Re: Blog # 9 Chap. 6

Video: Violence in Video Games~ Should we allow our children to watch video games and what is the game ratings for violence that children are allowed to watch? Always limit exposure and content to children of an impressionable age.
Video: Language ~ Comedian  Gallagher Talks about Play on Words and Emphasis on Pronounciation

Chap. 6 - Language
Language is a system of vocal sounds and/or nonverbal systems by which individuals communicate.
It is a critical tool in the development of identity, self-awareness, and intellectual and psychological growth.

• Children learn almost instinctively the right word, the right responses, and the right gestures for situations.
•  Language Diversity in the United States - There were 329 languages spoken in the United States in 2000.
• In many world nations, children are expected to learn at least (2) languages.
• There is no good or bad language from a linguistic view; languages are simply different. All languages are equal in that they meet the social & pyschological needs of their speakers.
• Society places different social values on different language and dialect groups.
• For effective communication to take place, enough cultural similarities must exist for the receiver to understand the message.
• Language use is culturally determined.
• Bilingual education is more effective than a strictly monolingual approach. In the U.S. there are many different dialects. Some dialects are social and some are regional. Some dialects enjoy greater social acceptance than others.
• We speak to children differently than we do with adults. Women, has been proven, speak better then men.
• African American English - Ebonics is a dialect used by an estimated 80% of African Americans and has a rule system of its own.  Ebonics is also known as Black English and Vernacular Black English.

Body Language Video Clip: First Impressions (Mark Bowdene) Body Language speaks louder in first impressions than verbal language.
Video Clip (Para-Language) Non-Verbal Communication & other forms to communicate - children communicate by what they do for an example. What messages are we sending across to others?

Pedagogy that is responsive and respectful of knowledge and skills of students is critical to their ability to acquire and interpret new knowledge.

• A person may have strong accent, yet speak in standard English. Accent generally refers to how an individual pronounces words.
• It is the obligation of each educator to ensure the right of each child to learn in their first language until they are able to function well in English.
• Teachers have a responsibility to understand and value cultural and linguistic differences.
• Bilingual Education Programs - Transitional programs emphasize the move from home language and culture to English as soon as possible (typically by 3rd grade).
• California Proposition 227 requires all (ELL) English Language Learners to be educated in sheltered English immersion programs, normally not to exceed one year.

Blog: For or against California Proposition 227?
I am not for California's Prop. 227 as full immersion of non-English language learners to learn English
will initiate lawsuits such as the well known case of Lau vs. Nichols (1974). I believe that bilingual education needs to be continued as eventually students that are in ESOL will learn the English language much faster.