“My trouble is my English” : Asian students and the American dream

Can the whole language approach adequately prepare minority students, especially those with different backgrounds, for the literate world? With "My Trouble Is My English," Danling Fu joins the current debate over this issue, examining the learning experiences of four Laotian students at a mainstream secondary school. Her study not only describes and interprets the students' learning situations, it also helps us understand their perspectives, along with those of their teachers. Fu introduces us to the Savang family, refugees who left Laos, spent time in a settlement camp in Thailand, and finally escaped to the United States. Her book is about their dreams of integration, and the ways their school often tracked them into classes where the focus was on isolated vocabulary and language skills. Fu shows, in graphic detail, how difficult this "simplified" approach is for those new to a culture. And she shows how open journal writing assignments began to tap the rich stories this family had to tell. Fu, a native Chinese teacher with her own unique learning history, brings her firsthand experience of second language acquisition to this book. Her treatment of the issues of inclusion, multiculturalism, and students "at risk" is especially personal and insightful. Booknews Fu (elementary education, Towson State U.), a native Chinese speaker, examines the learning experiences of four Laotian students at a mainstream secondary school, describing their learning situations and their perspectives along with those of their teachers. Lacks an index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Examining the learning experiences of four Laotian students at a mainstream secondary school, this book describes and interprets the students' learning situations and reveals their perspectives along with those of their teachers. The book introduces readers to the Savang family, refugees who left Laos. The book also shows how open journal writing assignments began to tap the rich stories this family had to tell. The book provides information on how students with different cultural backgrounds and learning styles react, behave, and learn in a classroom and how teachers can use that knowledge to create a community of learners. The first chapter provides background on the four siblings: their family and life in their home country, in their refugee camps, and in the United States. Chapter 2 of the book describes the four adolescents and their general situation at school. Chapters 3 though 6 are case studies of the four with a focus on their reading and writing experiences at school. The case studies in the book are organized thematically rather than chronologically (according to their ages). The concluding chapter reflects on the study and discusses issues related to literacy instruction and multiculturalism in the field of education. Contains 167 references. (RS) "Can the whole language approach adequately prepare minority students, especially those with different cultural backgrounds, for the literate world?" "Danling Fu joins the current debate over this issue, examining the learning experiences of four Laotian students at a mainstream secondary school. She not only describes and interprets the students' learning situations, but also reveals their perspectives along with those of their teachers." "Throughout the book, Fu provides essential information on how students with different cultural backgrounds and learning styles react, behave, and learn in a classroom and how teachers can use that knowledge to create a community of learners."--BOOK JACKET