Seriously??!

¿Qué? Am I the only baffled one scratching my head tonight? I mean, seriously, did I miss something?!!? I had no idea that there was even a debate about which language I should speak, let alone which language my non-American husband should speak. Even as I type, he is talking on the phone in the living room, in Spanish. I can't think of how many times today I've heard him switch back and forth, nor can I count my own attempts to keep up with his transitions in English and Spanish. While I don't feel threatened in the least by his use of Spanish, I do worry that our future children may feel threatened by their use of it.

I appreciated reading so many views about English as the official language today. Indeed, it is an interesting issue to consider, but I have to say... like so many other issues surrounding immigration, this one hasn't fallen far from the tree. Meaning, I hear the same 'language' surrounding this debate as all other immigration debates; fear, hate, racism, ethnocentrism, pride, ignorance... let's call a spade a spade. What of the growing population of ex-patriots moving from the States to Mexico? I haven't heard any controversy coming from the South about English threatening to overtake Spanish as the official language.

For my ethnography, I've been observing how English is used by a group of Hispanics in a sixth-grade classroom. I think people would be surprised by how English here is first, being learned, and second, being used. These kids are taught grammar, vocabulary, spelling, writing, and reading, but those aren't the lessons they're taking home at the end of the day. What they are taking home is a bit shocking... it's a lot sad... and unfortunately, it's how 'American' is spoken and that's what they're paying attention to.

I think before we exhaust ourselves worrying about a linguistic plague, we should consider the underlying elements of "learning English" that are more worrisome, especially where youth are concerned. I don't think that Spanish is about to swallow English whole as the statistics would have me believe, but I am worried about what is being 'taught' when English is the model to follow... at least in the sixth grade.