Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e7NEWn826176; Wed, 23 Aug 2000 10:32:49 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 10:32:49 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <39A3DE6F.6E48BA9@ix.netcom.com> Errors-To: listowner@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: Marguerite Lukes <mlukes@ix.netcom.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:4883] Re: NY Times article on Bilingual Education X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win95; I) Status: O Content-Length: 3206 Lines: 89 I was appalled by the Sunday article in the Times. It was yet another example of biased education reporting, in which the important facts of the article were hidden between the lines. Most readers have no background in this area and assume that sink-or-swim is the best method (It "worked" for grandma, right?). The myths about bilingual education, and education for language minority student in general, are further propagated by the information in the article. What proponents of bilingual education have always stressed is the need to view language as a resource and build upon the linguistic strengths of language minority students. The fact that after several years in California schools, native speakers of Spanish have completely lost their first language (not only a cultural resource, but an economic resource for this country), is a sadly telling example of how bilingual education can be misunderstood. Later in life California residents can spend their tax dollars to re-teach these students a much-needed second language so they can compete in the global economy. California schools have never really had what professionals in the field of education and language teaching would consider bilingual education. Most language minority students in the California receive English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction and no services in their primary language. They call this "bilingual education." Others (a very few) receive some kind of support in their native language to help aid their transition into English and to help them learn critical academic content. They call this "bilingual education" too. A lucky few are enrolled in "dual immersion" programs (along with their native-English speaking peers) to foster development of two languages. Dual immersion programs bring together academic content instruction while teaching students a second language. Thus English speakers become bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish, alongside their Spanish-speaking peers, who also leave these programs with oral proficiency and literacy skills in both English and Spanish. Steinberg leaves readers with the extremely erroneous impression that most Spanish-speaking students in California schools attended such dual immersion programs, when in fact this was never the case. Proposition 227 in California has done away with important primary language support services, which are vital for students faced with learning complex academic content. Eradicating good programs in the name of “education” is a misguided crusade. -- Marguerite Lukes, Director New York City Professional Development Consortium 84 William Street, 14th floor New York, NY 10038 Ph: 212.803.3322 Fax: 212.785.3685 e-mail: nycpdc@lacnyc.org http://www.lacnyc.org/pdc joann m boss wrote: > Hi, > Did anyone read the NY Times article on bilingual education, Sunday, > August 20? What are your thoughts? > It seems to me that Oceanside is trying to put a nail in a coffin. > > JoAnn Boss -- Marguerite Lukes, Director New York City Professional Development Consortium 84 William Street, 14th floor New York, NY 10038 Ph: 212.803.3322 Fax: 212.785.3685 e-mail: nycpdc@lacnyc.org http://www.lacnyc.org/pdc
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