A Study of Mexican Attitudes toward Learning and Teaching English.

Autor/in	Slaughter, Charles H.
Titel	A Study of Mexican Attitudes toward Learning and Teaching English.
Quelle	(1988), (40 Seiten)Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Bilingual Education; Cultural Awareness; Educational Attitudes; English (Second Language); Foreign Countries; Language Attitudes; Mexican Americans; Parent Participation; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Surveys; Mexico + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Bilingual teaching; Bilingualer Unterricht; Cultural identity; Kulturelle Identität; Educational attitude; Bildungsverhalten; Erziehungseinstellung; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Ausland; Sprachverhalten; Hispanoamerikaner; Elternmitwirkung; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung; Mexiko
Abstract	A study conducted in Guadalajara, Mexico assessed Mexican attitudes toward United States bilingual education. Subjects interviewed were 129 English-speaking Mexicans, aged from 12 to 66, most of them middle class. Forty percent were students. The interviews focused on the subjects' backgrounds, why and how they learned English, and how Mexican students in the United States can learn English best. Questions in the last category addressed three issues: how a Mexican student can learn English quickly, how long it should take to learn enough English to understand the teacher, and how the dilemma of few Spanish-speaking teachers for the large numbers of Spanish-speaking students should be resolved. The findings are summarized and illustrated with excerpts from the responses. All felt that Mexican students in the United States should begin learning English immediately. Only one respondent favored bilingual education, with most preferring English-only instruction. Many spoke of the parents' role in encouraging language practice, and of the importance of personal effort. Practice was also commonly cited as an important method of learning. A variety of opinions about teacher qualifications were expressed. Overall, majority opinions about English language learning and instruction were shared by the 19 respondents in the group who were teachers experienced in immersion education. (MSE)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC