Good morning, class.
¡Buenos días, clase!
More East Valley students may be hearing these words next school year thanks to the expansion of dual-language programs in school districts.
Dual-language programs are peppered across the Valley. In these classrooms, native English and Spanish speakers learn all their subject material — math, social sciences, science and more — in one language part of the day or week and in another language the other part.
Most common are Spanish/English dual-language programs, allowing children to receive second-language instruction when their brains are most likely to retain the information, experts say.
“At a young age, children are more willing to take on a risk than an older child learning a second language. Research supports us teaching it at a young age, rather than waiting for a child to go into junior high or high school,” said Ana Gomez del Castillo, principal at Kyrene de los Ninos in Tempe, which will launch the Kyrene Dual Language Academy next school year for preschool-age children and kindergartners.
The district, which has schools in Tempe, Chandler and Phoenix, decided to open the dual-language academy as an option for parents in the ever-competitive arena of Arizona schools, Gomez del Castillo said.
“Schools are changing now. They’re not the traditional schools of the past,” she said. “We believe there is a lot of interest in the community for various programs. Kyrene School District is attempting to reach the interests in the community for a dual-language program.”
Gilbert Elementary School will expand its dual-language program next school year to open additional classrooms for kindergarten and first grade, said principal Shelia Rogers. The school has had the program for more than a decade, but hasn’t done anything to advertise it in the past.
“We don’t do anything at all and get a lot of kids from word of mouth,” Rogers said. “I get calls from all over the United States about openings from people relocating.”
Currently, the school offers one class each of multi-grade classrooms for kindergarten/first grade, second/third grade and fourth/fifth grade. The school hopes to open separate kindergarten and first-grade classes next school year and eventually expand the program all the way to sixth grade.
Like Kyrene’s program, it is open to anyone through the state’s open enrollment laws.
Because of the way the classes are taught, it’s best for children to enroll at the younger grades. Rogers said parents of children in second grade should inquire if they are interested in joining to see if there are openings.
“Brain research shows kids are like sponges anyway. They absorb that language. Even in the first three weeks of school, if you go in and their teacher is speaking Spanish, the kids understand. It’s amazing,” Rogers said.
The Gilbert program teaches children to read in their native language and then introduces reading in the second language about second grade. The Kyrene program will teach reading in both languages from the kindergarten.
Rogers, who as been at Gilbert Elementary for 20 years, said many of the students leaving the dual-language program have gone on to use both languages, “even getting a job in high school, if you can speak both languages, you can make more money.”
The valedictorian at Chandler’s Hamilton High School this year, Kaitlin Keller, was a product of Gilbert Elementary’s dual-language program and talks about her experience on a video on Gilbert Elementary’s website.
Mesa’s Keller Elementary School also offers a popular dual-language program for kindergarten through fifth grade.
Oneworld posted at 9:13 am on Sat, Sep 11, 2010.
How many people have taken Spanish classes in highschool but cannot speak it further than an Hola como estas, poquito Spanish?
If you read the reasearch behind dual language programs and language adquisition at early age maybe you will understand the benefits.
In countries where Spanish is the first language. Students receive English classes as a second language from Kindergarten to highschool.
What is wrong with being bilingual? I am sure that at least once in your life you wished you speak another language.
We are all humans what do you gain when you attack other humans.
Even worse what do you gain when you attack a language?
Inform yourself about the facts and research before you make comments. It is sad to read comments that are based on personal feelings and not with the truth behind.
Why Spanish? How many countries speak German, Italian, French compared to how many countries speak Spanish?
samkat posted at 2:21 pm on Sat, Jun 19, 2010.
Zapot: We are obviously getting non high school quality illegal aliens since they cannot speak English nor do they even bother to learn since their fellow Americans of Hispanic heritage do not insist on them doing so. I am not refuting your statements but could you provide some factual evidence to back up your comments? I have yet to find anything on Mexico to substantiate your claims.
Shatmeister posted at 8:48 am on Thu, Jun 17, 2010.
You ever make a call to an American company only to hear "If you would like to hear the selections in English, press 1 now?"
