Encinitas school may phase out English-only classes
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
Hundreds of North County parents packed a public hearing Tuesday evening, frustrated and upset over proposed changes for incoming students at two Encinitas elementary schools. If this proposal passes, starting next year new kindergarten students at Capri Elementary School would only have the option of enrolling in a dual-language immersion program, in which classes are taught in both Spanish and English.
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
Romney in Puerto Rico: a case study in political pandering
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
In Puerto Rico, for the price of 20 delegates, Mitt Romney sold out his conservative principles. There is a long history of Congress requiring English to be the language of government and schools for territories seeking to be admitted to the Union — e.g., Louisiana, Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. For all of the territories that had large non-English speaking populations, Congress announced before the territories voted on the question of statehood that a change in language policy would be a prerequisite for statehood. In the case of Puerto Rico, where according to the latest Census only 15% of residents...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
Romney, Santorum argue over English as requirement for Puerto Rican statehood
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
Rick Santorum's contention that in order for Puerto Rico to become a state English must be its principal language drew criticism Thursday from the U.S. territory's sole representative in Congress. "Santorum's view is narrow and a limiting view of what America is all about," said Pedro Pierluisi, a Democrat, on CNN's "Starting Point." "English is the predominant language in the U.S. and will continue to be so, whether Puerto Rico becomes a state or not." Puerto Rico will vote in November on a referendum regarding possible statehood. While campaigning Wednesday ahead of the island's primary on Sunday, Santorum told a...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
Santorum To Puerto Rico: Speak English If You Want To Become A State
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
The Puerto Rico primary is on Sunday and Rick Santorum made a quick campaign stop to the island. While there, he told Puerto Ricans that if they want to pursue statehood, they should make English their primary language, Reuters reports. Nevermind the fact that both English and Spanish are already the official languages of the territory. In an interview with El Vocero newspaper, Santorum said he does not support a state where English is not the primary language. "Like any other state, there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law," Santorum said. "And that is that...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
Mr. Language Person notices interesting craigslist ads
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
The resistance has been broken. Wasn't going to post unless absolutely necessary, but a couple of these craigslist ads have got the Mr. Language Person part of me in a tizzy. First of all, check this one out. Seems the subdominant culture has come up with a brand new vehicle nomenclature system: Click here.That one is an all-time classic. Then, a new name has been invented for a Honda product. Check it out here: Click here.
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
Arizona English-fluency case may have wide repercussions
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
A ruling that an activist's language skills are insufficient for a City Council seat unsettles border towns where Spanish is used in day-to-day life. An appeal is before the state Supreme Court. Reporting from San Luis, Ariz.— For almost a decade, Alejandrina Cabrera has had no trouble speaking her mind in this dusty Arizona border town. She's gone door to door campaigning for City Council candidates. She's addressed the City Council. She's even led two recall petitions against the mayor. But when she decided to run for San Luis City Council, she hit a surprising roadblock: her language. Like virtually...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
NEWT IN SYNC: Judge Rules out non-English Speaking Candidate (who is US HS Grad)
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
An Arizona judge has ruled that a woman----supposedly a US citizen---running for council---is to be removed from a ballot b/c she has little or no ability to speak English. The woman was rigorously tested and could not even tell testers the name of the US HS that graduated her. She must have had a steady diet of "Raza Studies"..../s REFERENCE "La Raza" is a racist and anti-American organization. It's core goal is to overwhelm the American Southwest with illegal immigrants from Mexico who will eventually cause the region to break away from the US and become Mexican territory. In addition,...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
Dual-language classes on the rise in Central Florida
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
When it comes time for math and phonics at Spring Lake Elementary School, first-graders in an experimental classroom stop speaking English and start learning in a language that's foreign to many of them. For about an hour a day, students at the Seminole County school who have never spoken Spanish will learn their numbers and letters, sing and play games completely in Spanish. The goal is ambitious: Teachers aim to have each student speaking, reading and writing both English and Spanish equally by the end of the year with the hope of giving English-speakers a leg up on a new...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
The King James Bible: 1611 - 2011
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
This year, 2011, has marked the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Check out this article: Happy 400th Birthday To The King James Bible -- The Most Influential Book In The English Language The headline of this article is no hyperbola. From a literature standpoint - this translation is one of the greatest piece of literature in the English language. (reference: Why the King James Bible Endures) From a scholarly standpoint - the bar was set very high in making this translation. (reference: An enduring legacy) From a cultural standpoint - no other book has influenced so much of...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
'Vocal Fry' Creeping Into U.S. Speech
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
A curious vocal pattern has crept into the speech of young adult women who speak American English: low, creaky vibrations, also called vocal fry. Pop singers, such as Britney Spears, slip vocal fry into their music as a way to reach low notes and add style. Now, a new study of young women in New York state shows that the same guttural vibration—once considered a speech disorder—has become a language fad. Vocal fry, or glottalization, is a low, staccato vibration during speech, produced by a slow fluttering of the vocal chords (listen here). Since the 1960s, vocal fry has been...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
Linguistically Speaking – English Becomes India’s 'Numero-Uno' Language
Posted by admin / Under English Cuisine
India has a rich linguistic history with more than 22 different national languages spoken throughout the length and breadth of the country. The 1991 census recognized 1576 mother tongues and grouped them into 114 different languages. Imagine the plight of a linguist trying to study all the languages of the country. So how does English survive in this linguistic caldroun? India’s tryst with its “own foreign language” (English) dates back to the 17th Century, when Emperor Jahangir welcomed the East India Company into the country. Considered a language of the elite in the pre-independence era, English managed to gradually percolate...
Published on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 07:17:45 PM
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