Why are so many families interested in Dual Language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what I don't get? Why you're even posting here since you're not a parent. Are you bored?

I will be a parent in the future and my fiancé is already thinking about DL. I’m also a teacher so sometimes I browse this forum to see what parents think about my school. Is that ok with you, your highness?

NP, but you sound pretty immature. Glad you're not teaching my kid--are you sure you're a teacher, and what grade could you possibly teach?

I’m 21, there’s still things I need to learn but I know how to be professional when the environment calls for it and when I should be respectful. It’s not immature to ask a question and I don’t think your passive aggressive jabs really make you a mature person.
But the feeling is mutual, all my parents love me, thank goodness I don’t have any who are so irritable.

I will say I put some bias in the post (which I said) and perhaps I could have worded it better.
This will be my last response to you, have a lovely evening

PP here. Maybe I'm wrong. OP probably did speak Spanish in Barcelona because her English isn't very good either.

[Anonymous]

I use Spanish often and many friends have had to scramble to learn as adults for various reasons (spouse gets a job in a south American country or Mexico, they get a job that is easier with some spanish, they have to train spanish speakers...). I will admit that speaking Spanish is getting more frequent than the past couple of decades but Im around more people. I never hear about someone getting an opportunity through speaking Mandarin and Ive known people who have to do business in China (more in Singapore or Malaysia) and they speak zero Mandarin. I speak a little Mandarin among other languages because languages are easier for me to learn (because I grew up bilingual). To me Spanish is of greater worth for a wider net of fields (energy, infrastructure...) that would do business with the U.S..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP sounds trollish, immature, and racist.

Putting all of that aside, there are over 500 million Spanish speakers in the world, and the overwhelming majority live in or close to our time zones. There's a whole hemisphere of untapped opportunity. Not the language of business, you say? I learned Spanish as a second language and became an international lawyer with work and contacts in a dozen Latin American countries. Then I retired and can travel freely to virtually anywhere in Latin America that I want and enjoy authentic cultural experiences with real people in places where others without my Spanish language skills can only dream of.

I'll also guarantee that when OP was in Barcelona she was speaking English because her Spanish wasn't very good.

Grow up, OP. You have a lot to learn.

Went from 300 to 500 huh?

And you literally didn’t answer the question. I want to know why DC parents obsess over DL. Not your life story. I did not say you wouldn’t find success with Spanish. I did indeed speak Spanish in Barcelona. It’s true Spanish is not my strongest but I’ve spoken Japanese and English since toddler age and Spanish wasn’t until 10yrs almost 11. Lol looks like I’m giving my life story, sorry.


They say Gen Z/Millennials are sensitive but wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use Spanish often and many friends have had to scramble to learn as adults for various reasons (spouse gets a job in a south American country or Mexico, they get a job that is easier with some spanish, they have to train spanish speakers...). I will admit that speaking Spanish is getting more frequent than the past couple of decades but Im around more people. I never hear about someone getting an opportunity through speaking Mandarin and Ive known people who have to do business in China (more in Singapore or Malaysia) and they speak zero Mandarin. I speak a little Mandarin among other languages because languages are easier for me to learn (because I grew up bilingual). To me Spanish is of greater worth for a wider net of fields (energy, infrastructure...) that would do business with the U.S..

That’s true, I guess it depends what you’re going for. Well the most dominant language of business for now is English and many of us are lucky to grow up speaking it.

I think there’s definitely a lot of opportunity with Mandarin and Russian too. However I shouldn’t have so hastily said that Spanish isn’t the language of business. I’m just curious why so many DC parents want it. It honestly seems like a fad for some people and not an authentic attempt to create a global citizen. This is by no means all families.


I should have also been explicit in who I wanted to answer. Families who’s native language is not Spanish.

[Anonymous]

It's 500 million, not 300 million -- just look it up. The other poster got the number wrong. I did not. And it's pretty clear that your English is not nearly as good as you think it is, because you misunderstood my post completely. I illustrated for you by way of my example that, yes, learning Spanish is helpful in business.

Beyond that, your problem is that you assume that learning a second language makes sense only if it's useful for business. I don't agree with that, nor do many others. Spanish is the second language of the United States -- business or not -- and it's worth knowing for that reason alone. Spanish-speaking people contribute greatly to our nation. Also, enrolling your kids in a dual language program almost by definition exposes your children to another culture besides your own, which is beneficial in its own right.

Honestly, OP, your English is not good. You are not bilingual. And if your Spanish is worse, as you say, then maybe that's why you have such a problem with Spanish DL -- you're frustrated because you haven't been able to learn it yourself.

[Anonymous]

LOL @ spanish. I agree with OP, pointless investment. Use the instruction time for something worthwhile. Chinese maybe. Or just more math or even English because US students are terrible at both.

[Anonymous]

OP it is because of the influence of the research looking into the possible existence of, and book titled, "The Bilingual Advantage." You have a different brain than a monolingual. Better? I dunno. Different? Yep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL @ spanish. I agree with OP, pointless investment. Use the instruction time for something worthwhile. Chinese maybe. Or just more math or even English because US students are terrible at both.

You're an idiot. In DL programs you don't just get Spanish lessons. Math is taught in Spanish.

The ignorance (and racism) ion this thread is amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uhhh. I was with you until you said Spanish. Personally I think kids should be exposed to languages but not expected to learn, because doing it right requires intensive, immersive learning and it’s often not done well

But I use Spanish all the time so I don’t know what you’re talking about there.

+1. Not sure where OP is coming from but Spanish by far is the 2nd most common language in this country. I see ads on a regular basis looking for applicants that can speak Spanish. Huge advantage in any service field in this country

[Anonymous]

I struggled to learn new languages after starting my first foreign language study in high school (now comversational in a handful). I have started my kids at a bilingual daycare-PK in hopes that they'll have an easier time learning new languages later. It doesn't matter to me which language they ultimately want or need; Spanish is useful in the United States as well as in South and Central America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see people are going to be stuck on Spanish.
For future readers of this post, there’s nothing wrong with Spanish! My school always uses me as the ‘Spanish Translator’ all the time, it’s very helpful with some parents.
It’s helpful in Spain too, which is one of my favorite countries in Europe. Mexico is also pretty great too, and the rest I have yet to venture to.

The point was will I get paid a lot more for knowing Spanish? No, even if I were to change my profession.
Some people really take things so personally. I’m seriously only wondering why DC parents literally go crazy for dual language!

Well you might not get paid more but people in my field sometimes get the job because they know Spanish. In fact, there are postings that actually says Spanish speaking a plus or looking for Spanish speaking applicant.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like OP is clueless to the fact that spanish speaking people are the fastest growing population in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know what I don't get? Why you're even posting here since you're not a parent. Are you bored?

This was exactly my thought. And you're 21? I call troll. Get a life.

[Anonymous]

OP is ignorant. Can't wait until OP becomes a parent.

I almost feel like it's a troll

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is ignorant. Can't wait until OP becomes a parent.

I almost feel like it's a troll

Same. Also, how is she a full-fledged teacher at 21?