Posted on 01/07/2012 9:04:49 AM PST by ruralvoter
When it comes time for math and phonics at Spring Lake Elementary School, first-graders in an experimental classroom stop speaking English and start learning in a language that's foreign to many of them.
For about an hour a day, students at the Seminole County school who have never spoken Spanish will learn their numbers and letters, sing and play games completely in Spanish.
The goal is ambitious: Teachers aim to have each student speaking, reading and writing both English and Spanish equally by the end of the year with the hope of giving English-speakers a leg up on a new language while helping Spanish-speakers keep theirs.
"Now the way things are going around the world economically — everywhere, you need to know a second language," said Zaide Vazquez, who teaches the Spanish portion of the class.
"English is not enough."
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
You’re wrong by only half. Costa Rica has no military. A country without a military isn’t a country.
A nations currency is a nations language. Ours is printed in English. It would be incumbent to say the least that those coming should learn it.
Foreign language immersion is a good idea for parents who want their children fluent in a foreign language. The Denver area has several charter schools that provide a dual language curriculum. It works best if started early by second or third grade and continued. These programs are not for all parents but some parents place a value on foreign language education. Chinese and Spanish are taught in the immersion programs.
The value of dual language programs is still an open question. The charter schools have been operating for about 5 years. It is not clear how the language education continues into high school and the value of the language immersion in a career. One difficulty for translating language immersion into a marketable skill is that the US has lots of immigrants with fluency in almost every langauge. Competing with native and near native speakers is not easy. Foreign companies can hire workers from overseas who have fluency in both English and a native language.
School choice should provide a range of options for parents. Foreign language immersion has a reasonable demand so school choice will meet this demand if the state has choice in its public education system.
Seems more spin than needed on this subject. Back in the sixties an seventies we had french an Spanish classes in high school .... Albeit then it was an elective not standard curriculum. I learned language by immersion per se. Stationed in Italy...Italian. Stationed in SEA Hebrew an Arabic was a given. Born an raised in Texas Spanish proper an spanglish is easy to pick up.Thailand etc...
Forcing the kids to do just one language is IMO wrong. Give em a choice an make it a club or elective. After school gangster time removed.
Stay safe Dan.... Just my opinionated swag on the matter.
You wrote:
“You’re wrong by only half.”
I’m not wrong at all.
“Costa Rica has no military. A country without a military isn’t a country.”
False. Costa Rica is a country. It has its own borders, is internationally recognized by all nations, has its own flag, constitution, history, currency, national anthem, holidays, government, embassies, etc.
If you could think, and I really doubt that you can, you would realize that you have an unresolvable problem with your logic. If Costa Rica is not a nation because it has no military now, then it must have been a nation in 1947 when it had a military. That would be according to your own logic so you would have to agree. The problem is that nothing other than the abolition of the military happened in 1948. The nations still possesses everything else that would make it commonly recognized as a nation by other nations. So, no invasion took place. No occupation. No dissolution of the nation. Nothing really changed. The only logical solution is this: it was a nation then, and still is one now.
And you’re not too swift. By the way, the United States had 3,429 men under arms in 1800. I guess the U.S.A. wasn’t really a country, right?
What about Urdu, Swahili, Kazakh, Cree, Gaelic, and Illongo? Why the discrimination??? Where’s the love for the rest of us??? Can’t we all just get along???
What kind of Spanish are they teaching? Castillian, Mexican, Venezuelan, Ecuadorian? Ask your school and watch the foot-shuffling begin.
I had Spanish in 1950s high school, joined the Navy - and saw the Caribbean. First time I tried to hit on the Cuban chicks, they blew me off with, “Ay, Hablan Castillano”. That was when I learned I was taught European Spanish.
Fast forward 40 years and I’m working with a rent-a-rig oil company who had people from all over the world. When the Hispanics got together you’d often hear an English word thrown in. I asked one of the women why and she said that there were many words in one Spanish country that wouldn’t jibe with the next one, so they all used English as it meant the same for everyone. “Turkey” was one mentioned.
