[etni] re comment about my addition
- From: "rainefam" <rainefam@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 16:07:48 +0300
Hi List,
As my posting didn't appear on the Etni digest in which Orly's comment
appeared, I am sending it again:
I am also a teacher in this programme and firmly believe that we as teachers
are providing a necessary service to those whose natural abilities entitle them
to learn English as a first and not as a second language.
I quite agree with Orly's point. However, I used the term "natural abilities"
as a blanket term for those who are both native and non-native speakers, not to
exclude those who have not choice but to fit into that category! Obviously
those who were "born" speaking English are not necessarily "cleverer" than
those who were not - but it is still a "natural ability" because they do not
have to learn to speak or understand the language in the same way as a
non-native speaker does!
Having said that, my understanding that it referred to both groups of students
was certainly not based on a misconception - my own children were enrolled in
the programme by virtue of English being their mother tongue and for no other
reason. However, it is the reality "on the ground" that children from
non-native backgrounds, or whose families have returned from schlichut but do
not speak English in the home, also qualify for these classes; in fact in many
areas, there would be no classes without them because the numbers are just not
high enough. Both groups meet the criteria of the Native Speaker class, with
certain areas having a majority of students for whom English is not their
mother tongue.
Possibly the term itself was too vague - you may rephrase it as you see fit, or
simply add the words "or who speak English in the home or who have been
educated in an English-speaking school overseas". At the end of the day it is
important to keep the classes open for ALL those who qualify - regardless of
the semantics!
Alexa Raine
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