Instruction for Bilingual Students

Re “L.A. Schools Shift 26,000 Out of Bilingual Classes,” Dec. 3:

The Los Angeles Unified School District is very proud of a slight increase in the rate of redesignation of bilingual students into English. The public, however, does not really understand what “redesignation” means. It does not mean that the student has learned any English. It means that the student, after years of effort in the native language, has finally earned the right to study English for the first time.

The district’s new standards call for redesignation within five years, which means that a 5-year-old who speaks no English may not study English until he or she is 10. At that point, redesignated students routinely score poorly on English language tests and face years of difficulty catching up.

DOUGLAS LASKEN

Woodland Hills

* I am a teacher in a multilingual school (Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Spanish) with 12 years’ experience. Here is my take on bilingual education.

Bilingual education works best with a student who first comes to an American school with relatively strong primary language skills (relative to his/her age), little English and good attitudes and work habits.

Unfortunately, not every child who is placed in a bilingual program fits this model. I have seen children placed in bilingual programs in languages they don’t even know how to speak--often over the protest of parents who want them in English programs. This mistake often results in students who become incompetent in two (or more) languages.

Bilingual education is only one of several models available to children whose primary language is other than English. Educators need to look at each child’s individual circumstances before making a decision about language of instruction. Of course, parents need to be kept informed and involved.

LARRY WIENER

Alhambra