Why all our children should be raised bilingual ( MINNPOST)

[David Balosa]

                      Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum
clarified that he wants all Puerto Rican children to learn English in
addition to Spanish. But learning two languages could benefit all children.

Last week, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum got into trouble for
stating<http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/rick-santorum-defends-call-for-puerto-rico-to-adopt-english-after-delegate-defection/>that
Puerto Rico needed to adopt English as its main language if it wanted
to be considered for statehood.

Later, he backtracked a bit, perhaps after someone informed him that both
English and Spanish were the Caribbean island’s official languages.

“What I want,” he said in a “clarification”
statement<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/santorum-english-condition-statehood-15927731#.T2cmP8xXRQM>released
by his campaign late in the week, “is for every child in Puerto
Rico to speak English fluently, in addition to Spanish of course."

Well, Santorum is right to want Puerto Rican children to be bilingual. But
he shouldn’t be stopping there. Santorum should be advocating for
*all*kids — including those living in the current 50 U.S. states — to
be raised
speaking two languages.
you can read the full story at Republican presidential candidate Rick
Santorum clarified that he wants all Puerto Rican children to learn English
in addition to Spanish. But learning two languages could benefit all
children.

Last week, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum got into trouble for
stating<http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/rick-santorum-defends-call-for-puerto-rico-to-adopt-english-after-delegate-defection/>that
Puerto Rico needed to adopt English as its main language if it wanted
to be considered for statehood.

Later, he backtracked a bit, perhaps after someone informed him that both
English and Spanish were the Caribbean island’s official languages.

“What I want,” he said in a “clarification”
statement<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/santorum-english-condition-statehood-15927731#.T2cmP8xXRQM>released
by his campaign late in the week, “is for every child in Puerto
Rico to speak English fluently, in addition to Spanish of course."

Well, Santorum is right to want Puerto Rican children to be bilingual. But
he shouldn’t be stopping there. Santorum should be advocating for
*all*kids — including those living in the current 50 U.S. states — to
be raised
speaking two languages.


Full story


http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2012/03/why-all-our-children-should-be-raised-bilingual
-- 
*David M. Balosa*
*Graduate Student:
Language, Literacy and Culture (LLC) PH.D. Program*
*University Of Maryland, Baltimore County
**1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250*
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