Learning English

Re “TV Can Help or Hinder in Learning English,” Commentary, Aug. 31:

Why would anyone want to watch television or listen to radio if it’s in a foreign jibber-jabber tongue? Has Rita Colorito ever tuned in to Persian, Japanese, Hindi, Korean or Spanish TV and radio? Even with the most motivated and sincere attempts to understand, if you don’t have basic vocabulary and grammar, the non-interactive language of TV and radio is overwhelmingly incomprehensible.

How silly and misguided of Colorito to expect that non-English speaking peoples should avoid their language of comfort and understanding and endure the yackity-yack of news and entertainment of English-language television in the wild hopes that their American-born kids will be able to learn English from incomprehensible jibber-jabber.

MARY BONNIE BRAY

ESL / Spanish Teacher

Venice High School

* The misinformation presented by Colorito regarding the learning of English is upsetting. I went through all of my cable channels (Liberty Cable) and only came across seven Spanish language programs, not “hundreds”. I have been working with limited language studentsfor the past 20 years, and I guarantee that most students from Spanish-language homes are watching very little Spanish-language programs on TV. Many of the students like to watch “The Simpsons,” “Home Improvement,” “Rug Rats,” Fox TV cartoons and other English-language programming.

As an immigrant to this country in the 1960s, I too watched only English programming such as “I Love Lucy,” “That Girl,” “Route 66,” etc. Kids want to assimuilate into our English-speaking society--they do not want to be outsiders. I agree that many American-born students are designated limited-English speakers in this country and that is because of the lack of education in their homes and communities. I can guarantee you that they are watching English programming on TV and listening to rap and rock music in English.

MARIA (NATALIA) VARGAS

Teacher, Bell Gardens High School

* As a supervisor of student teachers, I am in elementary class-rooms daily throughout the city and county. Here are my observations over a two-day project.:

A little elementary Spanish-speaking girl crying for two days after being placed in an English-only classroom.

Stacks of expensive Spanish books placed on tables outside of classrooms to be discarded.

ROSINA SPITZER

Huntington Beach