Response Paper #3

As a great lover of the English language and having lived in Texas where there is a healthy mix of English and Spanish spoken always, I appreciate the respect and the need of Spanish and English in today's society.
I was a substitute teacher in the Monahans, TX school district and one of the classes I spent a lot of time with was in a bilingual class. The children in this class were English speaking, but came from homes where the prominent language spoken was Spanish. As the teacher in this class, I had to quickly learn some very key words and phrases to be able to communicate with some of the parents of these children. Those parents also learned and spoke to me in English as much as they were able. There is a mutual respect that comes from learning a different language in America and we can appreciate different cultures when learning those languages.
In Marquez's essay about respecting her families heritage, and the general public not being offended by their speaking Spanish, covers so many other underlying issues of respect by either party. Most Spanish speaking people as they live longer in the United States learn English, and the English speakers can compromise and try to learn Spanish or other languages to assist those desiring to be a part of our country into a smooth transition.
Diversity is what America is all about, and in that diversity is the different languages spoken fluently throughout our homes. Embracing our different cultures with respect to other cultures can lead to a more versatile vocabulary as well. Most of the words in the English language were borrowed from other languages anyhow. Learning different languages can broaden our horizons and open our minds. Let's not limit ourselves or others, branch out, learn a few key words and phrases from even your own background and culture, it will be fun.