Wong Chapter 5

For Wong in chapter 5 there was an important emphasis on the idea of double consciousness and collective memory and how we as teachers must be aware of these things as we teach. What I found most interesting in the chapter was the branch titled "We're in America, Mama, Speak English!" This constant fight between the immigrant generation and the 1.5 generation and second generation is extremely important in how we view language. So many children of immigrants are taught that English is the power language, that it is 'better' than their native tongue. We as teachers need to be able to teach that their native tongue is just as important and beautiful as the English language while still giving them the tools needed to learn English to succeed in the world of jobs and social situations they will encounter as they grow up.

For me it is hard to hear that a child refuses to speak their native tongue because English is 'better' or they are embarrassed about being different. I know, being born in the United States, I am privileged but when I started learning Spanish in 6th grade I spent all my time wishing I knew more Spanish so I could speak it all the time. I still feel that way. Spanish is one of most beautiful languages in my opinion and I wish it had been my native tongue so when I hear that a child refuses to learn something so beautiful it makes me sad, not only for them but for their futures as they give up on the advantages that being bilingual can bring to their lives.

They are also losing the cultural aspect to their native tongue when they refuse to speak it all because our educational system brainwashes them into thinking that their language is somehow unimportant or useless. I think this chapter then is extremely important for future teachers to understand that their students should be able to speak and love their native language, that just because their native tongue is different doesn't mean it's bad or worse than any other language.

That is what I find to be so important, is that message, so that we can change the way ESL students see their native tongue before it's too late.