Expose children to languages by Carlos T Mock, MD

Expose children to languages
Copyright Letters to the editor by The Chicago Tribune

This is regarding making English our official language. I was born in Puerto Rico. Being raised in an American colony, I spoke Spanish at home but started English education as soon as I hit the school system, which was at age 3. Our European culture, however, makes us understand that two languages are not enough. I started French in 2nd grade. When I came to the States for my medical degree, I spoke both Romance languages better than my English.

I am amazed at the fact that most Americans can barely speak English correctly. I am embarrassed that when they travel overseas, they expect everyone to speak English to them. Few would even bother to take a language book to at least try to learn survival phrases. Most are upset because the rest of the world will not answer them in English.

I have no problem with making English our national language.

Let’s teach and encourage our youth to read. Let’s teach and encourage our kids to learn a foreign language or two (most Europeans can master five or six) and, most important, let’s make it mandatory to do it in grammar school, when kids can easily absorb a foreign language.

Let’s make it mandatory for every center of higher education to force students to immerse in a foreign country on another continent. Let them see how the rest of the world solves their problems. We will be amazed by the results.

The United States does not have all the answers and there are many solutions to the same problem. By exposing our children to other languages and cultures, we will not only make them wiser, but we will give them the legacy of civility and tolerance of people who are different from us.

Carlos T. Mock
Chicago

Here's the original letter sent - notIce the editing?

Regarding making English The US official language.

I was born in Puerto Rico. Being raised in an American Colony I spoke Spanish at home but started English education as soon as I hit the school system, which was at age 3. However, our European culture makes us understand that two languages are not enough. I started French in 2nd grade. When I came to the States for my Medical degree, I spoke both Romance languages better than my English.

I am amazed at the fact that most Americans can barely speak English correctly. I am embarrassed that when they travel overseas they expect everyone to speak English to them. Few would even bother to take a language book to at least try to learn survival phrases. Most are upset because the rest of the world will not answer them in English.

I have no problem with making English our national language. I think we should start by teaching our President how to speak it—nuclear is not pronounced “nucular”.

Lets teach and encourage our youth to read. Lets teach and encourage our kids to learn a foreign language or two (most European can master five or six), and most important, lets make it mandatory to do it in grammar school, when kids can easily absorb a foreign language.

Finally, lets make it mandatory for every center of higher education to force students to immerse in a foreign country on another continent. Let them see how the rest of the world solves their problems. We will be amazed by the results. The United States does not have all the answers and there are many solutions to the same problem. By exposing our children to other languages and cultures we will not only make them wiser, but we will give them the legacy of civility and tolerance of people who are different from us.

Carlos T Mock, MD
Chicago, IL
773-561-6617