Sela in Washington City Paper

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

+1. So funny some of these parents with bilingual, trilingual 3/4 yr olds. Yes, my snowflake is ready to add another language... Without consistent exposure, the language will be gone or so basic that they won't be able to speak it with any type of fluency.

Wow. Jealous much? Monolingual is the new stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

What a stupid thing to speculate on. You have no idea what this child's Spanish language skills are or will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

+1. So funny some of these parents with bilingual, trilingual 3/4 yr olds. Yes, my snowflake is ready to add another language... Without consistent exposure, the language will be gone or so basic that they won't be able to speak it with any type of fluency.

+100. It's a real pity we can't just buy baby Einstein in 10 languages and call it a day. So unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

What a stupid thing to speculate on. You have no idea what this child's Spanish language skills are or will be.

You have no idea about the research that informs such "speculation," do you? (Or, worse, perhaps both words mean the same to you?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

What a stupid thing to speculate on. You have no idea what this child's Spanish language skills are or will be.

You have no idea about the research that informs such "speculation," do you? (Or, worse, perhaps both words mean the same to you?)

Speculating that someone who speaks Spanish at home will never be able to read it, write it or probably even speak it (?) because they are at a Hebrew immersion school is completely stupid. Yes, you have to work at the home language if you're not studying it at school, but to assume that's impossible for this family makes you look like a condescending jerk. (And yes, I do know of what I speak since I was shuttled off to various friends and relatives throughout my teens to work on Spanish and German when we were living in Italy.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vitriol aside, I have a sincere question: the parent who says she's excited for her son to learn "this important business language", on what basis does anyone consider Hebrew an "important business language", when almost all of the international business conducted by people who speak Hebrew is conducted in English? How is Hebrew an "important business language" in any way, unless you live in Isreal?

I work in NoVa and use French and Hebrew in business all of the time. People in France and Israel speak English, but language skills, are useful in business, regardless of whether or not the people you are speaking with could hypothetically answer you in English. I have a colleague studying Swedish for that very reason. Israel is a global business center, no question, and kudos to parents for realizing the importance of bilingualism.

Ok, but even with what you say above, "important business language" is a serious stretch. No biggie though, hopefully Sela will be a great school and as you said, bilingualism is good for all kids, regardless of language, even if the utility of some languages is questionable, the effect on the developing brain has been shown to be positive for any bilingualism. I hope Sela kids and families have a great first year.

Well, I think that was a quote from the article, I didn't make that claim. However, increasingly, I think the world is flat and languages that you might not deem important - can actually be important in business - I would put Scandinavian languages, Hebrew, Polish, Hungarian, Czech in that category.

But on the world stage, "important" is relative. There is NO way, when you look at the business conducted worldwide, and the languages it's conducted in, you can get away from Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish, and French and Arabic as the only truly "Important" languages, in that those are the languages that either the most business is conducted in, or languages (like Arabic) where there is a huge market for those who speak the language fluently. None of the languages you mention even approach the use of the languages I just listed in their marketability, and marketability/use is really the only meaningful definition of "important languages" from a business perspective.

Meant to write "from a worldwide business perspective. Obviously people in Sweden care about Swedish, and Swedish is important to business in/with Sweden (even though they also mostly speak English in international business).

Not true at all, particularly for people in science, engineering, and hi-tech - quite the opposite actually. Germany, Scandinavia, Israel - this is where a huge percent of R&D is happening.

Interesting but still not seeing the proof of any of those languages as "important" compared to the main global languages. Please link to a cite/article, anything, to back up your point that somehow studying Swedish or Hebrew or Polish will have a great chance of opening up broad business opportunities outside of a few niche markets. Even better, show links to college data/articles that these languages are important in their graduates getting jobs. Back up your assertion please, because it sounds like wistful thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Vitriol aside, I have a sincere question: the parent who says she's excited for her son to learn "this important business language", on what basis does anyone consider Hebrew an "important business language", when almost all of the international business conducted by people who speak Hebrew is conducted in English? How is Hebrew an "important business language" in any way, unless you live in Isreal?


I work in NoVa and use French and Hebrew in business all of the time. People in France and Israel speak English, but language skills, are useful in business, regardless of whether or not the people you are speaking with could hypothetically answer you in English. I have a colleague studying Swedish for that very reason. Israel is a global business center, no question, and kudos to parents for realizing the importance of bilingualism.


Ok, but even with what you say above, "important business language" is a serious stretch. No biggie though, hopefully Sela will be a great school and as you said, bilingualism is good for all kids, regardless of language, even if the utility of some languages is questionable, the effect on the developing brain has been shown to be positive for any bilingualism. I hope Sela kids and families have a great first year.


Well, I think that was a quote from the article, I didn't make that claim. However, increasingly, I think the world is flat and languages that you might not deem important - can actually be important in business - I would put Scandinavian languages, Hebrew, Polish, Hungarian, Czech in that category.


