Reflections on Fu's "My Trouble is My English"
Considering the challenges of the Laotian youths, in Fu’s study My Trouble is My English, to successfully adjust to cultural differences in American schools, in addition to the challenges of becoming fluent in the English language in all required subject matter, as educators how can our hearts not go out to them? It’s really amazing how each student struggles to personally fit into this new culture. Tan resists the rudeness and superficial interests of his peers, the artificiality of school-related tasks (e.g., the formulaic book reports for English class, and the exercises in the ESL classroom), and the disparate emphases of schooling between his new home and Laos. Paw longs to excel in her classes, but also resists conformity, and (quite literally) wants to test out the water (and observe) before she decides what her place is in this new culture. Cham has become taken in by the glamorous images, and false promises, perpetuated in the capitalistic American trash culture, and wants to become wealthy and leisurely, but misses the greater ideological principles that this country was supposedly founded upon. Meanwhile, Sy has moved from 2nd grade to 6th grade within one year, so there’s a lot of uncertainty in what’s ahead in both the near future, as well as the distant future.
Generally, I think the strongest point we can take from this reading is how ineffective worksheets, and other inauthentic busywork tasks, are in establishing sound pedagogical strategies in working with English language learners (ELL) in American high schools. Fu rightly recognizes Rosenblatt’s thoughts on creating authentic learning experiences for students that engage their personal feelings and experiences, such that they make connections between the material they’re learning and the material they already know. She also points out that Vygotsky “believed [that] learning happens in areas where learners have already mastered part of the knowledge" (p. 75). As Tan reveals in his narrative of escaping from Laos into the refugee camps of Thailand, his story has enormous significance and power to his experience, as well as to those hearing it for the first time. He should be working on his writing through these narratives, arguments, and positions that he already holds, not simply regurgitating a text whose vocabulary is too confusing (only because he chose a more difficult text that he was somewhat interested in). For one less tangible reason, if his fellow students could share in this narrative, more of them would respect his experiences and where he comes from. Hopefully, this exercise could lead to him opening up more with his new peers in school.
It’s also important to recognize the cultural differences that make it difficult for these students to adjust to our own culture. Paw reveres her teachers, and doesn’t feel that it’s her place to speak freely in class – she feels that in her culture, it’s not her place to talk, as a girl. Poor Sy lost his only friend Dick after he was reprimanded by a teacher for mimicking his friend’s behavior – his response to the teacher’s reaction was very much a remnant from Laotian culture (respect for teachers). Most importantly, all of these students are very self-conscious of their speaking ability, and how other students will assume that they’re less intelligent based on their lack of fluency. Absolutely imperative to any language practice is just getting out there and doing it – becoming brave and struggling until you feel you can at least spit out most of what you’re thinking. Cham has the right idea in pushing himself to read aloud before the class, despite his strong accent; he clearly longs to be accepted in this new culture and assimilate within it.
I cannot say that the text surprised me all that much. After living in Japan for a year, and traveling in Central America, I know how it feels to struggle with a language – that it’s often easier to be passive in your actions (e.g., waiting your turn). Of course, I have no idea what it’s like to be forced to leave your country in search of freedom. Overall, it’s important to recognize the many challenges students in ELL/ESL programs face in adapting to a new culture while learning a language.