School volunteer is ambassador to Pakistani families

By ELISABETH HULETTE, Staff Writer

Capital Gazette Communications

Published 03/10/10

First, the Nantucket Elementary School teachers who arrived at Ambareen Jafri's home last week were hit with the smell of curry and incense.

Shannon Lee Zirkle — The Capital Ambareen Jafri, right, shows teachers from Nantucket Elementary School how to eat traditional Pakistani food with their hands at a dinner she hosted in her home last week. The dinner was a chance for the teachers to learn more about Pakistani culture and, she hopes, better understand their Pakistani students.

SLIDESHOW

Pakistani meal

Ambareen Jafri, a parent volunteer at Nantucket Elementary School, invited staff from the school over for a Pakistani meal in her Crofton home.

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Next, they were hit with smiles.

"My house smells like a Pakistani home," Jafri said, laughing. "Get ready for the immersion."

Jafri invited the teachers over for food, conversation, culture and, she hopes, a chance to better understand their school's population of Pakistani students, which is growing.

Over the past four years, the number of Pakistani students learning English as a second language has doubled to about 80, and Nantucket has one of...

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Language - 2010-03-11 14:54:59

AK, That doesn't seem to be what this person is suggesting at all. They seem to be saying that it is probably a good idea for public institutions to look for employees who speak more than one language. That is not the same as hiring a separate person to interpret for an all English speaking workforce. Also, they seem to be suggesting that we emphasize foreign language skills in order for our students (who will one day be our work force) to remain relevant in a global economy. It may be the children of immigrants, with their innate knowledge of multiple languages, who have the edge over kids whose parents only spoke English. Foreign language skills are incredibly important...and language instruction is our schools is far below what is learned in other countries. If you think the whole world is only going to speak English because much of America does, you may be shooting yourself (and the rest of us)in the foot.

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Stephanie P - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

$$$ - 2010-03-11 10:25:41

We're in a budget crisis and you're suggesting that we hire a horde of translators and interpreters.

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A K - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

Multilingual Britain - 2010-03-10 18:19:35

The miracle of human variety is in danger of disappearing, if all of us speak alike, dress alike, eat the same food, read the same fiction and enjoy the same music. It would be a great loss to our colourful planet. Public sector needs a multilingual work force. Teachers and police officers can help with race relations in the classroom and in the community. Public sector is seeking multilingual recruits to serve multicultural Britain. The ability to speak languages from Arabic to Urdu is considered to be an asset. Linguistic skills, in addition to the usual entry criteria, will boost the number of recruits in teaching, police, medicine, nursing and the civil service. Bilingual teachers, police officers, doctors and nurses are in a better position to serve the bilingual Muslim community. The language system has been used successfully in the United States. Mary Doherty at TTA, points out those bilingual teachers can be particularly welcome in state schools for bilingual pupils. Various studies show that bilingualism increases overall intelligence. Monolingualism leads to isolationist and inward thinking.

Exposure to different languages and cultures can increase tolerance. Language learning in childhood lays the foundations for developing real fluency in that language. Every child should have the opportunity to study a foreign language and develop their interest in the culture of other nations. Languages can be seen as an important way of putting more fun into primary learning and of broadening the children experience. Learning a second language boosts your intellectual powers by physically increasing the number of nerve cells in the language centres of the brain. A study at University College London shows that the brains of bilingual people are structurally enhanced compared to the brains of people who can only speak one language. The effect is even more marked in people who learnt a second language before they were five. Speaking a second language is like havin

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Iftikhar Ahmad - London, E7 - Karma: Neutral