Essay --

Over the course of this semester I learned a lot about myself as a writer. I was forced to change my thought process, view towards writing, and evaluate my own work over the semester. English 1010 was my first college writing course and it provided me with more freedom than I previously had in high school. During my senior year in high school especially I always felt limited and the topics we wrote about were not relevant. I really enjoyed being able to incorporate my voice in each essay and I believe I developed more of a personal style as time progressed. Lastly by completing this course I accomplished my goal which was to learn the tools needed to produce well written work and become a better writer. While completing each essay other students and I were given the opportunity to engage in peer review. This helped each student by giving other writers the chance to provide their perspective of how the context of the paper can be improved or if it needs additional details. Whether the comments were negative or positive it helps because it is unbiased and can ensures that by correctin...

Abolition for Bilingual Education

One half of United States children who are not proficient in English live in California, a state who's future depends on these three million children becoming fluent in English. In 1968, the Bilingual Education Act was passed with the theory that if you academically instructed students in their native language first, learning English would be better and faster in the long run. Since the passage of bilingual education, there has been a continuing debate over whether or not the programs are benefiting children. Although there is not any research to support this conclusion, bilingual advocates believe that â€Å"bilingual students who first master Spanish and then make a transition to English, do at least as well academically in the long run as their English-only counterparts† (Netkin 1). Supporters feel that even if students are not gaining in English, the programs keep them from falling behind in content areas and also boost their self-esteem, which gives them the confidence to catch up later. The search for some proof that the five hundred million dollar industry works to help immigrant children learn English, in order to prosper in a California society, continues with little success. For decades throughout California, bilingual education has been commended as a miracle for schoolchildren who are not proficient in English, but the programs have been proven to be unsuccessful and should be abolished. Research indicates that bilingual programs are not helping children, but instead are bringing about high drop out rates and low test scores. There have been many struggles to educate children in bilingual programs. Teachers and instructional materials are hard to find, which makes instruction in academic subjects to the great number and mix of children difficult. Highly transient students and the inability to involve parents in their children's education present a barrier to instruction. Bilingual programs require great amounts of money that California taxpayers should not have to provide because taxpayers should not be responsible for teaching immigrants the American language. Proposition 227 was passed in June of 1998 that was to eliminate bilingual education and place children with limited English proficiency into classes where English is the only language spoken. This new law will enable California schoolchildren to succeed in America and taxpayers will no longer have to provide for a program that â€Å"actually keeps children from learning English, the language of their future, and hinders success in American society† (McCain). â€Å"63% of research shows no difference between bilingual education and doing nothing† (Research Evidence of Bilingual Education 4). Each year, only five percent of the bilingual schoolchildren gain English proficiency. Scores on comprehensive tests reveal that students who move from bilingual classes to English-only classes are unable to perform. Latino children in bilingual classes â€Å"end up not speaking either Spanish or English well† (Netkin 2). They have the highest dropout rate, forty percent, of any ethnic group and have consistently scored the lowest on Scholastic Assessment Tests. Instructing children in their official language and not teaching them English is making the children unable to succeed in society. Since this is an American country, children should be placed in English speaking classrooms in order to learn the language of the dominant group. Educating children in bilingual programs is difficult. Schools cannot provide the proper bilingual instruction because teachers and materials are limited or unavailable. Students speak languages that are not historically represented in the United States so bilingual teachers and materials for the languages are nonexistent. Even in schools where all students speak Spanish, teachers are hard to find and have to be recruited from Spanish speaking countries. However, sometimes the immigrant teachers cannot be certified to teach because they lack a college degree or simply cannot pass the English portion of a state teacher certification test. The California Department of Education estimates that about twenty-two thousand bilingual teachers are needed for instruction and studies predict that filling the need may be impossible. Bilingual education cannot provide children with the instruction needed to prosper in California so the programs should be eliminated. Immigrant students are highly transient which makes continuous instruction difficult. New students arrive to schools on a monthly basis, contributing to overcrowded classrooms that make teaching complex. Existing students move frequently or are regularly absent for long periods of time, disrupting their learning. Often times, students with excessive absences from school cannot be promoted to the next grade level or graduate, which makes the children discouraged and leads to them dropping out of school. Transient actions effect a student's ability to receive an education, contributing to the failure of bilingual programs. Parental involvement is important for student achievement, but extreme struggles arise when trying to involve parents in their children's education. Many parents are illiterate in their native language as well as English, making communication impossible. Translators are used successfully, but for uncommon languages, very few translators are available. Parental self-help classes are provided to parents who have trouble communicating. The classes have taught parents how to help their children in school, but several problems with parent involvement remain. Without the five hundred million dollars a year that taxpayers provide to the federal government, bilingual education programs would not exist. Why should the taxpayer be responsible for immigrants learning the American language? Before entering this country immigrants know that English is the dominant language, therefore, they should be responsible for learning the language themselves. By not knowing English and being unable to communicate effectively, newcomers are only hurting themselves. Taxpayers should not be responsible for educating immigrants. Learning English should be the responsibility of the person seeking to speak the language. Proposition 227 was passed to eliminate bilingual education. Children with limited English proficiency are to be placed into English-only classes where their native language is never spoken. This practice is called English immersion, a non-taxpaying system that will push children toward the quickest path to success in America. Students will learn English better and faster by being around the language all-day and everyday. The quicker they learn the language the sooner the students will be able to join in with their peers and develop an education. Although Proposition 227 was passed in June of 1998 to eliminate bilingual education, the programs remain in schools. â€Å"In Redwood City, south of San Francisco, the school district reports that eighty percent of Spanish-speaking children are still enrolled in bilingual† (Michels). Many other schools have confessed to not eliminating bilingual classes. The schools feel that the children need to be transferred to English-only classes slowly in order to avoid student confusion. Bilingual supporters feel that the programs give children self-esteem and a better education. This is absurd. Separating children from others because they cannot speak English makes them feel insecure and different. If anything, the students loose self-esteem and pride, making learning difficult. Bilingual programs are a failure and schools should obey the law and abolish the instruction. â€Å"The students will gain whatever added self-esteem they need when they develop proficiency in English, the language in which their peers are learning, and the language that they will need to succeed in the United States† (Netkin 1)

