It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.

Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.

Thank you.

 

Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.

 

Arizona to ban teachers with heavy foreign accents.

page: 2
5
<< 1   >>

log in

join
share:

posted on May, 3 2010 @ 10:50 AM
link   
I read the Huffington post piece - think what you want about the AZ legislation on illegal immigration but this little snippet I have no problem with. Were I learning English as a second language I would want to learn it from one who is an expert in English articulation and grammatical context... much like if I were learning Spanish as a second language, I really wouldn't want someone with a thick Bostonian accent giving me a quiz on it.



posted on May, 4 2010 @ 01:08 AM
link   
Jus another racist law from arizona nothing new. This time direct attack on mostly Hispanic teachers. Thanks for proving once again this has nothing to do with Illegal aliens but a war againts HIspanics. BOYCOTT ARIZONA!!!!!!!!



posted on May, 9 2010 @ 03:39 PM
link   
When I took English 102 in college my teacher was a grad student from Korea. She had an accent, but you could understand what she said.

Alot of the younger, freshmen students kept complaining about her because of her accent and the fact that she was an English teacher.

I never found it to be an issue. English 101 and 102 are about rhetoric and structuring your writing, not learning the English language. If you are still "learning" English as a native speaker in college, you have issues. The Korean girl was good at structuring writing, so, what's the problem?

If someone is incomprehensible because of their accent, then I don't see a problem questioning their job status.



posted on May, 9 2010 @ 03:42 PM
link   
reply to post by MysterE
 


In no way would an accent affect a child's learning of English. In reality, they will learn English if they are exposed to it. An hour or two a day for five days will not corrupt their English. They are still exposed to all the other people in their lives when they speak their native language.

Think about it, people spoke long before schools were invented. An accent doesn't imply not being good at writing, grammar, spelling, and the like, which is what English class is really about.



posted on May, 9 2010 @ 03:47 PM
link   
reply to post by marg6043
 


True. But having an accent doesn't preclude fluency. I don't speak Portuguese like a native speaker all the time, but my accent is pretty spot on. I fool Brazilians all the time as long as we don't start speaking for 10 or so minutes, then I'm bound to say something that sounds "unnatural".

Likewise, I say things like "There's apples in the fridge" and whatnot, not exactly grammatical English, but my accent is native.

Also, I'd love to know how Arizona gov't is going to qualify a "heavy" accent or "ungrammatical" English.




top topics
 
5
<< 1   >>

log in

join