[re_nortex]

One of my ancestors was a German immigrant in the 1830’s. He founded and edited a German language newspaper in America. He was very patriotic and was even a delegate to the Republican Convention in 1856. He was a big advocate of learning the English language and assimilating with American culture. But it was easier to express these views to the German-American community by writing in German.

I no longer have children anywhere near school age, so I'm pretty much out of the loop on this. What are you thoughts about young people learning English? I wonder if your immigrant ancestor from Germany still spoke any German to his children?

There's one theory that total immersion is most effective and others maintain that bi-lingual education produces good results.

This thread does make me recall the scene from the classic Casablanca where the German couple at Rick's is about to depart for America.

[Question Liberal Authority]

My general sense is that the whole family pretty much spoke German at home until the outbreak of World War I made it wildly unfashionable.