Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost.nifl.gov [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.8.7/8.8.5) with SMTP id LAA16984; Wed, 12 Nov 1997 11:51:39 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 11:51:39 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <Pine.BSI.3.96.971111110205.21511B-100000@locke.ccil.org> Errors-To: lmann@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Claire R. Russell" <crussell@ccil.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:1501] English only X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Status: RO Content-Length: 3521 Lines: 62 I've been reading the English only discussion with great interest. I have a couple comments to make: First, as someone who has learned a second language the hard way (ie, after the young age when my brain was a sponge for it) I can tell you that I wish I'd been taught a second language from day one. If my children are not exposed to intensive bilingual efforts in school, I'll do it myself at home because I know how important knowing several languages is! Aside from the debate about educating non-native English speakers in their first language, it merely makes sense that all children learn a second, third and sixth language in this ever smaller world and ever competitive world economy. Those who say it costs too much would be wise to look at what it will cost the U.S. economy in future generations. I know someone else said it, but I feel the need to say it again. Secondly, and I feel even more importantly: apart from the very valid discussions about cultural and linguistic identity, etc. inherent in any English-only debate, I have to mention one other thing that I see day after day in the school districts in our area, which have a high number of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The students are taught through an immersion process with pull-out ESL support instruction. The problem is that even those children who enter English -speaking classes at a young age fall very far behind in their classroom content areas (math, social studies, science, etc.) while still acquiring basic English, so by the time they reach English proficiency, they are often years behind their classmates in the content skills they need. Then these perfectly normal, often highly intelligent children are labeled as slow, unmotivated, difficult, you name it. More often than even I want to think about, they're inappropriately placed in special ed programs. And school officials wonder why the drop-out rate amongst the Latino population in this area is 75%. These very unmotivated, slow, difficult students who were set up to fail from the start then show up in my Spanish GED program while working full-time jobs. Those who worry about "lazy" immigrants coming to leech off the welfare state are setting up exactly that for future generations by precluding non-native English speakers from having a good chance of making it in school. A system which allows only the exceptional to succeed sets up dire future consequences. We all know that people without English skills and a decent education are far more likely to rely on the social services net. The immigrant or first-generation American children who are not receiving the tools they need to make it are far more likely, in this or future generations,to become less productive and/or trapped in low-skill labor and oppressive poverty, whether the government assists them or not. Beating down hard working immigrants is not the way to make our own country great, and programs which do not allow students the opportunity to really succeed are failing all of us, whether or not we believe in English-only. One final note in the hopes I will not be misunderstood: I'm not implying that there is some broad-ranging conspiracy to deprive non-native English speaking students of a quality education. What I am saying is that the schools are responsible for ensuring that students are given the environment and support services to succeed. Every child deserves that, no matter their origin, race or native language. Claire Russell La Comunidad Hispana
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