¿Habla Español? Your kids may soon

The Skagit Valley Herald ^ | 12/01/2003 | Steve Howie

[MontN]

¿Habla Español? Your kids may soon
By STEVE HOWIE

MOUNT VERNON — The school district is studying the possibility of converting one or more of its six elementary schools into dual language programs where the day is divided between lessons in Spanish and English for all students.

"Research says that's the best delivery model," Superintendent Mack Armstrong said. "Then the question is, Why wouldn't we do it?"

...

Armstrong's enthusiasm for the idea follows a visit to the district two weeks ago by Richard Gomez, bilingual education director for the state education department in Olympia.

In the last three years, Gomez has spearheaded efforts to create 17 dual language schools in the state, primarily in eastern Washington. In his previous job in Texas, he helped establish 50 of the schools.

Click here for the whole enchilada...

[MontN]

Our cultural heritage continues to slip away to people who did not work for it, did not build it, do not respect it... In order to keep America strong, we need to continue to educate our students in the govenment schools in English only.

[Cathryn Crawford]

¡Español es peligroso!

[Tim Osman]

They won't integrate into OUR culture, so liberals want us to integrate into THEIRS?

pathetic.

[Scenic Sounds]

¡Español es peligroso!

Sí, español es peligroso. Los estudiantes son peligrosos, también.

Los estudiantes que hablan español son muy peligrosos. ;-)

[Glenn]

Whatever happened to Latin?

[GOP_Proud]

I have a pet peeve in relation to this. Many times when you call somewhere that has a voice menu, the first thing you hear is, "for Spanish press 1". This is sometimes in English and sometimes in Spanish. Ok, I can handle that. When I call my bank for information the first thing you hear is, "for ENGLISH, press 1". Since when in America do I have to do something extra for English? This burns me up everyime I call.

[FreedomFarmer]

I grew up on a reservation and didn't hear English until I was 10.
Tell me, paleface, how you signed up tomorrow to spread homophobia today?

[longtermmemmory]

They have to denigrate the american culture. It is the only way to try and break the rugged individualism that makes this country great. The more resources that aliens steal from the US ecconomy and divert to third world countries the faster they believe they can impose socialism.

[Lexinom]

Homophobia?

[GOP_Proud]

Let me repeat that. Homophobia?

[longtermmemmory]

English is the official language of FL.
It is in the FL constitution.

SECTION 9. English is the official language of Florida.--

(a) English is the official language of the State of Florida.

(b) The legislature shall have the power to enforce this section by appropriate legislation.

History.--Proposed by Initiative Petition filed with the Secretary of State August 8, 1988; adopted 1988.

You think they pay attention to this in Miami?

[marron]

My kids were in a school overseas where they used that formula, some classes in Spanish, others in English. It didn't work very well, actually, mostly the American kids just sat there and looked at each other. What works better is a rigorous foreign language program, rather than simply expecting kids to pick it up by osmosis.

Now if you could have both, rigorous training combined with some osmosis...

But when I was a kid in Houston, Spanish language instruction started at the third grade as a required subject. I'm not sure how many years were required in junior high and high school, but there was a requirement.

I would be in favor of requiring "x" number of years of Spanish for everyone. But bilingual programs don't work unless the people leading them are talented and motivated, and the kids are equally motivated. Some experimental charter programs should be allowed, but the critique needs to be clear-eyed and unsentimental. If they do well, tell the world, but if they don't, tell the world.

[Lexinom]

I don't think this is about race. It's more about culture and the fact that America has a distinctive cultural heritage, as does Mexico, as does every other nation. These very distinctives are what has helped make America the "shining city" that it is. To bring in a couple of well-worn cliches, America used to be a "melting pot"; now it's becoming more of a salad bowl. This is lamentable and its full effects are unknown but doubtless far-reaching and sinister.

You needn't be upset by the article.

[FreedomFarmer]

Afraid of Homies.

[Lexinom]

Oh, okay :-)

[RWR8189]

My kids will never learn Spanish.

If they want to learn a foreign language, it can be German.

[Scenic Sounds]

Our cultural heritage continues to slip away to people who did not work for it, did not build it, do not respect it... In order to keep America strong, we need to continue to educate our students in the govenment schools in English only.

Our cultural heritage is under assault, MontN. Don't look now, but they're also taking the colors out of the M&M's.

What's next?

[c-b 1]

Arizona adopted the nutty dual language program in their schools a few years ago, now they graduate students that are illiterate in both languages. The legislature has passed laws doing away with the program, the educrats have ignored the legislature, and retained the program. We got a new State Superintendant of Public Education a year ago, he is starting to force the schools to abandon the dual language programs.

[cyncooper]

Actually this is wonderful and to complain about it is foolish.

Students have been studying other languages for years. What do you think the language requirement in H.S. and colleges is all about?

This is not aimed at usurping English as the dominant language of the U.S. (and if you'll note, the world), but teaching students in a better way.

Just as we advocate students coming to the U.S. who do not speak English to be immersed in it, so students learning another language would experience the same.

Nothing sinister.

[paul51]

It offers a superior academic program and a superior linguistic program

For who? Is it any wonder why the public schools are so screwed up?