Aria by Richard Rodriguez

     

    In “Aria: A Memoir of Bilingual Childhood”, Richard Rodriguez discusses his thoughts about bilingual education and his experiences from when he was a child. Richard firmly believes that bilingual education shouldn’t be used. He suggests that the people that are suffering during their learning process will benefit them in the long run. I disagree with Rodriguez’s opinion because he is only using his experience as to why he wouldn’t recommend it which is very one-sided. Even though I’m not bilingual I feel that it can help a lot when looking for jobs and it could also increase awareness of other cultures. I believe that bilingual education should be integrated into schools to give all students the same opportunity. He begins by reminding his audience that teaching only one language in school is the path that people should lean toward, implying that he is opposed to students being taught many languages. He feels that teachers should not be required to go through the trouble of teaching bilingual since it implies a waste of time and resources. He describes how, while learning a different language might lead to success, there are also drawbacks, such as losing strong connections with family members and the hard path to acquire a new language. He further remarked that words spoken in his ancestry no longer communicate the same feeling, and that some terms have either lost or had their meanings changed. I personally believe that being bilingual will help you not only as a person but also in the future.

     

      

    This class placement is especially beneficial for me as a future educator.  So far, it has enabled me to explore the limits of my language knowledge while also emphasizing the importance of bilingual education.  As a child who never spoke more than one language outside of mandatory French classes, I am unfamiliar with this concept. A few weeks ago, I overheard a student for the first time engaging in language learning with other students. She sat next to a classmate and helped translate what the teacher required of them.  It was an incredible pleasure to see them collaborate.  This student's awareness and assistance with a classmate made it memorable for me.
    To develop meaningful learning that students will remember and carry with them, you must first capture their attention. This makes learning and sharing not only entertaining, but also successful, because it gives students something to be proud of, such as the ability to communicate in multiple languages!