English Language

I am happy Channel 2 decided to air the new "Cristina" program every morning on weekdays. I am continuously bemused by the proliferation of Spanish-language TV stations (three) and radio stations (five) here in the Southland. I have nothing against them but how about some English-language media aimed at the huge Latino community? I only know of one of any consequence, and that is The Times' Nuestro Tiempo. Why can't we have an English-language TV station run by Latinos for Latinos?

Re "Speak Up for Kids' Sake," editorial, July 26: I laughed out loud at the suggestion we taxpayers should have to pay for translation services because some immigrants refuse to learn the English language. Once again The Times advocates that the American taxpayer carry the burden for the immigrant unwilling to assimilate himself or herself into society and learn the English language. Unlike the immigrants of old who learned English, today's immigrants don't want to assimilate into their new country; they want us to bend over for them.

As a school administrator, I am becoming increasingly frustrated with student assessment requirements from the state Department of Education. The latest mandate from Sacramento is that all English language learners (ELLs) must annually be administered the California English language development test. The majority of this test must be given one-on-one by the student's classroom teacher, using a tape recorder. The average time for the teacher to do this for each student is 30 to 40 minutes.

Gearheads and hotties now have an official place in the English language, and the wordsmiths in Springfield, Mass., don't mind if they shake their booties or give each other noogies. Those slang terms--for the technology obsessed, physically attractive, buttocks and annoying knuckle rubs on the head--have been added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th Edition.

Re "English as an unsanctioned language," Jan. 17 The Karnataka state government is keen to promote the local language, Kannada. As part of the multilingual nation of India, many states promote teaching in local languages. The schools that are being asked to shut down were in violation of a legal requirement. They switched to English, as English-language schools are an attractive business proposition. H.N. RAMAKRISHNA Sterling, Va. The Times' article seems to support the false premise that if the children in those English schools in southern India don't receive all their instruction in English, they won't learn the English language.

You should receive a standing ovation for finding the courage to publish Dan Neil's column on the most valuable vulgarity in the English language ("Prize Bull," 800 Words, April 24). With remarkable grace, even elegance, Neil's words danced from humor to pathos as he (and his friend the asterisk) managed to illuminate a seemingly unworthy subject. Charlie K. Mitchell Venice

Russia Today, a new government-funded, English-language satellite TV channel with a staff of 344 journalists and a $30-million budget, went on the air. The channel will broadcast 24 hours a day in North America, Europe and Asia. Margarita Simonyan, who heads the channel, said it would give a Russian viewpoint to world news. Critics call it Kremlin propaganda.