Bilingual Classes Hurt Students and Parents

* Finally it has been noted that “Spanish-speaking students need to switch to English faster than they have been.” The perceptive observation is from the newly elected member of the Oxnard Elementary Board of Education, Arthur Joe Lopez. He should know, though, that this will never happen through bilingual teaching.

In my experience as a student of English as a second language and teacher of elementary school students, I have found that Spanish-speaking parents want their children to learn English, not only for the children’s benefit but also so that the children can help the parents at home to learn the language. By the bilingual method, both children and parents are the losers. The greater bulk of a language is learned in everyday conversation and with children at play; the language is refined or polished in the classroom.

Foreign-speaking children and adults should be taught as I and millions of other non-English-speaking people have been taught--by immersion or ESL (English as a second language). I learned English as well as Spanish by the ESL method. The technique has been proven successful for the military and all learners of foreign languages. Surely it requires motivation and extra effort and I would not deny anyone all the extra help necessary.

CATHERINE ANTOLINO MERVYN

Oxnard