Show teaching of english language Is first step in education of AAL aliens liens B by ELSA ALSBERG secretary department ot of Immig izat aid new york council ot of jewil women A realization of the responsibility of governmental agencies for the education of the adult immigrant is a matter of comparatively recent consciousness E piousness ness on the part of the public with this consciousness there arose the consideration of methods of ways and means of reaching the adult alien to interest him to ascertain his educational needs and to devise ways of supplying them the phe various processes of immigrant education are mainly processes of assimilation they include a knowledge of our customs and institutions both social and economic but these are processes fundamentally dependent on a working 0 knowledge of the english language in and upon some command of the three Rs Es without this knowledge of our language langua za e the foreigner cannot have that social contact with the native born that takes him out of the isolation of his foreign qua iter and introduces him to american customs and ways of living without english he cannot have access to that great americanizing American izing influence the newspaper on the economic side also the non english speaking alien is at al a great disadvantage he is unable to learn of opportunities offered in competition with the english aspea speaking ing king k employee he must be able to understand orders given in english by his boss to read signs of warning in factory and streets printed police and safety regulations and quarantine placards in the tenement house in which he be lives his industrial advancement depends in a large measure on his ability to speak and understand english and on his having at least a rudimentary education the immigrant of either sex wants and needs a working knowledge of the english language and some appreciation of our American custo customs ma I 1 and institutions it is time that we not only recognize Teco gize this fact but tako take active measures to supply these needs in acceptable and reasonable form |