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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You raise a very good point. The bilingual DCPS schools offered are not in this area, where most native speakers live. Remember, the point of bilingual ed is not only to teach a language to English speakers, but to serve ELL kids better. Those parents are the least likely to advocate for themselves to DCPS. [/quote]

Many Latino families do not want a Spanish middle, high school, the students speak enough Spanish at home and in the community. The want their students to do well in English and go on to lead successful lives. In mixed-bilingual families, families from high SES they may prefer ...[/quote]

This is a truly unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of dual language education. Also to the PP above, no, it’s not just to teach English speakers a second language! Schools like Brightwood already have a huge percentage of ELL and they are essentially in English immersion. Problem there is they don’t become literate in Spanish (at a high level) and also may miss some instruction given in English (see lower test scores). Schools instead do remedial work and ESl etc and treat them basically like some type of IEP kids when they are positioned to be so much more in a dual language environment. [/quote]

https://www.participatelearning.com/blog/how-dual-language-programs-benefit-english-language-learners/[/quote]

IDEALLY, this is not the reality in DC and many other urban areas. The students who are minority and low-SES as you say often do not develop fluency in any language, and as "bilingual" ed is popular right now with the high-SES community they often dominate or push the agenda at many of the bilingual schools and they become to teach the majority English speakers a second language. How these things should work and do work are often different. ELs throughout the country are struggling mind you, it is not just a local issue. Second language learners in this country often stagnate at an English proficiency level of 3, when proficient to their peers is considered a 5 or 6. [/quote]

From personal experience and the experiences of many family members and friends, I completely disagree with this. My family immigrated here and I knew no English when I started K.  Had ESL classes for 2-3 years and did fine.  Performed well academically in English classes, took top level classes, AP English, etc...

When ESL kids come here young in the elementary years, they become highly proficient in English quickly. Even my cousin who came at 11 years old is highly proficient in speaking, reading, writing.

It’s obvious PP is twisting information.

If you are older such as late teens and adults is when it is much more difficult to learn another language.  So these are the people who might not become proficient.

Studies have proven that kids learn another language best within a window of birth till about 8 years old.  It’s still easy to learn after 8 but as you get older, it’s more difficult and the most difficult as an adult.[/quote]

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