Aria~Richard Rodriguez



I think that the author is trying to get across the fact that ESL students should still be able to speak their language in the home. This article makes the family totally stop speaking spanish to their children. When this happens the children and parents can not communicate with each other. They are drawn apart. "But the special feeling of closeness at the home was diminished by then." The parents could speak to each other in spanish but had to speak english to the children.

I think that students should still be able to speak their language in the home. "Is it possible for you and your husband to encourage your children to practice their English when they are in the home?" Richard would get yelled at by the nuns at school when he mumbled or didnt speak up. If a child is shy and gets yelled at for trying to speak the language he is always going to think negatively about speaking. If someone is shy about it then you shouldnt yell at them to speak up, you should encourage them to keep trying and its ok if you mess up.

I disagree with the reaction of the nuns in this reading. I think the way they handled the situation was way out of hand. You have to have patience with someone learning a new language. When and if I ever experience a situation I will remember this reading and how negative his experience was and never react the way that the nuns did.