My teacher said that we could'nt speak Spanish in her Scince Class??

Question

And she was serrious and she even said that she would send us to the office if we did. Is that considered racist??

Answer 1

The reason why is because she doesn't understand the language and for that she doesn't know if you are talking about her or any other student in the class.

I had a teacher when I was in 10th grade she use to tape record are class because we use to talk in spanish for that reason.

Is not racist... is class room control......

Answer 2

It's not racist...you probably weren't supposed to be talking anyway. In science class you would need to be speaking to the teacher or the whole group if you have something to say- and if you go to a school that the textbooks and teachers are English based (except Spanish class of course), then you should speak English (but during lunch, study hall, you should be able to speak Spanish if you want). She wants you to speak in English so your contribution to the class can be recognized by all. No need to pull out the race card this time- unless she let's another group sit around and speak French or something.

***Richard, dude, there is not a law that "we speak English" in America! Duh. If it's a "you came here, you learn the language" thing, then don't you think we'd all be speaking the languages of the Native Americans that were here first?!?!?

Answer 3

It's not racist. It makes her uncomfortable because she doesn't understand you. It's her class, and she has the right to understand what your saying. Unless you live in a Spanish speaking country, it's unnecessary.

Would you want to be conducting a class and have people speaking a language that you don't understand?

Be polite and speak English in her class. When you get out of her class, feel free to speak Greek, Portuguese, and Spanish or any other language you're fluent in.

Answer 4

Do you think if my American born-and-raised kids who speak only English were to move to some place like Mexico or Nicaragua, that the schools would make special provision for them to be educated in their school system and help them as much as possible to learn Spanish, but still allow them to speak English because that's all they know? I don't think so. If you're living in this country, you should learn the language. Your teacher may not want you to be speaking Spanish because she may be concerned that you are talking about her or other students in the class,and you think no one can understand you so it's okay to say whatever you want.

Answer 5

I can sympithize with you! I think she was overreacting! Because in my science and english class there where always mexican and they were always speaking spanish! My teacher Mr.McGehee never told them that they he was going to send them to the office and he doesn't speak spanish!

I think your science teacher is overreacting!

P.S. This is a free country you can speak any language you want! I'm saying if your talking about an assignment in spanish. I would say it's okay! But if you where talking about your teacher that would be disrespectful to her!

Answer 6

No, it's not racist. It's wanting you to behave and not disturb the class by speaking in spanish (which I'm guessing you were). We used to do that, and our teachers had to outlaw it, too. Our spanish teacher outlawed English on the first day of school (last monday).

Answer 7

It's not racist. For one, a teacher's job is to monitor what goes on in the classroom, she can't do that if she doesn't speak Spanish for example.

I was always taught that it was RUDE to speak in a different language if there are people present that don't understand it.

Answer 8

Try leaning the English language first...it's Science, not Scince.

Answer 9

Without knowing you, your teacher and more details on the situation, calling it racist is jumping to conclusions.

In every place you work, go to school, and live there are social expectations for conduct, including how we speak; even the language used. In a classroom, it is simply respect that during class time, if you can speak English and English is the language the school uses, then you don't go speaking spanish during class. If you were in Spain or Mexico or any other Spanish speaking country and your native language was English, but you knew how to speak Spanish, it would be rude in class and in situations where most people were speaking Spanish, to then have a few people speaking only English, unless they were only capable of speaking English. You clearly are bilingquil (not sure hwo to spell the word--sorry) and learning the social graces of when it's respectful to use only English and when using Spanish is okay, is a skill all bi-lingquil people must learn.

Prejudice or racisism would be if you were outside the school chatting with friends and all your friends were holding a conversation in Spanish, then the teacher came up to you all and said, 'Stop Speaking in Spanish or I'll send you all to the Principals Office.' Because you were not in class, you were not disrupting a lecture or destracting others.

Think of it this way; how would you feel if you were in a Spanish school, you only spoke Spanish and one or two people were whispering or talking in French? You'd feel left out. You'd wonder if you were being talked about. You'd feel you were being disrespected and excluded. No one likes to feel excluded.

I've had many, many friends who spoke both English and Spanish equally well. Anyway, they'd do what you were doing. Not even in class. I finally asked them why they did it. They admited they did it so they could talk about others wtihout them knowing what they were saying. I said, how would you feel if others did that to you. They all said they'd hate it. So consider how it comes across to others. It may have nothing to do with racism at all. In a classroom it is so easy for a teacher to lose the students attention and I assure you when you are speaking in Spanish in an English speaking environment, even in a whisper, the teacher has no idea what you are saying, others are listening and wondering as well. So it is distracting and it shows disrespect.

If you were not afraid to have your teacher or others hear what you were saying, would you have still been speaking in Spanish? I doubt it.

Try seeing things in your life, in social settings for how they affect others, not just how they affect you. It's a skill many in society are not using anymore.

When I'm around someone who can speak English adn they start talking to someone else in Spanish for more then just a greating, I just walk away. When they ask why I left; I say you know I can't speak Spanish, if you'd wanted me to stay you'd have spoke in English so that I could be included in the conversation. They usually admit to me they were actually talking about me or others and didn't want me to know. I tell them, then stop talking to me and move away and I won't be part of the conversation adn you won't have to be rude by changing language just so you can say something without me understanding it. It's hurtful. Those I consider friends understand and don't keep doing it.

I liked that my spanish speaking friends were very honest about the fact they were usually saying things they didn't want others to hear, so that was why they were using Spanish in the class, on buses, in situations were it was uncomfortable for others.

When you can speak English and the situation is a situation where more then 50% of the people are speaking English only, it's disrespectful to them to then begin a conversation in Spanish that exclused anyone who can't speak Spanish.

It would be prejudice if you could not speak English, were new to the country and you were asking someone in Spanish to clarify what the teacher had just said, because you did not understand and she then sent you to the office and she knew you could not communicate well in English and knew you were just asking someone to explain something to you in Spanish, so you understood her lesson.

Try seeing it from others view, that when you speak Spanish, you excluse anyone who can't. How would you feel to have that done to you? You'd not like it and you know it.

Your teacher may or may not be racist/prejudice, but trying seeing it from the point of view that you are in her class to learn what she is teaching and she needs to keep control of her classroom and she loses some of that control when you and a few friends start talking in spanish. Save the Spanish for the right social situations, for time between classes with other friends, for the home, for Spanish classes.

Now if she allows people to speak in other languages in class that she can't understand and only stops those who are using Spanish, not French, etc. Then there is a issue of prejudice.

As for FREEDOM OF SPEACH that the one person mentions in their answer. They really need to study what Freedom of Speach is. It does not give on the right to go around saying anything they want, in any situation. That is an ignorant miss understanding of what the Freedom of Speach assures us.

It's all about learning social grace and respect for others when you are in a group situation.

Answer 10

No not racist..it is considerate. Considerate of all the others in the class that speak and understand only English. This is America and I have no problem with anyone coming here to live and work but you MUST abide by our rules and laws and one of them is we speak English. We never changed for any nationality that came here. Not the Italians, the Germans, the Polish etc. NONE!!!! Why should we change for for anyone else?