Thomas Bryan
Tuesday, May 26, 1998.

For what it's worth, some personal observations on the efficacy of immersion:

1. In 1968 I was posted to Germany in the USAF. Within one year my daughters, ages 8 and 4 were speaking German and learning in German schools.

2. In 1992 my friend, Mona Benjelloun, from Morocco, came here to Austin, Texas with her husband, who was a student at U.T. Within about a year and a half Mona was speaking English like a native-speaker, having learned it by self-study and watching television. Yhey returned to Morocco, with their daughter, Zaneb, who was born here during their stay. Zaneb spoke only English. Now, 2 years later, Zaneb speaks and learns in English, Arabic and French. No bilingual education there.

3. In 1996 my friend, Sebastien LeGoff, came here speaking only French. Immersed in a work situation with an American family, he now speaks English, with all the slang, like a young American in his mid 20s.

4. In 1990 I went to France on vacation (knowing no French). Happened to meet, and become friends with, a man and his family - who spoke no English. Ended up going back and living with them for extended periods. Within a couple of years I was speaking French fluently. When I run into college students who have had four to eight years of university French (bilingual teaching), they sound like primary school students.

Immersion works - keep up the good work.