Comments about ‘Utah trying out dual-language immersion classes’

I would love for language immersion to be an option for my children at the local schools. Best of luck to everyone involved in these programs.

It's great that second language acquisition is finally being offered in early grades when children learn languages more easily. This is exciting progress.

And in my hometown ALL public school students are now required to learn Spanish.

What about the spanish speaking students, that don't speak English. Are they too required to learn English, or will this be an "option". From the story, there doesn't seem to be an "option" in the student study. When working as a telephone installer, I had to wait for the student to arrive home to translate for the adults, because the adults didn't speak English. It would appear that the State BOA should create an English learning process, and require all to attend that didn't speak English. This is America and we speak English!

So, young kids spend hours in school being lost during math and science...this explains another reason why they do so poorly in these subjects.

Yes, students should learn multiple languages, but NOT to the detriment of the primary subjects they should be learning. I would never cripple my child in math & science by placing learning a language before subject content. That's a recipe for disaster. Secondary math and science teachers will once again be faced with making up the slack of K-6.

Teach all subjects in English and then have foreign language be its own subject with reiteration of subject matter already in the child brain. THAT'S a win win situation.

Yes, Steverino, schools teach all children English. They have special education classes for children who's second language is English.

Here's an idea:

how about we insist that if they live in the U.S. that Hispanics learn English?

Yeah, crazy, I know....

"In theory we should be able to speak a second language". I hope those experimental programs are for those who are doing it voluntarily. What happened to our nation? We let all those who want to come here to the U.S. because of the freedoms we enjoy and now we are headed towards having to learn their language. I don’t want to be a global citizen — I live in the U.S.! I speak English — why don’t some of the immigrants?

Immersion curriculum is extraordinary! If your kids are lucky enough to be in a school that offers such a program, do everything you can to get them in it! We are moving specifically to be in a school boundary that teaches Spanish immersion. I know a 2nd grade teacher who teaches her students math in Spanish as part of the Spanish immersion program--they don't even know she speaks English--and they tested highest in the district. Learning 2 languages, regardless if it's English and Spanish, Chinese, etc., makes you a different thinker and gives you the ability to excel in life academically in ways you may not have otherwise. Good for Utah for being the leader in this program! I for one am thrilled about it!!!

@readAbook - Not the case. Sure, the first month or two they don't quite get everything the teacher is saying. But these teachers are very well trained in how to help kids learn the language quickly (and they're at an age where language acquisition is natural). By the end of the first year, many kids in dual immersion programs are conversant in the 2nd language. AND they perform well above grade level on the curriculum taught in that language!
My son is one year through a Spanish/English program ... It is amazing!!

As an educator, I tell my ESL kids, "I wish I could speak Spanish. I only speak one language, but you can speak two languages. That is so cool! You are so smart!" You should see the way their faces light up with pride.

So yes, children of immigrants may be delayed in their English speaking, but at public schools in America, they are taught English. They are taught IN English.

So just freaking relax people.

And as far as English speaking anglo kids learning Spanish? I say GREAT. There is nothing but benefit in that. And the younger they learn, the easier it is for them. My son in high school had a devil of a time with Spanish because he wasn't introduced to it until Freshman year.

I see some here who feel that because we live in the US, that we shouldn't have to learn another language.
When in reality, a 2nd language gives you such an advantage in life.
Most countries in Europe teach several languages in their schools so that many are fluent in 3-4 languages by the time they graduate.
We're a little arrogant to think that the world should all learn English so they can converse with us.
My second language is Spanish since my mission in the early 70's and I can't count the number of times I've used it in business, travel & life in general.
Plus it makes a 3rd language that much simpler.

I think this is a good idea, but question how the school officials know what the language of the future will be?

"We've got to catch up," Stephenson said. "We've got to start teaching our students not only the language of our history, but also the language of our future."

Great, so Spanish is the language of our future. This is good in case my child ever gets hired by a Latin American Drug Cartel, or if they want to get into a spanish speaking gang.

Glad our tax dollars are not spent on teaching English. They already do that perfectly.

:-)

R u 2?

gr8

What bothers me an is disgusting, it they are teaching english, the language of our country as the second language. Something wrong with this picture? Is the occupation by Mexican citizens taking over our education system in Utah? As a primary language, only english should be taught, all the others are secondary languages. Americans will always be here, illegal foreign nationals are illegal invaders with no rights and I'm disgusted that the State Board of Education is surrendering to illegal aliens as if they have rights to demand their language is a primary language. These other states visiting are doing so to learn what Not to do with their education funds.

Talk about brainwashing our children, this is a very good example of illegal government intervention in the education of Americas children. Control always starts at the bottom with children, look at what they have done with our so called college educated children, they don't like America or have any pride and love for their rights and freedoms.

Why don't we go back to teaching children in the U.S. schools how to properly read, write, and speak ENGLISH?

What a radical idea!

ESL is the reason my children attend private school, which places value on the basics of english education. Keep up the popular multi-cultural ideas in public school and your kids will be employed by my kids.

This immersion is a great idea, but to all of you who say "well, they learn english, too" uh, no, they don't. ESL programs are big excuse-makers, always wanting teachers to adapt to non-native speakers but never making these kids accountable to ACTUALLY learn english. There should be IMMERSION in to English for non-english speakers and some accountability to actually learn the stuff. I cannot tell you how many ESL students I have seen graduate High School and still can't speak passable English.
I mean, we can teach a missionary a foreign language in two months with training and immersion, but we can't get an ESL student fluent by the time they graduate HS? Give me a break.

In Canada we have French immersion, as French is the other official language. My children did not go into the program. I feel that unless the language is spoken at home, it's not reinforced. I would have liked the opportunity for them to be in a German immersion program as I could have learned along with them. I speak a little German. German was a second language in my Mother's family, but unfortunately it was lost in one generation. If you can learn two languages, great.