
Born and Raised to Sit Down and Keep Quiet
Beatrice, a 20-year-old Italian immigrant, speaks about individualism and having a voice in America:
Here, I feel like its less disciplined, like, in comparison to schools in Italy, here, I think people speak up more. For example, if students have a problem with the test, they will be more open to the teacher, saying like, oh, but you didn’t say this was on it….people speak up more, and they were taught that what you have to say matter, everyone has a voice. And I’ve never really been like that because I was taught to keep quiet and stay in my place. I feel like the ideology here is that you’re an individual and it’s very foreign to me that people fight back and say, ‘I’m an adult, I’m an individual, you can’t tell me what to do…’
Learning English and Making Friends
Fernando talks about going to night school and how that expanded his social circle:
I went to night school in order to learn how to speak English. I speak it well, or so I think, but it is really difficult for me to read it and write it. [And] I met people; I met some of the people who I consider my closest friends. I also met my fiancée.
Learning English
Eliza, a 48-year-old immigrant from Belarus, describes her difficult but rewarding procoess with learning English:
I can say for sure that the language, I mean, English, improved a lot since I came here. There is no doubt, especially when you interact with people. Most of the time, I speak Russian at home, but when it comes to work or communicating with people even outside the home, you speak and practice your language skills. Also, when you watching TV, or you’re reading…I don’t know. I only read English books, I don’t read that much Russian language. Especially when you practice, it helps you a lot to improve your language skills. […] I wanted and I needed to because without knowing English – everyone speaks English in this country, so it’s necessary for you to learn to be able to, as I mentioned before, to be able to communicate with people, to find your job, to do the other stuff.
Shocking Street Language
Neville, a 63-year-old immigrant from Jamaica, reveals a light-hearted anecdote on his introduction to American slang:
Uhm, a part of it is that culture thing, that language, the jargon, the street-language. I heard for the first time the word “MF.” Right? How I heard “MF” was that one young man introduced me to, uhm, his friend. And uhm, he said to the — in the course of talking, he said “You are a MF” and I took it literally!… And I-I-I just couldn’t even look at the guy, you know?… When the person left and the next person came up, another person called him the same word. I noticed that when they were using the word, they were smiling! Then I-I asked what that meant, and they said no it’s just an expression, you know. It was one of the things I had to go through, you know. It doesn’t necessarily mean how it sounds.
Learning English Can Be Fun Too
Ralph, a 29-year-old entrepreneurial immigrant, came to the United States from Mexico nearly 12 years ago. His undocumented status did not hinder his attempts to learn English:
Yeah because I tried school. First thing I want to do was try school. I went to the English school and I start learning, but I thought it was too slow. Like what is your name. all these things. A lot of these students, this will take a while. I just went two times. Because I love listening to music. I went to the record store, and I bought music. I read the songs as I was listening. So I was listening so I learned the pronunciation . I was reading at the same time. Then I got the dictionary to translate all the words. All the songs. So translate it, I listen to it, and I repeat it. And I was doing that for almost every day. And I listen to the songs going to my work, coming back. Translating the songs. I learned a lot in a single year. I was already speaking English. Then I just stopped doing it. That was my problem. I shouldn’t stop doing that. I thought okay I can defend myself. But it was that way. It really worked, I just learned real quick.
Difficulties of the English Language
Jenny, a 20-year-old woman from South Korea, speaks of her difficulties with learning English:
I didn’t even have friends. When I first came here English was my biggest problem. I did not understand a single word they said. And the kids made fun of me because I didn’t know English, I feel like they were talking about me but I didn’t get it. […] My mom tried so many things on me. She tried phonics, she tried vocab words, she tried movies, she tried TV shows, making me read newspapers, none of that worked. […] I was a total failure though. I started understanding English from school. I started talking to the teacher one-on-one. That kind of worked.
Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better
Although Lilya learned English back in high school in the Ukraine, she hadn’t used it until she came here at the age of 42:
When you start life all over again, at 42 years old, it’s not easy. But I think you know, some people think that my English is not good, I understand that my English is not good, but in some way I understand that I accomplish a lot.
Beer Before Milk
James, a German immigrant who has been living in the United States for 45 years, talks about what he finds strange in the United States:
Then it wasn’t a law but they were already trying to push as a law… the drinking. The drinking age should be twenty-one… In Europe we always had beer and wine at home. It was like… I always say that my mother gave me beer before she gave me milk!
Coming to America For Education
James, a German immigrant, talks about why he came to the United States:
I was always in the American school system. I said, well I’m studying all this [including learning English]… it’s something I would like to do. So I said, ‘Let’s begin giving it a try by going to the university there.’ And of course, once I got here… it was like I was finally home!
Sarah’s Linguistic Learning Process
Sarah, a woman in her mid-seventies from Tel Aviv, immigrated to Brooklyn 21 years ago. Here, she discusses her struggle with the English language:
It’s very hard for me; very hard for me to read. Slowly… and I read mostly Hebrew. All my books… and also speaking.. Because most of the people are Israeli because I have to speak only English on the phone. And when I call the parents… I don’t speak enough English. All my friends are Israeli—I only speak Hebrew.
