(NAME-MCE) Bilingual Classes

[Barbara Acosta]

Marlana,

Take a look at this recent article from BBC News about bilingual ed in
England: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6447427.stm Bilingual
children who learn in their family's language as well as English do better
at school, research suggests. Even second and third generation immigrant
children with English as their stronger language could benefit. 

One of the best things we can do for kids from different cultural and
linguistic backgrounds is support the development of their native language
and culture in addition to English. Why eliminate the languages they already
know?

Children whose languages are valued as resources for school learning tend to
have a much deeper understanding of academic subjects, better self-esteem,
and (contrary to popular myth) a better attainment of English proficiency.
The old model of bilingual education based on watered-down, remedial
curriculum produced nearly as poor results as pull-out ESL (very poor
indeed). Children need a challenging curriculum and an academic program in
which they feel their cultural identities are valued and included.

Barbara D. Acosta, Ph.D.

Message: 2

Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:08:47 -0600

From: "marlana wheelwright" <frecklejuice7n at hotmail.com>

Subject: (NAME-MCE) Bilingual Classes

To: name-mce at nameorg.org

Message-ID: <BAY120-F25F2269A89610722A3B00396730 at phx.gbl>

Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hi I am a second grade teacher in Hempstead, L.I. where it is heavily 

populated by Spanish immigrants. In my school they put an emphasis on 

bilingual education when most of the students who occupy these classes were 

born here however, their parents 1st language is Spanish. Do you think that 

by placing these students who are American in these bilingual classes is a 

diservice and doing more harm than good?