Collective vs Individual

During my 8 years of teaching at CHHS, I had the opportunity to teach Beginning and Intermediate Spanish, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior English, as well as English as a Second language. Learning a new language is NOT easy; so, when I started teaching ELL (English language learner) students, I would try to put myself in their shoes by remembering how difficult it was to learn Spanish. This allowed room for a greater understanding of their frustrations. Let's be honest, English is not an easy language to learn. This video is a good reminder of how crazy our language is and how difficult it can be to manage. I've taught at both secondary and higher education levels and can legitimately say that students who speak English and have done so their entire lives still struggle with basic rules of grammar. No one is perfect- ESL and English students alike! I realize I'm jumping into a vat of hot tar, but I'm tired of being silent on this issue. Immigration is a hot topic, especially when it comes to finding candidates worthy of political seats. I can feel the hair on the back of my neck raise each time Spanish speakers are thrown into negative groups:1.They don't want to learn English. 2.They're too dumb to learn English. 3.They're trying to force their language on us. 4.They're lazy. And on, and on, and on the list goes.... Please, I beg of you to not look at immigrants collectively. They are individuals with different stories. I will admit that I had a handful of students tell me that they didn't need to learn English, but the majority of my ELL students tried to learn our language. They faced obstacles as they were forced to learn a new language and to adapt to a new culture. Most of them wanted to go home to their friends and family but were here because their parents needed the work. It hurts to hear the callous remarks made by politicians; it is worse when comments are made by individuals I look up to and respect. Anger and irritation need to be replaced with patience and the desire to help. Yes, there will be individuals or small groups of people who will not want to change or learn English, but I promise you that if you take the time to listen to those who are trying to learn the language and to make a difference in their community, you just might be surprised by the outcome.