Teaching in a Bilingual Class

Anna Shine (Letters, Sept. 10) in the Santa Ana (school) district, who opposes bilingual education, reflects the attitude of many teachers. If she teaches a bilingual class, she may also reflect the reason bilingual programs are not always successful.

I have taught a fourth-grade bilingual class for the past six years. I am not fluent in Spanish. I had no choice when I was assigned the bilingual class. However, I decided to attempt to follow the law. To my surprise, it works--if the teacher can overcome the philosophical disagreement long enough to actually implement the program.

Last year I had 29 LEP (Limited English Public) students. By the end of the year, all but four were reading in English. I am not a “super teacher.” I was able to do this because a third-grade teacher, who is fluent in Spanish, actually taught the children to read in Spanish. If the children know how to read in Spanish and have a decent amount of oral English, it is not necessary to use first- or second-grade English readers. They understand how to read. As soon as they master the English vowels, they are able to read in English at, or close to, grade level.

I agree with Shine that the results are not what they should be. The problem, however, is not with the program. It is with the teachers. If a teacher is not fluent, the task of teaching is turned over to aides. Many aides are intelligent, talented, caring people, but they are not trained educators who know how to teach children to read.

There are two areas in the program that I think are wrong. One is that there is no provision for the slow learners who have become fluent in English, but are far behind their grade level in reading.

I also object to the standard that has been set for the children to move out of bilingual classrooms. They are tested in math, reading and language. If the children are reading at, or nearly at, grade level in English, they can and should be moved out of the bilingual classroom.

VIRGINIA GRIEST

Huntington Beach