But on the world stage, "important" is relative. There is NO way, when you look at the business conducted worldwide, and the languages it's conducted in, you can get away from Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish, and French and Arabic as the only truly "Important" languages, in that those are the languages that either the most business is conducted in, or languages (like Arabic) where there is a huge market for those who speak the language fluently. None of the languages you mention even approach the use of the languages I just listed in their marketability, and marketability/use is really the only meaningful definition of "important languages" from a business perspective.


Meant to write "from a worldwide business perspective. Obviously people in Sweden care about Swedish, and Swedish is important to business in/with Sweden (even though they also mostly speak English in international business).



Not true at all, particularly for people in science, engineering, and hi-tech - quite the opposite actually. Germany, Scandinavia, Israel - this is where a huge percent of R&D is happening.

You are sadly mistaken if you think that Hebrew is an important business language. It isn't. Sure, there are great things happening in Israel and Scandinavia. But the business is being done in English. There is no need to speak Hebrew unless you live in Israel. Even then, you can get by without it. That's the truth.

Seal should just drop that non selling point and stick with the "bilingualism is good, no matter what the language" idea instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

What a stupid thing to speculate on. You have no idea what this child's Spanish language skills are or will be.

You have no idea about the research that informs such "speculation," do you? (Or, worse, perhaps both words mean the same to you?)

Speculating that someone who speaks Spanish at home will never be able to read it, write it or probably even speak it (?) because they are at a Hebrew immersion school is completely stupid. Yes, you have to work at the home language if you're not studying it at school, but to assume that's impossible for this family makes you look like a condescending jerk. (And yes, I do know of what I speak since I was shuttled off to various friends and relatives throughout my teens to work on Spanish and German when we were living in Italy.)

Please read with care the original comment you are responding to. It seems you haven't understood it. Ah - feel free to write a thoughtful next post in Spanish and German, including sharing a couple good books you have just read in both languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

What a stupid thing to speculate on. You have no idea what this child's Spanish language skills are or will be.

I'm the original poster. My son is bi-racial African American and Mexican. We speak to our son in our native language, I in English and is dad in Spanish. Although reading and writing will be a separate task it's something that we work on daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

What a stupid thing to speculate on. You have no idea what this child's Spanish language skills are or will be.

I'm the original poster. My son is bi-racial African American and Mexican. We speak to our son in our native language, I in English and is dad in Spanish. Although reading and writing will be a separate task it's something that we work on daily.

If the principal doesn't even speak the native language and can't be bothered to learn it, what ever it is, I certainly wouldn't send my child there. The idea that any language, and 2 or 3 languages just for the sake of it is a good model for a school is ridiculous. An individual can do what they like, and more power to them, but the idea that you'll become fluent without additional exposure is ludicrous if none of your family, community, or wider circle speak the language. Goodness, that's why they use the language intake from at DCPS and other schools. Many ELL students were born in the USA but because the dominant language at home is not English there English is often not as fluent (at least in reading and writing) as it could be. Sela is a great idea for a private school but as a tax payer funded charter school it is a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many ELL students were born in the USA but because the dominant language at home is not English there English is often not as fluent (at least in reading and writing) as it could be.

Your right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be entering PreK 4. I hope he will do well as this will be his third language next to English and Spanish.

Sorry, but if your kids don't have real Spanish exposure at school they won't be able to read, write, and probably not even speak proper Spanish over time.

What a stupid thing to speculate on. You have no idea what this child's Spanish language skills are or will be.

I'm the original poster. My son is bi-racial African American and Mexican. We speak to our son in our native language, I in English and is dad in Spanish. Although reading and writing will be a separate task it's something that we work on daily.

Hello. My DW and I follow a similar model, but have noticed that without real Spanish immersion at school and with her peers, our kids' Spanish starts to really lag behind.

[Anonymous]

I think Sela founders couldn't win -- they'd get accused of pushing a religious or political agenda if they had Israelis running the school, and as it is they're getting dinged for not having native speakers in the admin. Good luck to them, though.

[Anonymous]

They hired an African-American principal with many years in urban education and an Executive Director who had ran a successful charter school. For their Hebrew curriculum coordinator and language instructional staff they hired 100% native Hebrew speakers. Many people on their Board are also Hebrew speakers - and I found this in about 5 minutes on their website. We feel very lucky to attend, and are excited about the intro Hebrew classes they are planning for parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They hired an African-American principal with many years in urban education and an Executive Director who had ran a successful charter school. For their Hebrew curriculum coordinator and language instructional staff they hired 100% native Hebrew speakers. Many people on their Board are also Hebrew speakers - and I found this in about 5 minutes on their website. We feel very lucky to attend, and are excited about the intro Hebrew classes they are planning for parents.

NP here... PP - could you tell us exactly what about learning Hebrew makes you excited? Is it something spoken in your family? Are you Jewish? Or truly just excited to introduce another language, any language? I think there are a lot of people here that are very interested in hearing this. I hope this doesn't come across as snarky, not my intention.