Bilingual Schools

[Evil Shan]

My Mother In-Law is a school teacher and we got onto a discussion about children in the public school system and the language they speak. She of course speaks only English and has run into the problem of teaching children which speak English as a second language. She has encountered the problems with the children and their parents from a difficulty with the English language. There are barriers from the lack of ease in communication. She has also some prejudice in the fact that even with her qualifications she has been passed over for positions due to her lack of Spanish speaking capabilities. This has left her with a disgust for the situation. She feels that only English should be spoken in elementary school and we caudal Spanish speakers in the classroom by having translators. She has expressed to me that the families should come into the country speaking English. I am fully aware that many people share her views.
I was raised in a house with English as the primary language. However I was integrated with family members who only spoke Spanish. This introduction to both languages has instilled in me a appreciation for the knowledge of language. It is a hard thing to learn. I am not fluently bi-lingual but enough to feel comfortable and get by in a crowd dancing to a Mariachi band. I have always been in bi-lingual classes when offered and I have taken Spanish courses in high school and college. Language is a hard thing to learn. Which is why I encourage my children to be exposed to as much language as possible. My son and my father talk to each other in Spanish on the phone and my two year old has a toy phone that introduces her to words in Spanish and French. The more you expose children at a younger age to different languages and cultures the more they will retain and the easier it is for them.
Most developed countries around the world require their children to learn at least two, often 3 or 4 different languages. It's part of communicating with the world. I think Americans should embrace this multilingual method. It is just about being well prepared for any and all situations. Even by hearing the Spanish language spoken around them, the English speaking only students train their ear to different sounds in different languages. Spanish speakers are exposed to English. It benefits all involved. By teaching a lack of tolerance by not embracing various languages in school our children will not expand their minds and only learn to be closed off from other cultures. For if we cannot communicate how can we commune? It's not purely just about the language it's about teaching our children to cooperate and feel comfortable around people's differences. Do we really want another generation of prejudice and hate?

[Liv]

More than half the world is bilingual. Wow.