RJA 14: Field Research Report

I chose to survey two of my classes, one called Diversity and Communication in the U.S. with 20 students and the other called The History of English with 25 students, asking each person their age, whether they had had experience studying language, if so then how, and how fruitful their efforts were.  The Div. and Comm. class had a total of four people older than 30, while the English class had only one.  The results were as follows...

While 38 out of 40 young people had had experience studying language, none of the older people had studied a foreign language.
The 38 young people who had studied language had done so as part of their compulsory education, mostly in high school; no one had studied out of their own volition.
No one reported having gained fluency in their studies; most people reported in fact that they only barely could speak their language if at all.

This was fantastic support for my claim that language education in America is simply in adequate, and should be beefed up.

RJA 12b: APA-Style Annotated Bibliography, Part 1

1. Hinkel, E. (2011). Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. (2nd ed., p. 410). New York: Taylor and Francis.
   /Eli Hinkel delivers the findings of some current research in second language teaching and acquisition, and it is from this book that I got my information on the critical period hypothesis./
2. Richards, J., & Rodgers, T. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. (pp. 73-75). New York: Cambridge University Press.
   /Richards and Rodgers present some of the newer trends in teaching language to L2 learners, and compare them to some of the traditional methods.  I got my information for TPRS (total physical response) from this book./
3. Bawer, J. (2004). Hating america. Hudson Review, Retrieved from http://www.hudsonreview.com/BawerSp04.html
   /Bawer discusses the negative views that other countries' people have on Americans and our behavior, and makes mention specifically to our lack of culture and monolingualism.  Such views are particularly prevalent in Europe, but even in Asia, where support for the American lifestyle is strong, exists such views./

RJA 12a: Conversion from MLA to APA Style

1. Dicker, S. (2003). Languages in america: A pluralist view. (2nd ed., pp. 298-302). Tonawanda: Multilingual Matters LTD.
2. Kim, J. (n.d.). Japanese education vs. amerecan edukashun. Retrieved from http://eserver.org/courses/fall95/76-100g/papers/kim/default.html
3. Lam, A. (2005). Language education in china: Policy and experience from 1949. (p. 186). Aberdeen: Hong Kong University Press.

RJA 11: Argument

America Would Do Well to Become Multilingual

Reasons

1. We are losing jobs to people from overseas.  For example, the reconstruction and renovation of the crumbling Alexander Hamilton Bridge in New York is being outsourced to a team of Chinese construction workers!
   Cuomo, Chris, Joseph Rhee, and Tran Linh. "Bringing America Back: Are Infrastructure Jobs Being Shipped to China?." ABC World News. 23 Sep 2011: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/bringing_america_back/american-infrastructure-jobs-shipped-china/story?id=14592567>
2. Others in the world understand the world around them and thus are cultured and worldly, areas in which Americans have for decades been chastised.  People across Europe have always made of fun how lacking in knowledge of general facts about the world Americans are.
   Dicker, Susan. Languages in America: A Pluralist View. 2nd. Multilingual Matters LTD, 2003. 298-302. Print.Bawer, Bruce. "Hating America." Hudson Review. (2004): n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.hudsonreview.com/BawerSp04.html>
3. Multilingual children do much better in cognitive reasoning and on tests overall.Krashen, Steven. "Bilingual Education Works." Rethinking Schools. n.d. n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. <http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/Bi152.shtml>

Objections

1. Americans do not need any other languages besides English to conduct business and live in this country.  In fact, immigrants ought to learn proper English!Arguements Against Learning Spanish - http://www.ehow.com/info_8054932_arguments-against-learning-spanish.html
   Official English Will Encourage Immigrants to Learn English - http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/official-english-will-encourage-immigrants-to-learn-english
2. English will cease to be spoken if we allow immigrants to bring their languages to America.  It is already happening; English is under attach as we speak.
   Linguistic Unity Is Critical to an Increasingly Diverse Society - http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/linguistic-unity-is-critical-in-an-increasingly-diverse-society

