Job Discussion Forums

[TedSeastrom]

The idea of teaching EFL and learning a new language at the same time is interesting. I'm working through the Rosetta Stone Spanish series now in preparation for going to DF in January. Seems kind of old school in a hi-tech way.

I studied French for six years before living with a family in France one summer. I could barely understand (or be understood). No English spoken anywhere. By the end of the summer I could communicate.

Later, after college, I studied French for a year in Switzerland. Got a good technical grasp of the language but never spoke it as well as I did that summer in high school. Hung out with a lot of English speakers. The irony is that the immigrant "guest workers" at the cafeteria could speak better French than the students.

Now I'm reading this book for the TEFL certificate, "Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching." Seems like for 100 years people have been coming up with new ways of teaching language. My favorite is Suggestopedia: "Students are expected to tolerate and in fact encourage their own 'infantilization.' In part this is accomplished by acknowledging the absolute authority of the teacher...."

But back to "Ugly Americans" and learning other languages. What's the point of studying another language when most American high school students can't speak or write a coherent sentence in English?

[MELEE]

[TheLongWayHome]

[MO39]

[quote="MELEE"]

[MO39]

[quote="Guy Courchesne

[MELEE]

When people go to war against there exsisting government (no matter where that government is based) it's a revolution. In US history we study the Revolutionary War, in which the US won it's independance, not the Idependance War. In Mexico there has been two revolutions. They are commonly known as the Guerra de Independencia and the Revolucion de 1910 so that people will know which revolution you are talking about.

[Guy Courchesne]

[MO39]

[MELEE]

My daughters refer to their soy milk as "Juice" but it's soy milk. People refer to it, so you know that they are talking about--that doesn't make it any less of a revolution.

Guy, haven't you noticed, in this country revolutions happen every 100 years (every other fuego nuevo).

[jfurgers]

Every class I teach I have students from all over the world and we sometimes get into discussions about Bush, Iraq, a possible air stike against Iran and world governments in general. All of my students agree that the problems isn't with the people but with the governments.

The governments create the problems. We got into this discussion last week and I have students in my class from Mexico, Iraq, Iran, Columbia, South Korea, China, India and a couple of other countries and all agree that people seem to get along, it's the governments that create the problems and the wars.

All of the students I have get along great and love doing presentations because they learn a lot about other cultures and viewpoints. They also tell me that they love the American people...it's the government and Bush that they don't like, the foreign policies.

I was in Mexico City last December and everyone was nice with me like always. My wife says it's because I have beautiful blonde hair and white skin. The Mexicans in my classes always tell me I'll have no problems with anti American attitudes in DF. I don't live in DF (yet, but I'm trying) but I don't think anyone has to worry about people hating you because you're from the States.

Speaking of speaking Spanish, I've been married to a chilanga for 10 years and still my Spanish is very broken. That's because my wife only wants to speak English with me. She only speaks in Spanish to me when she's mad at me.

Same with my students who are from Mexico. They never want to help me with Spanish, they always tell me, Teacher! you have to speak only in English to us! They always tell me that when they try to practice English in the stores a lot of the North Americans say no, help me with my Spanish.

I love the Mexicans! They're always warm and very helpful.

[notamiss]

I've been following this thread while trying to put my opinion into words. It's more or less like this:

On a variety of forums, I've seen time and again people who haven't visited Mexico express apprehension about how they might be treated, or whether they might be more prone to be crime victims because they don't "look Mexican" or because they don't speak (much) Spanish. I think Mexico doesn't work that way. First, being foreign per se doesn't in particular attract rudeness or crime. When these things do happen, fellow Mexicans themselves are just as likely to be targets. Also, language aside, looking foreign isn't only a question of being taller and paler (or blacker), it's how one dresses and acts.

Something to get used to is that Mexicans are more free about remarking on people's appearance (colour, weight, etc.) and it is not derogatory. So a remark on your colour (like being addressed as g�ero/a) might be taken as offensive by someone not used to this, but it isn't.

[thelmadatter]

Ive been here 4.5 years and found that the overwhelming majority of people treat me as a person, not a "gringo". Oh sure there are the usual gringo jokes, but all in fun and 1/2 the time Im the one making them!

Maybe 3 times have I had anyone rant at me about my county, however, I AM careful not to discuss my political views because I happen to believe the Iraq war was inevitable and do not believe that we should withdraw. I know expressing those views would cause friction between me and most people in this county (not to mention many people on this board). So I could conclude that there is no hostility toward Americans as long as they disavow their own country (or its government) to some extent or just shut up.

BTW, this thing about distinguishing between the people and the government holds water for those from non-elected governments (kingdoms, dictatorships etc) but its the PEOPLE who elect the US government so the people are responsible for what it does. This idea that somehow the government works completely separate from the people's wishes is a cop-out. After all, Harriet Myers did not get to the Supreme Court and the newest round of amnesty did not pass despite the fact that George Bush wanted both and Congress along with Bush sorely wanted the second. The Iraq War has not been stopped because the protestors and Hollywood do not represent the majority of American voters (or consumers, seeing how Lions for Lambs is bombing terribly). The government may work contrary to YOUR wishes but that is because not enough of your fellow citizens share your wishes.

<putting on my flame retardant undies now>

[john_n_carolina]

[Guy Courchesne]

[MELEE]

It's never been proven that the people elected the current US president.

But it whatever the history of it, we are in the Iraq war and unfortunately you can just stop a war when you hear your mother calling you home for dinner.

I'm a bit of an anomaly myself, A leftist-northern-confederate. In a country the size of the US we cannot expect the federal government to be responsive to the people in a timely fashion. Public opinion can not trickle up to them fast enough. There are many cities that have come out as opposing the current federal government's policies on everything from the war to the environment to health care. I believe there should be more power at the state and local (city and county) levels because that's where people can really take an active part, meeting personally with their elected officials.

Keeping your mouth shut is a very good policy for foreigners. That's my approach to religion. When Mexicans I barely know start to ask me about my religious beliefs I try to be a vague and evasive as possible without being rude. I respect their religion and would never try to change their beliefs, unfortunately most non-catholic faiths represented in Mexico spend most of their time actively trying to convert people. And I've found that while many Mexicans are open to a wide gama of political ideologies when it comes to religion, its "my way or the highway".