[Grovenet] Federal Court Ruling Prods Texas on ELLs

[David Morelli]

On Jul 30, 2008, at 2:22 PM, Greg & Cindy Gritton wrote:
> ... I can't say for certain how it is in all the countries, but in  
> Finland (where they have two official languages--Finnish and  
> Swedish) kindergarteners start learning the language not spoken at  
> home.  ...

Perhaps the problem in Texas isn't the ELL at all.  The testing  
appears to show that children who come from Bilingual programs (even  
if they test well) do not test well when they advance to English  
instruction programs.

It is possible that the Spanish speaking students and their families  
can not, or will not learn what is necessary to perform well in an  
English language environment.  If someone wishes to argue for that  
position they should some proof that the poor results are intentional  
or that the students are somehow incapable of reaching the bar.

I don't hold that "white man's burden" theory.  Rather, I see these  
students as equally capable, and that the current system is  
unintentionally preparing them for failure.

It appears that Bilingual education does not prepare non-English  
speakers well for English language instruction.  Especially when  
there are many dozen possible languages for the programs to  
accommodate.  English immersion provides a "level playing field" for  
non-English students of all languages, and it has a history of  
success when given the same resources as given to English-only  
populations.  Then after the students have mastered the language of  
the English colonies, they may learn any subject on an equal footing  
with native speakers, even the language of the Spanish conquistadors  
who enslaved their ancestors.

IMHO, Spanish is no more the native language of Latin America, than  
English is the native language of the United States.  Perhaps, even  
less, as there is a higher percentage of native blood in the  
populations of the various nations of Latin America then the  
percentage of native blood in the American population.

Should American students be multilingual?  Absolutely!  Every citizen  
would benefit if we all spoke a common national tongue, an ancestral  
tongue, and an international tongue.  Just think how effective our  
diplomacy and military would be in our attempts to dominate the world  
if the ambassadors and soldiers could understand the residents of  
their target nations without relying upon native interpreters.

David