Metro Pulse/Letters to the Editor

Opinion: Letters to the Editor

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Correction

Fixing titles in the June 10 Summer Reading Guide: Dr. Marilyn Kallet, who was director of creative writing at the University of Tennessee for 17 years, now holds the Hodges Chair for Distinguished Teaching. Michael Knight is the current director of creative writing.

Diversify Language Learning

Having read the editorial in [the June 10] Metro Pulse, I feel driven to comment on the suggested manner in which Americans should “learn our way to world citizenship.”

Specifically, the editorial said that Americans should learn Spanish from about the second grade, due to the large Hispanophone population of the United States.

Firstly, I greatly favor and encourage bilingualism (or more) and am trying to learn a second language (French) myself. I think it shameful if any country tries to impose its language and culture on others, and I certainly think that Americans should emulate other peoples noted in the editorial in learning other languages, especially from a young age when the brain is still linguistically malleable.

However, each country must, whilst encouraging its citizens to become citizens of the world, protect its own core identity, and one element of the American nation’s identity is the English language. I’m sorry, but it is simply true and has been since the conception of our nation. The liberties we enjoy are passed down to us from the English tradition dating back to the Magna Carta.

Our culture has always been an English-based one—our Constitution, the colors of our flag, and our language. The German-Americans, the Italian-Americans, and the Chinese-Americans all learned, by and large, English when they came here, and now are hardly thought of as hyphenated at all. Why should it not be so with the Latin-Americans?

In short, I am answering the question, “why do we seem to insist that our Spanish speakers learn English?”—because it’s the language, and one of the elements, of our culture, and every previous immigrant group seems to have managed to do so! And it is a crying shame that kids aren’t taught some language, not that they are not taught Spanish.

If the United States becomes a country of people ignorant of French, German, Chinese, and countless other cultures excepting the English and Spanish, it will be hardly less parochial than it is now. Let’s aim for diversity in multilingualism.

Kentaro Gibson
Knoxville

A Second on Second Language

I want to thank you for your thoughtful [June 10] editorial, “Lingua Franca.” I know from personal experience that my life has been greatly enriched by the ability to speak a second language. Your excellent editorial has however failed to include a most important aspect of language education.

The missing link is the “Method” used to teach a language so that it can be used for successful communication. Presently the method so often used in American schools emphasizes the grammar of the language. As a result, the student may be able to conjugate verbs and still have no modicum of ability to use the language successfully. As children, we learn our mother tongue without studying grammar. That aspect comes after having the ability to communicate with your parents and not before.

The attitude of our country and educational systems toward second language education is abysmal. Students who do exit a second language study at the high school level are very often crippled when they attempt to have a meaningful conversation.

I have often talked to adults who have studied a second language in high school and even in college who admit that they are terrified at the thought of trying to converse in the language learned. If a forward-thinking school district has an excellent language course at the elementary level it often is the first course of study to go when education dollars get tight. It is all a matter of priority on their part.

Also, we Americans have an attitude problem toward foreign language. Our “Who needs it?!” attitude keeps us from making an effort to learn another language. Now that attitude has been exacerbated by the fact that English is in fact replacing French as the international language of business. No wonder the French government doesn’t like us.

Just thought I’d share my feelings with a person who is hanging a most important concern out into public view.

David A. Carr
Knoxville

Keep Basilio

I enjoy Metro Pulse, particularly Tony Basilio’s columns. Although I am a sports fan, I do enjoy Tony’s writing beyond just plain sports info. He has an honesty and forthrightness, although I don’t always necessarily agree, that is not seen too often in today’s politically correct media environment. I believe he adds a nuance and a voice to your fine publication.

Now that he is gone from radio (at least for now), Metro Pulse will have to be my source. Keep up the good work and keep Basilio... he has a bigger fan base than the morons at Horne know.

Steve Waycaster
Knoxville

UT Ignores Students

Recently, a few members of the University of Tennessee’s administration have failed to recognize the importance of hearing the students’ voice. The Clean Energy Initiative was a student campaign focused on passing a referendum during the SGA elections at the end of March. In record voter turnout, UT students responsibly acted to implement an $8 student fee to bring clean energy and energy conservation projects to campus, approving the fee by a majority.

But Vice President Phil Scheurer and Chancellor Loren Crabtree have decided to not present the proposal to the Board of Trustees for consideration. The reason given for this opposition is that UT’s tuition is going to increase next fall, and therefore there should not be a student fee increase as well, but this argument is irrelevant because tuition has risen in the past seven years and will probably continue to rise in the coming years.

Furthermore, if the administration were inclined to take this student initiative seriously, it would be recognized as an economic incentive for the institution. The students have proposed projects that both reduce the energy load of the campus and create a program that would create energy for free, once the initial costs were paid for, by the student-approved fee. In the long run, this would save money for the university.

In addition to the economic benefits, the student proposal would also outline UT as a leader of environmental initiatives. Considering the very poor air quality in Knoxville from burning fossil fuels, I am ashamed that there is such opposition to what could be a very effective attempt to curb this problem.

In recent years other colleges across the country have had similar student campaigns to bring clean energy to their campuses. This would be a chance for the UT to shine as a progressive leader in the southeast and it is a disgrace that the administration does not recognize this.

Lauren Steier
Knoxville