Question:
I know of some classes in Texas where 4th, 5th, and 6th grades are
taught in one room. They use Spanish all day, except for 45 minutes,
when English is spoken. Does this seem like too little English?
Answer:
It is too little English. Recent research on brain development tells
us that if the student cannot speak a second language by 12, he or she
will not master a new language as an adult.
That means they must be fluent in English before they graduate from
elementary school or they may be doomed to bad English.
I don't think it's the intent of educators to condemn the children to
a lifetime of difficulty and so the curriculum should be changed as
soon as possible. Ideally, they should be just as involved with
English as they are with Spanish. To deprive the children of either
one of those languages in the U.S. is, in my view, a disservice
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