IF I WANTED TO SPEAK IN ANY OTHER LANGUAGE, I'D HAVE CALLED ANOTHER COUNTRY!!!
Masterrogue666 posted at 8:34 am on Thu, Jun 17, 2010.
Why is it just Spanish? Why not German and Irish, which happen to be the two largest immigrant groups in the US)?
Maybe I should start screaming "profiling"!
Shatmeister posted at 5:39 am on Thu, Jun 17, 2010.
ONE COUNTRY... ONE LANGUAGE...
at the current pace.... that'll be Spanish....[sad]
AZ Native posted at 5:00 pm on Wed, Jun 16, 2010.
STOP catering to those who do not speak English. ALL classes should be taught in English, only, since that IS the national language of this country. STOP IT NOW!! Stop squandering my tax money on this nonsense.
AZMomma posted at 11:52 am on Wed, Jun 16, 2010.
Take a look at this direct cut and paste, taken from the top of this page. It says it better than anything I can post.
Hint: The word meant was LANGUAGE.
Snip "Posted in Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 4:28 pm Updated: 5:25 pm. | Tags: Dual-leanguage, Program, School, District, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa
brilor posted at 10:47 am on Wed, Jun 16, 2010.
Learning to read/write English should be emphasized because without fundamental English reading/writing skills we put our kids at a significant disadvantage when they become adults. They can learn secondary languages later after English is mastered. I see the language butchered daily by adults that never learned English. Sentences with “your” when they should have written “you’re” and the list goes on. These deficiencies are not lost on employers and jeopardize hiring and advancement opportunities.
Zapoteco posted at 10:43 am on Wed, Jun 16, 2010.
OK, only some facts,
1. In Mexico, second language is mandatory in high school and it is necessary for college graduation.
2. Bilingual sigs are use in the places with non-Spanish speaker’s population (Baja California, Cancun and Vallarta).
3. Bilingual education is mandatory in places with non-Spanish speaker’s population (usually Indians lands)
4. In addition, Mexican citizens usually are passed over for jobs or promotions when they don't speak a specific foreign language in this case English.
Shatmeister posted at 8:45 am on Wed, Jun 16, 2010.
“Schools are changing now. They’re not the traditional schools of the past,”
That's why education is poor and the money keeps running out...
Get back to the basics... see if the kids can learn that first...
stan000 posted at 7:38 am on Wed, Jun 16, 2010.
Look to Canada for the mess that two languages make of a country.
Everything we can do to help legal residents learn English should be done but teaching a second language should be saved for electives once everyone is up to speed in English.
It is truly sad to see all the bi-lingual signs in the community and even sadder to see legal American citizens passed over for jobs or promotions when they don't speak a specific foreign language.
arizonaboy posted at 5:17 pm on Tue, Jun 15, 2010.
For some reason my comment wasn't published...not politically correct I guess. Never much cared for the trib anyway....
arizonaboy posted at 5:12 pm on Tue, Jun 15, 2010.
This is America, we speak english here. If you cant speak english leave. Why do we continue to cater to the mexicans. And samkat...your 100% right, why only spanish.
AZMomma posted at 5:12 pm on Tue, Jun 15, 2010.
Have had my post flagged 3 times for 'profanity', with nothing remotely profane written.
Unless... you consider the statement that the idiots at the local school levels have allowed students to wallow in non-education, become illiterate in basic English. They are unable to form a simple sentence, spell correctly or put a thought into a coherent paragraph. They cannot pass a basic AIMS test.
Way to go, AZ Ed. System. You are the GEM of the US! [sad]
samkat posted at 5:03 pm on Tue, Jun 15, 2010.
PS: wouldn't it be politically correct if Mexico required dual language training as well? They could try English even though they detest it as much as we do Spanish.[smile]
samkat posted at 5:01 pm on Tue, Jun 15, 2010.
Why not French, German or even Chinese? Are we being a little biased here?
AZMomma posted at 4:58 pm on Tue, Jun 15, 2010.
Well! [sad] The use of the Spanish word for COMPREHEND has been declared 'profanity' by the Trib. Guess I tweaked their cajones a little too often lately? [wink]