Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 21:00:20 -0500

From: "Claudio R. Salvucci" salvucci[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]NETAXS.COM

Subject: Re: Immigrants' learning of English



Postscript: On re-reading my post, I realize that I implied that Ellen

Johnson said that new immigrants should "show their gratitude" by

learning English. She was citing Claudio Salvucci, rather, who claimed

(as I recall) that his parents learned English for this reason. Sorry,

Ellen!



Uhhh.. that's not what I said. They learned English because they moved

here, became Americans, and Americans speak English. What I said about

pride was that it was a contributing factor in English acquisition, which

it undeniably was and hopefully still is. Saying pride was/is the only

factor though, would be pretty dumb.



I seem to recall someone wanting some evidence that first gen. immigrants

could achieve reasonable competancy in English. My parents' generation did

learn English very well after they came here in their mid 20s. They were

literate in Italian, but had not studied English whatsoever before coming.



-Claudio