Refutations

1. The fact of the matter is that we will always have people in this country who do not speak English because America has allowed such a tradition since its inception.  Forcing them to speak English won't solve anything, but learning their languages would mean better business.
   http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/linguistic-unity-is-critical-in-an-increasingly-diverse-society (in the comments)
2. This simply is not true.  Allowing minority languages to thrive would have no effect on the overwhelmingly dominant status of the English language in America.
   http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/linguistic-unity-is-critical-in-an-increasingly-diverse-society (6th paragraph)

RJA 10c: Objections

• American society functions well enough with English, and doesn't need any other languages
• Arguements Against Learning Spanish - http://www.ehow.com/info_8054932_arguments-against-learning-spanish.html
• English is under threat from other languages
• Linguistic Unity Is Critical to an Increasingly Diverse Society - http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/linguistic-unity-is-critical-in-an-increasingly-diverse-society
• Foreigners should learn our language and assimilate, which would in turn benefit them in finding jobs and opportunity here
• Official English Will Encourage Immigrants to Learn English - http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/official-english-will-encourage-immigrants-to-learn-english

RJA 10b: Reasons

• We are losing jobs to others in the world who are multilingual
• Cuomo, Chris, Joseph Rhee, and Tran Linh. "Bringing America Back: Are Infrastructure Jobs Being Shipped to China?." ABC World News. 23 Sep 2011: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/bringing_america_back/american-infrastructure-jobs-shipped-china/story?id=14592567>
• Po, Vivian. "Rep. Judy Chu: American Children Need Bilingual Education." New America Media. 21 Apr 2010: n. page. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://newamericamedia.org/2010/11/judy-chu-bilingual-education-will-help-american-children.php>.
• Dowdell, Sommer. "What Are the Benefits of Being Bilingual in U.S. Jobs Today?." eHow. n.d. n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/list_6724805_benefits-bilingual-u_s_-jobs-today_.html>
  
•  We are culturally malnourished; learning other languages helps people understand the world
• Dicker, Susan. Languages in America: A Pluralist View. 2nd. Multilingual Matters LTD, 2003. 298-302. Print.
•  People from other countries look down on Americans for being so "self-centered" and "uncultured"
• Bawer, Bruce. "Hating America." Hudson Review. (2004): n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.hudsonreview.com/BawerSp04.html>
•  Multilingual children do better in school overall, and show higher cognitive functioning
• Krashen, Steven. "Bilingual Education Works." Rethinking Schools. n.d. n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. <http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/Bi152.shtml>
•  Nauert, Rick. "Bilingual Kids Show Cognitive Advantages." PshchoCentral. 10 Nov 2010: n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. <http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/11/10/cognitive-ability-improved-when-bilingual/20740.html>
•  Almost 18% of our country speak something other than English at home, and we ought to learn to accommodate them
• The World Factbook - U.S.A. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html

RJA 10a: Claim

Would America Do Well to Become Multilingual?

The Answer????

Yes!!!

1. Dicker, Susan. Languages in America: A Pluralist View. 2nd. Multilingual Matters LTD, 2003. 298-302. Print.
2.  Po, Vivian. "Rep. Judy Chu: American Children Need Bilingual Education." New America Media. 21 Apr 2010: n. page. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://newamericamedia.org/2010/11/judy-chu-bilingual-education-will-help-american-children.php>.
3.  Cuomo, Chris, Joseph Rhee, and Tran Linh. "Bringing America Back: Are Infrastructure Jobs Being Shipped to China?." ABC World News. 23 Sep 2011: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/bringing_america_back/american-infrastructure-jobs-shipped-china/story?id=14592567
4. Bawer, Bruce. "Hating America." Hudson Review. (2004): n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.hudsonreview.com/BawerSp04.html>.
5.  Dowdell, Sommer. "What Are the Benefits of Being Bilingual in U.S. Jobs Today?." eHow. n.d. n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/list_6724805_benefits-bilingual-u_s_-jobs-today_.html>.