By Cindy Medina
Seven-year-old Rosa Angelina was in complete anguish because she did not know how to respond to her second grade teacher. “Rosa, can you please explain what we talked about in our last class?” the teacher insisted. Her hands got sweaty. She started trembling and this is when her friend said, “Teacher, remember she does not speak English.”
Rosa Angelina’s case is not unique. She is one of thousands of immigrant children who attend their first day of classes without speaking English.
Is this really a disadvantage? There are different viewpoints from teachers, parents and professionals.
Some parents believe that it is important for kids to learn a foreign language at home first, and then pick up English when they get to school. Believing that it is most important for their children to stick to their own language, some parents, even knowing English, prefer to teach them Spanish or their other first tongue.
Rosa says that it was very embarrassing being the only one in class that did not speak English. Her mother had brought her to the United States two years before, and did not speak the language as well. While in the house, her mother didn’t think that learning English was as important at the moment. “She will learn it when she has to,” she always said.
Nowadays, it is very common that Hispanic children or children with a second language to know perfect English before reaching Pre-K.
Maria Diaz, an expecting mother and aunt of many children, believes that it is essential for kids to learn English at home. “It is very satisfying when I hear that my nieces and nephews are doing so good in school, and it is mainly because their parents exposed them to the language from day one.T hey do not feel left out in school.”
Diana Valencia, 16, feels very proud of her accomplishments as a student. “My parents were always on top of my studies. They tried their best to learn the language because they knew it would be important for my future. Thanks to my understanding of the language, I have always been in honor classes and have gotten great averages.”
The belief that in this country it is essential for a person to be bilingual is widespread. Knowing two different languages is very important because it increases one’s chance of getting good jobs. This is why some parents believe that kids should learn English first because it is the language that surrounds them and then eventually learn a second language later on in life.
Can you imagine a seven year old student coming into a classroom where he or she is the only one who does not speak the language? Some would say, “Well, this is why we have ESL classes, so kids could learn the second language.” But this is not the point. “What about the state tests kids have to take in elementary school? You have to think if they will be ready for this or not”, said Miriam Guzman, my elementary school teacher, years ago.
“A kid’s brain at an early age is like a sponge: it will absorb whatever you teach them” stated Maria Nova, one of two coordinators from the Head Start program at P.S.5. “Whether it is Spanish, English, Chinese or Japanese; knowing another language is an extra tool to enhance their education. They [kids] are better off knowing both languages since very young”.
Vanessa agreed to Maria’s opinion, “I just believe that kids are hungry to learn anything they can be taught, and it is all about teaching them the correct way, just like we do in Head Start, they acquire the same amount of both languages. Some Latinos may be concern with this topic because they think that kids might forget their roots and heritage; but again, it all depends on the way this is taught to them.”
Teacher Johanna Vasquez from elementary school 152 in Manhattan stated, “I am not against kids learning the language at home before coming to school, but I have seen many cases where kids learn English at home, then in school they are lost with the Spanish language. Therefore, I think the smartest thing to do is get them used to both languages from the start.
However, is this really a good thing to do? Some may ask themselves, “well, wouldn’t this be too much for a kid’s brain? Would this confuse them and make it harder to comprehend the spoken word?
“Doing this (teaching both languages at the same time) can cause some confusion. This is not scientifically proven, but I have seen examples in my classes,” says Mrs. Brown from intermediate school 52, “I was a third grade teacher a couple of years ago, and bilingual students would confuse some Spanish words with English and visa-versa. This puts a barrier to the speed in which they learn. Is that a good thing? I personally do not think so.”
Robin Argelis, a 12-year-old student at I.S.52, says that he adapted to both languages very well. “My mother and father use to speak Spanish at home. My sisters would speak English and I got used to both languages without a problem. It all depends on your learning capability.”
Everybody has different opinions on the topic. In reality, what counts is the perspective that the parents have. Nevertheless, it is good to always keep an open mind and remember that the first teacher a child has, is his or her parents. Be a good teacher, being bilingual is a benefit; knowing two languages will get your child far in life. Let them have the same equal dose of those rewarding gifts for their future.
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