As the bell rings to start school, two inquisitive 4-year-olds, Evelyn Acevedo and Shalonda Straughn, bubble with excitement as they get in line with their 23 preschool classmates.

The youngsters at the Donald A. Quarles School in Englewood will recite poems, sing, and later point to pictures on a blackboard, identifying animals and objects they’ve seen.

They are also starting to read, learning the alphabet, words, and sentences, but Evelyn, a native Spanish speaker, and Shalonda, who speaks only English, are learning these basics in both languages.

In September, Englewood became the first district in North Jersey to start a dual-language program for its preschool students, said Elizabeth Willaum, the district’s bilingual coordinator.

Like programs at higher grade levels, the course mixes an equal number of native Spanish-speaking and English-speaking students in the same class.

But with 4-year-olds, the program is seen by administrators as a medium for meshing social values, attitudes, and experiences as well as teaching a second language.

“Dual language is just like swimming,” said Schools Superintendent Henry Oliver. “When you start young, you are less likely to have fears and mind-sets that are hard to change. Exposure at an early age is good.

In this program, kids who speak Spanish help the native English speakers…. They are helping each other perfect each other’s language. It’s like a team or a collaborative process.”

From Monday to Thursday, youngsters alternate between classrooms where Anita Shemesh and Helen Bligen conduct classes in Spanish and English, respectively.

Later in the day and on Fridays, youngsters who speak the same language gather for more intensive instruction.

“The course is hands-on” said Shemesh. “Because of that, we can do activities that involve the language naturally. It simplifies a lot of my job.”

Students aren’t pressured into learning new phrases but learn naturally by doing projects together.

For example, when Jasmin Gell, a Spanish-speaking student, was given an assignment to draw one of the animals shown on a blackboard, she chose the picture of a big fish, labeled “un tiburon.”

“It’s a shark,” Jasmin said moments later as she and her English-speaking classmates surveyed one another’s work.

“We are not teaching a language,” said Bligen. “We are teaching through the concept of the learning experience…. They pick it up just like anything else.”

Constant interaction with classmates of different backgrounds is a multicultural experience that educators are hoping will bridge gaps and quell animosities between youngsters for years to come.

After the program was begun last year, parents of more than 100 students tried to sign their children up for the 75 slots available in three classes.

Rafael Gell, Jasmin’s father and a native of the Dominican Republic, said through an interpreter that he was delighted that his daughter will have the opportunity to speak English with fluency.

Youngsters in the preschool program are scheduled to continue with dual language until they reach the fourth grade, when students switch to the regular foreign language program.

The district receives state funding and will file for a federal grant for additional financing, said Willaum.

The district’s only other dual language program is an enrichment program given during the summer for high school students, she said.

Unlike English as a second language, the dual language program’s main component is the inclusion of English-speaking children.

Both pick up one another’s accent and intonation, and learn to speak one another’s language naturally, rather than sounding like they’ve learned dialogue from a book, said Willaum.

That concept is what attracted Teresa Holland to enroll her daughter, Katherine, in the program.

“I think it’s a shame that kids in America are monolingual,” said Holland. “Having Spanish kids available for kids to learn from is a natural resource…. It’s a great experience.”



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