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October 23, 1997 The Desert Sun Editor
The Desert Sun Editor: I'm a student at CET and my opinio is, it's o.k. to have bilingual classes in todays elementary schools. I think that the bilingual classes should stay. If a child only speaks Spanish in his or her household he won't understand a thing if in school he has an all English class. In the bilingual classes they teach that child in Spanish and English as well, and they understand what is being taught to them. I myself had bilingual classes up into the second grade, and I think if I would have had an all English class, it would have been harder for me to understand it as quickly or easily. Coming from a Spanish speaking household and going directly into an all English classroom is very difficult. I asked a few people around my neighborhood what they thought about this situation, and here is what they told me. I asked my aunt who has a five year old in-school and she has bilingual classes, would she prefer her child to be in an all English class or a bilingual class. She responded that the bilingual classes aregood because in her home they don't speak English, so the child only speaks Spanish and if she were to be in an all English class, she wouldn't understand anything. She also said that she doesn't want her child to stay in bilingual classes all through grade school; it's just until she learns it a little better. She told me that after the second grade she would change her to all English classes. I also asked another neighbor and she told me that her kids are in all English classes, and that they didn't have any problems in school. It worked o.k with her children. She said that bilingual classes were just a waste of time for the children. Sincerely Yours, Jesus Reyes
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