Essay The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall and A Worn Path

The short stories, â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† by Catherine Anne Porter and â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, have many similarities as well as differences. Both stories have a simple plot with a theme that is symbolic of their lives. These stories include great characterization, description of elements in the stories, and the point of view. Granny Weatherall is characterized as a very old lady who is extremely stubborn and bedridden. Granny Weatherall is a sickly old lady in denial. She believes that she is not sick although she is lying on her deathbed. Her life consisted of two men and her children with them. Granny Weatherall remembers her first love, John, leaving her at the altar. She later marries George who she has many†¦show more content†¦Phoenix, on the other hand, was a selfish manipulative old woman who had an obsession with power. She was on a journey through the woods to the city, where she had many encounters. When Phoenix encounters the hunter she steals the money that falls out of his pockets. She always seems to want something for her troubles. However, later in the story while in the hospital, Phoenix has a totally different personality. She seems to have no guilt for the actions she makes. The elements of both stories include a simple plot with a them that is symbolic of their lives. In â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† the plot is granny Weatherall lying in her bed remembering her life before she dies. In â€Å"A Worn Path† the plot is Phoenix Jackson walking down a worn path trying to get to the city. The memories of Granny Weatherall are all symbolic of her life flashing before her eyes or death. The journey on the worn path, of Phoenix is symbolic of her life and how hard it has been. . The points of view of the stories are very different; however, the two stories are similar in that they both are first person narratives. â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† is told by her, but is her reminiscing her entire life just before she dies. Granny Weatherall is having flashbacks, which represent her past life leading to a new infinite one. â€Å"A Worn Path† is told by Phoenix Jackson. This is just the story of her encounters on they way to the city. Phoenix is telling the story as she goes alongShow MoreRelatedEssay on A Worn Path and The Jilting of Granny Weatherall2175 Words   |  9 Pages In the short stories A Worn Path by Eudora Welty and The Jilting of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter, both women overcame several obstacles. In A Worn Path, Phoenix Jackson faced obstacles such as her age, physical challenges, and how others viewed her. Granny faced obstacles such as dying, feeling betrayed by her children, and disappointment in her love life. In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson picks a cold December day to make yetRead More Comparing Death in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall and A Worn Path599 Words   |  3 PagesComparing Death in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall and A Worn Path Death is not something to be feared, but faced with awe. Although, by nature, aging and death are merely facts of life; a loss of hope, the frustration of all aspirations, a leap into a great darkness, and the feelings of fear and anguish. Phoneix Jackson of Eudora Weltys A Worn Path and Granny of Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weatherall face these inevitable signs of aging and death. Phoenix Jackson, anRead MoreA Worn Path: Obstacles2213 Words   |  9 PagesIn the short stories A Worn Path by Eudora Welty and The Jilting of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter, both women overcame several obstacles. In A Worn Path Phoenix Jackson faced obstacles such as her old age, physical challenges, and how others viewed her. Granny faced obstacles such as dying, feeling betrayed from her children, and disappointment in her love life. In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson picks a cold December day