15806: Pichard in response to #15800, French to be taught in Pam Beach County (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Mercedes Pichard <mercedespichard@earthlink.net>

I am wondering if I am the only one on the Corbett list reacting with
sadness and dismay, to the news from Hermantin's post #15800, that French
was the language chosen to be taught in the upcoming bilingual program in an
elementary school in Palm Beach County, Florida?  The Sun-Sentinal article
reports that 40% of the school's student body speaks Haitian Creole at home.

Is it really necessary to perpetuate the vestiges of French colonialism, the
elitism and the cultural/linguistic hegemony implicit in the teaching of
French, to children who are native speakers of Haitian Creole, right here on
our shores?  This is what is done to them in Haiti, instead if their being
taught academic content in their native language (Creole), to the detriment
of their reading comprehension, and the detriment of their depth of
understanding of subject matter.  Must the school district officials of Palm
Beach County encourage the message that Haitian Creole is a "broken",
"bastardized", "incomplete" or "unworthy" language in which to transmit
academic learning, knowledge, and discussions of all kinds?  Through what
misguided elitism, or lack of cultural knowledge and sensitivity, was French
chosen over Haitian Creole at this school where the largest minority group
speaks HC at home?  Do the officials of Palm Beach County Schools believe
that they are doing entirely the right thing, culturally and linguistically,
for these children and their families of Haitian origin?  I wonder if any
members of the Haitian community in that county spoke up for or against this
choice?

I do not necessarily blame the principal of the elementary school (although
apparently she did not do her homework very well), nor the
elementary-certified, French-language-certified teachers who will eventually
be chosen to teach in this French-English bilingual program.  It would seem
that either the Palm Beach County's Curriculum expert, or the county's
Multicultural Education or Bilingual Education experts should be
better-informed, however.  The choice of the French language for an
immersion bilingual program, in a school where NOBODY speaks French at home,
is an interesting and sad one.

Mercedes Pichard

mercedespichard@earthlink.net