Reply #2: I think that English should be the official language everywhere in the U.S. [View All]

[Hepburn]

I say this as a former SoCal Continuation HS teacher who taught in the Barrio in the Inland Empire. IMO, we are NOT doing our non-English speaking students any favors by teaching them in their native language. BTW: I am speaking about the primary grades. Children can and do pick up languages easily, but allowing them crutches of a translator until they are in HS only segregates and does not integrate them into society. Speaking English, reading and writing English and doing all of this well is essential to success.

I also say this as coming from a foreign family where another language was spoken at home ~~ Romanian. Trust me, there were no Romanian as a second language classes anywhere when my mother ~~ who spoke no English ~~ went to 1st grade. She managed to learn English, do 4 years of HS in 3 years, 4 years of university in 3 years, graduate with honors from both, and then go on immediately to get a masters in psychology. She was born in 1924 and even for an English speaking female of that generation, her accomplishments would have been unusual.

IMO, if a primary student has troubles with English, then get him/her a tutor, but do NOT assume that EVERYONE who is not English speaking needs that crutch all the way through HS.

JMHO