Clifton Fadiman credited his success in writing and publishing to his teachers in his United States school. I believe it was in New York, but that’s not important. If I remember correctly, his native tongue was Polish.

While boning up to apply for a position with the local county schools, I then knew in how many languages you could be certified as bilingual. I believe there were at least forty in California.

When traveling across Canada by car, my husband and I spoke to many Canadian citizens. One conversation was about bilingual education. New immigrants from Canada were desiring to learn at school in their native languages. The Canadians we spoke with didn’t think that with such a small population, Canada didn't have the funds to do that.

Since World War II, there has been a change. In Europe and elsewhere, many college courses are taught in English. Students come to the United States to bone up on English in order to pass entrance exams in English to attend universities.

As more Americans travel, many find the advantage of knowing at least one additional language.

World quality literature is not always translated into English.

Shakespeare has been translated into modern English. Chaucer too. Many of Chaucer's stories had roots in Asian languages.

Another work of literature on a par with Shakespeare is by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, El Ingenioso Hidalgo DON QUIJOTE DE LA MANCHA.

Early in the third milleneum of the Common Era, aka C.E., Thomas L. Friedman wrote a book which became a best seller, The World Is Flat A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY It should be read.

A goal of citizens of the third milleneum should be to learn the language of the countries that border your country. That might help spread peace, especially if the women from bordering countries talked to each other. In an experiment with young children placed in a school playyard, the boys immediately started exploring the playyard, each leaving for a different part of the yard. The girls stayed in the center, getting acquainted.

E Pluribus Unum can mean that as a country we have our common language, but our constitution guarantees the right to practice the religion of our choice, and we can speak at home in the language of our own tribe.

Last updated on May 20, 2006. Draft Copy © 2006 M. M. Sheaffer All rights reserved.

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