Immersion not only answer
Editorial
Excitement over English immersion reached fever pitch when California recently posted striking gains in reading and other tests after discarding bilingual education. Proponents of immersion tout the test scores as proof that this approach is more effective for children who don't speak English. But the simplistic synopsis of statistics ignores several pertinent factors, any of which could be responsible for the improved scores. California class sizes were reduced, which often fosters better academic achievement. And children studying English inevitably score better on tests given in English after they have had an additional year of language instruction. Oceanside, Calif., schools are flaunted particularly for their success. But only 20 percent of the affluent district's students need English instruction. And when it dropped bilingual education, Oceanside also switched to phonics, an especially effective way to teach reading. With so many factors at play, we caution observers not to seize on immersion as the answer to every immigrant student's needs. Neither should we ignore the promise inherent in this approach, however. Educators know that the younger the child, the easier the absorption of new languages. Immersing young children in English, rather than slowly dribbling out instruction, very well may be the surest route to success. Immersion also can have optimal effectiveness in a classroom of students whose native languages range from Vietnamese to Spanish. Teachers who are truly literate in two languages are rarer than hen's teeth. So using immersion for a diverse group is worthwhile not only for students, but also for schools. Denver Public Schools knows that drill. While DPS has received plenty of publicity for its year-old, court-ordered English Language Acquisition program, few people are aware that DPS also provides immersion in a half-dozen elementary schools. The district, which has about 14,000 students learning English, is watching all these programs to determine which best serves which students. In ELA, children spend up to three years learning English before they are mainstreamed into regular classrooms. Immersion students receive 'sheltered English,' with a lot of extra help to understand vocabulary and a lot of checking on their comprehension. The decision of whether to place a child in bilingual education is strictly the parent's, and rightly so. Every child has different needs and abilities, and mastery of English is the key to the child's educational foundation. 'One size does not fit all,' says Elaine Gantz Berman, president of the Denver School Board, noting that parents must weigh what's best for their child and for their family values. Despite the rush to embrace immersion based on spotty data, we eagerly await solid results from Denver's ELA and immersion programs. Until then, we strongly support choice for parents. |