Texas: Being bilingual will open doors

[Harold Schiffman]

Sanchez: Being bilingual will open doors
Ashley Sanchez, REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

The Leander school district board is considering including a second
language, most likely Spanish, as part of the curriculum for
elementary students. Happily, the proposal enjoys widespread support
in our community. But it is also a reminder, as California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger recently found, that language is an emotionally charged
issue.

The immigrant governor stepped on a hornet's nest when he told a
convention of Hispanic journalists that immigrants should "turn off
the Spanish television set" to learn English more quickly. By so
saying, he ran afoul of "advocates" who apparently want to protect
monolingualism among the newcomers.

Of course, if immigrants remain monolingual, then more Americans must
become bilingual to meet their needs in various settings, including
medical situations and law enforcement. In fact, one right reserved
exclusively for American citizens caters to monolingual immigrants by
allowing them to vote with ballots printed in their native languages.
Perhaps it is because of this double standard that some people are
angered by attempts to encourage Americans to be bilingual.

The anger is misplaced. People at both ends of the spectrum need to
recognize that being monolingual fences people in by limiting
opportunities and creating barriers. Thus, newcomers to this country
should learn English. Mercifully, many do, and, by the third
generation, virtually all do.

It's essential that the United States remains an English-speaking
nation, but it's beneficial if its populace speaks more than one
language. Bilingual Americans enjoy easier international travel and
better local and global business opportunities. Some also find
facilitated family communication.

In my case, for example, I didn't need to know Spanish to communicate
with relatives when I was growing up, but I did once I got married. In
fact, I wouldn't have met my husband had I not joined the Puerto Rican
Student Association to improve my conversational Spanish skills.
Acquiring a second language in high school,college and a semester of
immersion in Spain opened up opportunities I never would have had if I
had remained monolingual.

Yet the question facing the Leander school board isn't just whether to
teach a foreign language in elementary schools, but if so, which one.
Spanish is the obvious choice for several reasons. It is the language
of our nearest neighbor nation; it's among the top five languages
spoken in the world; it is one of the the United Nations' five
official languages established under its charter; and its prevalence
in Central Texas gives learners more chances to practice their skills.

Of course, some students might prefer to learn a different language.
Given that research suggests that knowing a second language makes it
easier to acquire additional languages, youngsters who learn Spanish
now will be better positioned to learn the language of their choice in
the future.  Being bilingual opens doors — for immigrants to America,
and for Americans. The Leander school board will be taking a bold step
toward expanding its students' horizons of its students if it offers
Spanish. Vamos.


The Leander school district's high quality education has made it one
of the fastest growing districts in both the state and nation. The
approximately 26,500 students now will likely become 58,600 students
in only 10 years. To keep pace, voters are being asked to vote on a
$559 million school bond package, the largest in Central Texas
history. Although I suspect I'd be willing to settle for fewer
amenities than the proposal provides, our district has historically
provided nice facilities without opulent luxury. This package,
developed by a committee of parents and area leaders, is consistent
with the values of our community and promises to continue that
tradition. We desperately need new schools, and the bulk of the funds
will go to building two high schools, one middle school and five
elementaries. We need this bond issue.


Contact Sanchez, a regular contributor, at asanchez at austin.rr.com.

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/editorial/stories/10/30/1031sanchez_edit.html

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