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The Sundial, CSUN, CA
Nov 22 2014
Student voices: Maintaining heritage languages
By Negin Daneshfar
There is an overwhelming lack of foreign language education throughout
schools in the United States. Many individuals experience a withdrawal
from their mother tongue and either speak English with their families
or drop out of foreign language programs at a young age.
In Europe maintaining one's heritage language along with learning
English is encouraged throughout their education. According to the
European Commission, educational systems in some European countries
have an official language policy, which requires schools to teach two
foreign languages. Of course the maintenance of such languages relies
on how often that language is practiced in a particular area.
According to Forbes 18% of Americans report speaking a language other
than English, while 53% of Europeans speak a second language. As a
result of this, more students continue to encounter struggles
maintaining their mother tongue while learning English. Colleges and
universities no longer require foreign language classes but still tend
to include a handful of language courses, which are not always
emphasized in high schools.
Amirbahador Allahnejad, 25, senior business law major and
international student speaks fluent Turkish and English and moderate
Arabic. He picked up Turkish as a child while learning English through
college. He said maintaining Turkish was difficult while speaking
English with others.
"Here and there, you may forget some words because you keep talking in
English," Allahnejad said. "In general I think I kept up with my
native language, but it was vaguely introduced in schools and I had to
learn through family and friends."
A study from University of Arizona reports that 67 percent of second
generation students of Mexican and Asian descent in Southern
California preferred to use English over their heritage language.
Among Spanish speakers, 50 percent were fluent speakers and Asian
Americans were comprised of less than 10 percent fluent speakers.
While Allahnejad was taught the basics of Turkish grammar and language
at his school, he learned English from classes taught by a private
teacher since they weren't offered as part of his school curriculum.
Amir Yazdani, 25, senior construction management major speaks fluent
Armenian and English and moderate Farsi. Yazdani began to learn
Armenian at two-years-old and picked up Farsi from reading, writing
and speaking with family and friends. Like Allahnejad he become more
familiar with English while attending college.
"When I was 15 I wanted to have an international education mostly
focused on English and we didn't have those services or facilities in
Iran so I had to move out of the country," Yazdani said. Yazdani was
not fluent when he moved to the United States which was a challenge
but with practice he was able to gain a better understanding of the
language.
Yazdani shifted from mastering his native language and began to
develop his English at a young age. He continued to maintain his
Armenian skills while building on his English between grade schools.
"Learning Armenian at first gave me the ability to learn different
languages like English through experience and made it easier for me to
learn more quickly," Yazdani said. "It would have been harder if I had
learned English first and then Armenian and Farsi since foreign
languages tend to be more complex."
Yazdani said he learned English for 10 years in college until he
completely mastered it.
"It's one of the best tools that I have so far," he said. "I believe
that it is important to introduce more native languages in schools,"
said Yazdani.
Ifrah Moalih, 19, freshman psychology major speaks fluent Spanish,
English and moderate Somali. Moalih said she did not learn these
languages in school but while she grew up around family members and
friends who spoke Spanish and Somali. Eventually, she was taught how
to read and write Spanish until she developed her English skills in
school.
"I think that the second language should be introduced more in U.S.
schools and universities, I don't think that it should just be
English," Moalih said. "Teaching more of the second language in
elementary school actually is easier to learn and a faster process to
remember."
There are plenty of academic and social benefits that come with
maintaining a heritage language or learning a second language.
Although students such as Moalih are able to use their skills to their
advantage, it is never too late to become more familiar with another
language. The Department of Modern and Classical Languages and
Literatures offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, German, Hebrew
and Korean all of which allow students to work on their language
skills and gain valuable knowledge of another culture.
http://sundial.csun.edu/2014/11/student-voices-maintaining-heritage-languages/
Nov 22 2014
Student voices: Maintaining heritage languages
By Negin Daneshfar
There is an overwhelming lack of foreign language education throughout
schools in the United States. Many individuals experience a withdrawal
from their mother tongue and either speak English with their families
or drop out of foreign language programs at a young age.
In Europe maintaining one's heritage language along with learning
English is encouraged throughout their education. According to the
European Commission, educational systems in some European countries
have an official language policy, which requires schools to teach two
foreign languages. Of course the maintenance of such languages relies
on how often that language is practiced in a particular area.
According to Forbes 18% of Americans report speaking a language other
than English, while 53% of Europeans speak a second language. As a
result of this, more students continue to encounter struggles
maintaining their mother tongue while learning English. Colleges and
universities no longer require foreign language classes but still tend
to include a handful of language courses, which are not always
emphasized in high schools.
Amirbahador Allahnejad, 25, senior business law major and
international student speaks fluent Turkish and English and moderate
Arabic. He picked up Turkish as a child while learning English through
college. He said maintaining Turkish was difficult while speaking
English with others.
"Here and there, you may forget some words because you keep talking in
English," Allahnejad said. "In general I think I kept up with my
native language, but it was vaguely introduced in schools and I had to
learn through family and friends."
A study from University of Arizona reports that 67 percent of second
generation students of Mexican and Asian descent in Southern
California preferred to use English over their heritage language.
Among Spanish speakers, 50 percent were fluent speakers and Asian
Americans were comprised of less than 10 percent fluent speakers.
While Allahnejad was taught the basics of Turkish grammar and language
at his school, he learned English from classes taught by a private
teacher since they weren't offered as part of his school curriculum.
Amir Yazdani, 25, senior construction management major speaks fluent
Armenian and English and moderate Farsi. Yazdani began to learn
Armenian at two-years-old and picked up Farsi from reading, writing
and speaking with family and friends. Like Allahnejad he become more
familiar with English while attending college.
"When I was 15 I wanted to have an international education mostly
focused on English and we didn't have those services or facilities in
Iran so I had to move out of the country," Yazdani said. Yazdani was
not fluent when he moved to the United States which was a challenge
but with practice he was able to gain a better understanding of the
language.
Yazdani shifted from mastering his native language and began to
develop his English at a young age. He continued to maintain his
Armenian skills while building on his English between grade schools.
"Learning Armenian at first gave me the ability to learn different
languages like English through experience and made it easier for me to
learn more quickly," Yazdani said. "It would have been harder if I had
learned English first and then Armenian and Farsi since foreign
languages tend to be more complex."
Yazdani said he learned English for 10 years in college until he
completely mastered it.
"It's one of the best tools that I have so far," he said. "I believe
that it is important to introduce more native languages in schools,"
said Yazdani.
Ifrah Moalih, 19, freshman psychology major speaks fluent Spanish,
English and moderate Somali. Moalih said she did not learn these
languages in school but while she grew up around family members and
friends who spoke Spanish and Somali. Eventually, she was taught how
to read and write Spanish until she developed her English skills in
school.
"I think that the second language should be introduced more in U.S.
schools and universities, I don't think that it should just be
English," Moalih said. "Teaching more of the second language in
elementary school actually is easier to learn and a faster process to
remember."
There are plenty of academic and social benefits that come with
maintaining a heritage language or learning a second language.
Although students such as Moalih are able to use their skills to their
advantage, it is never too late to become more familiar with another
language. The Department of Modern and Classical Languages and
Literatures offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, German, Hebrew
and Korean all of which allow students to work on their language
skills and gain valuable knowledge of another culture.
http://sundial.csun.edu/2014/11/student-voices-maintaining-heritage-languages/