Why Don't They Learn English Separating Fact From Fallacy In the U.S. Language Debate
This compelling book examines the often cited but poorly supported claims that immigrants fail to learn English, and the mistaken belief that immigrant communities cling to their heritage languages. The author reveals that, on the contrary, English is being learned at a rapid pace while heritage languages are disappearing quickly from family use. She shows us how current assumptions have a pervasive influence on language policy in the United States.\ Ultimately, the author argues for an...
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This compelling book examines the often cited but poorly supported claims that immigrants fail to learn English, and the mistaken belief that immigrant communities cling to their heritage languages. The author reveals that, on the contrary, English is being learned at a rapid pace while heritage languages are disappearing quickly from family use. She shows us how current assumptions have a pervasive influence on language policy in the United States. Ultimately, the author argues for an educational approach that effectively embraces immigrant communities as they tackle the obstacles to language learning in the United States. This unique volume offers a short, readable introduction to these issues suitable for nonspecialists as well as educators, researchers, and other professionals.
IntroductionCh. 1"Why Don't They Learn English?": Language Policy and Public Perception1Ch. 2The State of English-Language Learning9Ch. 3The State of Heritage Language Development30Ch. 4Why Promote Heritage Languages?44Ch. 5How Can Heritage Languages Be Promoted?59Ch. 6Where Do We Go From Here?70Notes75References93Index105About the Author109
