Monday, September 15, 2014

parley view parsnip. . . so wonderful, heartbreaking, dumb and I am sad.

I was watching a very interisting interview with Malala Yousufzai.
The young girl who has been targeted for death by the Taliban for wanting to go to school.
I have a lot to say about the Taliban, old men in robes who think they are god, a religion, a country and people who smashes any life for women, stupid personified.
Part of the interview, they were taking about her Mother who never travels with her.
The reason was she didn't was she doesn't speak English and didn't want to be a problem.
So what did Malala's Mother do, sorry I missed her name. She studied English and during this interview got up and spoke in English.
How wonderful !
.
My Granddaughter came for a visit, she is 4 years old.
Her Mum is Japanese and her Dad is American.
She has finished her first pre-school class, which is much shorter than American school.
She greeted me at the airport speaking only in English. 
Last year she spoke in English and Japanese to me. 
When she skypes to me it is in English.
I am the one who keeps asking her what everything in Japanese.
Do you know how she has done this ?
 Her parents spend time with her and talking to her
 in Japanese or English.
Mia watches programs in both Japanese and English.
From Dr. Mc Stuffins, Sophie The First, George and she is crazy about Elmo !
She also watches Frozen and other Disney movies in English and can sing  "Let it Go'  song from Frozen in English.
Yes, she watches Japanese programs in Japanese. She speaks to her Oban-chan in Japanese. Her Cousins Mum wants my son to speak only English to her children.
Mia's workbooks are in English. She write her name in English.
A rant !
Unlike the many Hispanic parents and children who flood over our borders with their mantra of "I want a better life for my children, I want them to go to school". 
Which I assume from what I see here in Tucson, means only in Spanish.
I have wrote about this before from what my teacher friends, who saw most of their Hispanic students learn very little English because of hearing only Spanish 
all the time at home with no help from their parents. Plus dropping out of school at 15.  We pay over 2,000.00 PLUS per child in the Arizona school district every year plus all the other extras, for ESL students.
And Hispanic groups and a certain Congressmen who tell them it is just fine to speak  Spanish only. What is wrong with this picture.
Watch any protest lately, they are in Spanish, with Mexican flags. Even the protest at 
Mc Donalds about wage increases, so many of the signs were in Spanish.
Try people try ! 
You are living in America.
If my Polish Grandparents can learn English you can too.
I can't wait for the elections to be over.
End of rant
.
I am learning  Japanese. 
But I have to admit my Japanese gets better when I live in Japan because I  hear it everyday and even try to speak it.
I have never had a problem with mispronouncing because I do it all the time.
I mangle so many words so many words so many many words.
Because I laugh and smile
 people usually give me credit for trying !
And then we try to figure out what I am saying.
But I don't live full time or work in Japan, I visit.
A big difference.
I try.
.
Here is your pretty for the start of the week.
Schoolwork from Mia.
.
The letter N
.
 Fun drawing
.
 Fireworks. I love this one so much.
Mia's signature in English is lower left but hard to see.
.
 obaa-chan. . . parsnip
music. . . Walk Like A Egyptian,  The Bangles


24 comments:

  1. my grandparents came from italy speaking only italian, they soon learned english and spoke it only in the home. they were so proud of this!

    yert!

    smiles, bee
    xxooxxo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Replies
    1. I can't believe how fast she is learning language.
      I was shocked with the difference between last year and this year.
      Learning another language is hard at my age but so much easier if you hear it all around you.

      Delete
  3. Love love love the fireworks piece.

    ReplyDelete
  4. All the cops in the doughnut shop say...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Walk like an Egyptian...... Walk like an Egyptian.....
      ooooooo wooo oooo uooo....

      Delete
    2. When in Egypt, walks as the Egyptians do?

      Delete
  5. Great that she is learning both. So easy to do at that age. Very cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I know, children are so lucky.
      Even with all my micro strokes I am full speed ahead !
      I will learn !

      Delete
    2. You sure will. Passion goes a long way.

      Delete
  6. I think people should hold on to their own language but if you are living in another country, learn their language as well. It can only benefit everyone, surely.

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Goodness I so agree with you. Learning the language of the country you live in can only help anyone prosper.

      Delete
  7. Mia's artwork makes me think of the art Collin did at that age.

    I think if people are going to come here and live permanently in this country, they should be required to learn the language. I guess most of the Mexicans crossing our borders illegally not only expect us to provide them with food, housing, education and free medical care, but to speak THEIR language. I can speak Spanish, but I'm not going to. Let them learn our ways, our language.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, isn't that art sweet.
      Doesn't it show how alike we all are rather that the differences.
      Parents, politicians and religious leaders are the ones who are ruining our world.

      Delete
  8. I agree with people learning the language of the country they live in, keeping their native language should be the parent's responsibility, not the schools. I was a Bilingual teacher in California, I was the transition year,3rd grade. You'd be surprised how many parents didn't want their kids in Bilingual classes and had to fight to get them out. The criteria for bilingual placement was that if the parents spoke Spanish at home the kids were placed in bilingual classes. Under that criteria my husband would have been in a bilingual class and he doesn't speak a word of Spanish.
    Our daughter lives in Japan and has been studying Japanese for years hoping someday to be fluent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was living in California when I was shocked to hear from my friend about what she was going through.
      She was 3rd and 4th grade teacher.
      She could keep up during the week but the kids lost so much language over weekend, vacations and summer break.
      But was what was the worst were the parents who would come and speaking in spanish yell at her.
      Hillary Clinton was wrong ...
      First it takes PARENTS to raise a child then a village can help.
      I wrote about the problems of living in a border city and state 2 months ago and putting it on paper was so depressing.

      Delete
    2. opps ,,, forgot
      Good Luck to your daughter. How exciting for her. Japan has many problems but I love living there.
      My son studied Japanese in school and university then graduated in Japan but his degree is from the University of Arizona.
      He has lived there since graduation.

      Delete
  9. Looks like art runs in your family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All my children and granddaughter are so much more artistic than I am.
      And all children are artist till the world smacks them down.

      Delete
  10. Parents who themselves each have a different language have a duty to bring their children up to be bilingual I think, Parsnip. It opens up such a wide world to them. Children learn a new language in this way so much more easily than by being taught it at school

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Weaver you are so right.
      In the beginning everything was said in Japanese then English. So easy.
      When they are here I learn.
      That's how my Aunts and Uncle learned English.

      Delete
  11. Mia has her grandmother's artistic bent.

    ReplyDelete