Comments on: Barack Obama Reignites the Debate Over Billingual Education http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/ The latest news relating to the political world as it impacts the US Latino community. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:14:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Miguel http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Miguel Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:52:25 +0000 http://blog.latinovations.com/?p=537#comment-38 As a product of bilingual education myself, I don't understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don't realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about "immersion" programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can't form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel "integrated". Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them. As a product of bilingual education myself, I don’t understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don’t realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about “immersion” programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can’t form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel “integrated”. Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them.

]]> By: Beth Butler http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/ The latest news relating to the political world as it impacts the US Latino community. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:14:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comments on: Barack Obama Reignites the Debate Over Billingual Education http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/ The latest news relating to the political world as it impacts the US Latino community. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:14:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Miguel http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Miguel Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:52:25 +0000 http://blog.latinovations.com/?p=537#comment-38 As a product of bilingual education myself, I don't understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don't realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about "immersion" programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can't form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel "integrated". Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them. As a product of bilingual education myself, I don’t understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don’t realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about “immersion” programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can’t form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel “integrated”. Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them.

]]> By: Beth Butler http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Miguel Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:52:25 +0000 http://blog.latinovations.com/?p=537#comment-38 As a product of bilingual education myself, I don't understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don't realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about "immersion" programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can't form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel "integrated". Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them. As a product of bilingual education myself, I don’t understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don’t realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about “immersion” programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can’t form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel “integrated”. Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them.

]]> Comments on: Barack Obama Reignites the Debate Over Billingual Education http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/ The latest news relating to the political world as it impacts the US Latino community. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:14:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Miguel http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Miguel Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:52:25 +0000 http://blog.latinovations.com/?p=537#comment-38 As a product of bilingual education myself, I don't understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don't realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about "immersion" programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can't form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel "integrated". Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them. As a product of bilingual education myself, I don’t understand how people criticize a program that 1) they have not been exposed to themselves 2) they don’t realize the tremendous benefits that educating a child in both languages brings along. We are not talking about “immersion” programs, where American students are immersed in the Spanish language only to realize that by the time they hit high school, they still can’t form the preterite. We are talking about a full blown out program where students are taught in their native language and at the same time they are introduced to their new language (English in this case) and the goal is that the child can master both languages equally in an academic setting. It is very sad when many immigrant children stop learning their mother tongue on purpose in order to feel “integrated”. Later on, they realize that how the system works has linguistically handicapped them.

]]> By: Beth Butler http://blog.latinovations.com/2008/09/29/barack-obama-reignites-the-debate-over-billingual-education/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Beth Butler Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:13:26 +0000 http://blog.latinovations.com/?p=537#comment-37 Many of us feel as if there is truly hope on the horizon for these children who enter our school systems speaking another language. Who wants them to feel so badly about learning English? We need to provide them with both their native language during their daily routine as English gets placed right alongside it for many reasons. I feel strongly about the really young child (preschool through early elementary school years) being able to be exposed to both native and new languages so that they maintain a high level of self esteem, increase their reading readiness skills and maintain their heritage / language. All very important to their future success. As for funding? The answer seems so crystal clear to me as an educator; though administrators do not seem to get it. (sigh) Perhaps someday they will see the light - no extra bilingual staff needed, just some motivational training for all classroom teachers (monolingual and bilingual) about how to weave both languages into their daily routine. Many of us feel as if there is truly hope on the horizon for these children who enter our school systems speaking another language.

Who wants them to feel so badly about learning English? We need to provide them with both their native language during their daily routine as English gets placed right alongside it for many reasons.

I feel strongly about the really young child (preschool through early elementary school years) being able to be exposed to both native and new languages so that they maintain a high level of self esteem, increase their reading readiness skills and maintain their heritage / language.

All very important to their future success. As for funding? The answer seems so crystal clear to me as an educator; though administrators do not seem to get it. (sigh) Perhaps someday they will see the light – no extra bilingual staff needed, just some motivational training for all classroom teachers (monolingual and bilingual) about how to weave both languages into their daily routine.

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