Speaks Out

Monday, August 10, 1998 Speaks Out

Throughout the Los Angeles area, public schools are reopening
with an English-only lesson plan. Voter initiative Proposition 227
replaces bilingual education with English-language immersion. How
well do you think it will work?

"At first, it’s going to be pretty slow. The people who have
already been in the system are going to take time to get used to
it. But in the long run, the students will benefit from being
taught in English, will have a better transition to upper level
schools and will have more opportunities."

Rohit Chetty

Fourth Year,

Electrical Engineering

‘It would work because education goes slower if it’s bilingual.
It would enable all those children who need the bilingual education
to learn English quicker and be able to function in our society
rather than being spoon-fed.’

Jennifer Grant

Senior at the Buckley School

‘For kids, it’s a lot easier to pick up a language, and the
earlier they start learning, the easier it is. Personally, I grew
up in a family that spoke Chinese, so when I was in classes, I was
stuck in ESL. But I got out, because I certainly didn’t enjoy
sitting in ESL while all my friends were speaking English.’

David Kwan

Fifth Year,

Physiology

‘Since this is L.A., I don’t think it’s going to work. A large
percentage of the population is Latino, and Spanish is an essential
language in many parts of California. In the younger grades, it’s
important to have some bilingual opportunities for children who
grew up in families where they speak another language.’

Claire Roberts

Third Year,

Psychology

‘It will help education but hurt families. My mom’s first
language is Spanish, but she was always discouraged to speak it, so
none of the kids ever learned it. I want my kids to speak Spanish.
People should be encouraged to speak their tongues.’

Todd Spath

Alumnus 1994,

Biology

‘I think it will work because if you start at a young age,
children learn languages better. If you immerse them into English,
maybe they’ll catch on better. In some communities, they can speak
their native language without ever having to speak English, so in
school it is a necessity to speak English.’

Jennifer Wu

Third Year,

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology