How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I remember being hit on the wrists with a twelve-inch ruler because I did not follow directions in class," Roberto answered in a mildly angry tone when I asked him about his first year of school. "But how could I?" he continued. "The teacher gave them in English." […]
"So what did you do?" I asked, rubbing my wrists.
"I always guessed what the teacher wanted me to do. And when she did not use the ruler on me, I knew I had guessed right," he responded. "Some of the kids made fun of me when I tried to say something in English and got it wrong," he went on. "I had to repeat first grade."
I wish I had not asked him, but he was the only one in the family, including Papá and Mamá, who had attended school. I walked away. I did not speak or understand English either, and I already felt anxious. (3.1-4)
For Roberto, not knowing English is rough—and when we say rough, we mean the getting beaten in school kind. Yikes, right? All this lets us know just how much pressure there is on Roberto and Francisco to learn English, and how little support they get.
Quote #2
Miss Scalapino started speaking to the class and I did not understand a word she was saying. The more she spoke, the more anxious I became. By the end of the day, I was very tired of hearing Miss Scalapino talk because the sounds made no sense to me. I thought that perhaps by paying close attention, I would begin to understand, but I did not. I only got a headache, and that night, when I went to bed, I heard her voice in my head. (3.12)
Francisco's first crack at learning English is a bust. If you ask us, he's sounding pretty negative about the whole experience, and we can't saw we blame him. Miss Scalapino isn't trying to teach Francisco at all, and she just lets him listen along and doesn't worry that he can't understand the words.
Quote #3
But when I spoke to Arthur in Spanish and Miss Scalapino heard me, she said "No!" with body and soul. Her head turned left and right a hundred times a second, and her index finger moved from side to side as fast as a windshield wiper on a rainy day. "English, English," she repeated. Arthur avoided me whenever she was around. (3.17)
Sheesh, not being able to speak his native language is even costing Francisco some friends. When he tries to chat with his pal Arthur in Spanish, Miss Scalapino is not having it. Why do you think she gets so angry? And how do you think her reaction impacts Francisco's feelings toward that new language he's supposed to be learning?