Binding Languages: ‘American’ Identities and Bilingual Education :: Free Essays Online

Binding Languages: ‘American’ Identities and Bilingual Education The turning points in one’s lifetime remain imprinted in a person’s mind like stamps on an envelope. They are always vivid and no matter how long time passes, the smells, noises and emotions felt always remain on our minds. The day I arrived at St. Vincent Ferrer ’s elementary school, I was only nine years old. Three days earlier, I had stepped off a plane at the Cincinnati’s international airport from Italy. My English knowledge was constrained to naming colors and counting up to one hundred. And yet, when I first stepped in my new 4th grade class, I felt welcome. Perhaps this was because I was the novelty in the class and all eyes that day remained on me. Many stood in awe wondering how and if an Italian girl looked, dressed, or talked differently from an American girl. That day, I was assigned to spend the day with Amanda, a girl with blue eyes and brown hair who seemed to have a happy expression on her face. It is still amazing to me today that, despit e completely not understanding each other, Amanda and I got along. This became evident during recess when she taught me how to play tag, a game not common in my native land, by using gestures to explain the rules. However, this use of gestures could not remain as the permanent mode of communication between us. Soon, the inability to interact with others because of a language barrier would impede my social development. This not only meant that I could not grow deep friendships with my peers, but also that I was left completely alone. No one talked to me during lunchtime; no one included me in his or her games; no one wanted to be my partner in any activity. Furthermore it would also slow down my intellectual expansion. Being unable to understand the meaning of words spoken by my teacher, I could not understand what the lesson was about. This made me feel as if I had lost my intelligence and my capability of learning. However, if I had been allowed to speak my own language within the school system while learning English, perhaps much pain and frustration might have been spared. The bewilderment, excitement and sense of fitting in on the first day of classes began and ceased that day. It would take months before I would feel again that I could belong with these people.