I am an English as *Foreign* Language teacher. I say foreign because most of my students already know two or three other languages and English isn’t their second language. I’ve lived in Norway, Belgium and Germany. While I’ve certainly met helpful people in those countries who’ve allowed me to conduct personal business in English when I couldn’t succeed in their language, I’ve never been accomodated by any government entity. I’m expected to learn the language and thought of as lazy and arrogant if I don’t bother. How is that racist? Most of the people thinking that about me have also been caucasian like me. Immigrants to America who don’t want to learn English are stupid or belligerent and should go home. That’s what happens to Americans when they live abroad and don’t comply with local laws, languages and customs. As a speaker of two languages in addition to my native English, I can attest that immersion and classroom instruction combined are the only reliable methods past the age of 14. Bilingual educators in this country aren’t doing anyone any favors. I wish they’d just go away.
