Wednesday, January 21, 1998
Cutting ESL program will hurt students
BILINGUAL No one will win if some lose access to balanced
education
By Sara Montano
Do you think you can understand the frustration of a child in
school who does not know English, yet is expected to read, write,
speak and learn in English? Can you imagine how intimidated a child
feels when his or her teacher is trying to communicate simple
instructions and he or she does not understand? And what about the
teachers? How hard must it be for a teacher who is trying to do the
valuable job of educating children and finds that it is very
difficult because they cannot get through to their students?
I find it very tragic that people are trying to get rid of
bilingual education in public schools. Is getting rid of English as
a Second Language (ESL) part of this anti-immigrant wave that seems
to be drowning California and the rest of this nation?
I was part of the ESL program in my first three years of
elementary school. I am not an illegal person "wasting" taxpayers’
dollars and trying to "take advantage" of the public education
being offered. (How can anybody believe that educating someone,
whether they are legal or not, is a waste of money?) I am a U.S.
citizen whose first language is not English, the mainstream
language of this country. I needed bilingual education to be able
to make the transition from my language to English.
When done correctly, bilingual education can have a positive
impact on society. What if we get rid of bilingual education? Many
non-English-speaking students will not be able to learn and will
just fall behind. Instead of eliminating the programs, we should
give these students a chance to learn. These children are not dumb,
they just do not know the language. If we can help them cope with
the transition to English, then maybe we can help these students
become an asset to our society, and not a drag due to their lack in
education.
I have very fond memories of my bilingual education years. Those
years were filled with an education that combined both of my
cultures, not just the traditional "white middle-class point of
view" education. In my ESL program I learned everything in both
languages. I became confident in both languages. And most
importantly, I was taught to be proud of my culture. I learned that
I did not have to abandon my culture to be able to function in the
mainstream culture. Forcing non-English-speaking children into an
English-only environment will alienate them from their peers at
school and ultimately alienate them from society. I am lucky to
have experienced at least for a couple of years a bilingual
education. It was great to be in pre-school and one day learn the
itsy-bitsy spider song and the next day learn Pedrito Fernandez’s
"La Mochila Azul."
Cutting bilingual education will negatively affect everyone
within our society. It will be an impairment to the advancement of
many minority groups. Bilingual education is a necessity for our
ever-changing and diverse population.Montano is a second-year
undeclared student.