I was sent down to Venezuela and hit a smoke shop for some cigars. I remembered what a Mexican told me and asked for “Cigarros”. Deer-in-headlights. The guy was reaching for everything except cigars. Finally, he brought another guy over who suddenly brightened, “Ah! TABAC!” and got the cigars.
Also while down there I discovered there was a hierarchy of Spanish: Mexican was at the bottom of the list because of a lot of Indian words, Venezeulan was somewhere in the middle, and Ecuador was at the top of the list - and boy they bragged about it!
So, at best they are teaching a language than has words so different from other Spanish-speaking countries that they cannot be well understood. Why does anyone think they, or many others, learn English? This sounds more like job security for Spanish language teachers.
High school? I have many young relatives. Some are still college, and some have graduated college within the last 8 years.
Same patterns of speech I confronted while teaching high school and the same diminished cognitive abilities. This does not apply to all of them, but most of them fit this description.
I’m quoting John Keegan, a military historian. An learn some manners when speaking to people you obnoxious little git.
You wrote:
“I’m quoting John Keegan, a military historian.”
Who is as equally wrong as you are.
“An learn some manners when speaking to people you obnoxious little git.”
I generally treat people as their intelligence deserves. I did with you.
Then you will be treated in the same fashion a-hole.
And tell me genius, how does a country without a military defend itself? How does it, should it find it necessary or desirable to extend that power beyond it’s borders? Interesting, you of the magnificent intellect find a man like Keegan to be wrong. But then it must be quite a burden to be so intelligent- and lonely as you must be.
Dual language programs are promising and being that no one’s child is being forced into a dual language classes, I have no problem with it.
And as a parent, it is important that my kids speak additional languages besides English and all of our kids are fluent in Spanish and Hebrew,
As a manager of an oil field services, I go out of my way to hire qualified hands who speak English and at least one other language.
If all a person speaks is English, they will not get far in our hiring process.
You wrote:
“Then you will be treated in the same fashion a-hole.”
Fine. Note how I DON’T whine about it like a middle school girl? Learn from that.
You wrote:
“And tell me genius, how does a country without a military defend itself?”
No, you tell me, genius, who Costa Rica really has to worry about. The USA had less than 4,000 soldiers in 1800. Were we ready to defend ourselves in 1800? Also, Costa Rica has armed, trained men - including special forces who train with the Israelies and Spaniards. They just don’t have an army.
“How does it, should it find it necessary or desirable to extend that power beyond it’s borders?”
None of what you’re asking effects whether or not Costa Rica is a country. Are you a public school grad?
“Interesting, you of the magnificent intellect find a man like Keegan to be wrong.”
Because. He. Is. Wrong. Objectively, Keegan is ENTIRELY WRONG on this point. Costa Rica is a country. It has no army. It’s still a country even if it has no army. Thus, Keegan is wrong. It’s just that simple. If you can prove me wrong - you must prove that Costa Rica is not a country - then feel free to do so. You’ll fail. But I don’t think expectation of failure stops you.
“But then it must be quite a burden to be so intelligent- and lonely as you must be.”
Intelligence is no burden. Dealing with morons can be. And loneliness is probably what you’re experiencing in your mother’s basement right now.
Learn from this you arrogant a-hole: I don’t live in a basement. I own my own home. My mother left this world years ago. I believe Keegan . I wasn’t asking about Costa Rica, I said ‘’a country’’. And your ‘’intelligence’’ is lacking sorely in that you have no manners. Adios to you, moron.
You wrote:
“Learn from this you arrogant a-hole: I don’t live in a basement. I own my own home.”
Is it in a country or is it in Costa Rica?
“My mother left this world years ago.”
Sorry to hear that. Perhaps she’s in a better place - one with an army.
“I believe Keegan .”
Believing in someone does not validate his error. By the way, I bet even Keegan would admit that Costa Rica is a country.
“I wasn’t asking about Costa Rica, I said ‘’a country’’.”
I named two. Costa Rica is the one without an army. According to you that means it is not a country. That’s idiotic.
“And your ‘’intelligence’’ is lacking sorely in that you have no manners. Adios to you, moron.”
Manners is about behavior and not intelligence. You really did go to public school, didn’t you?
If you can’t handle the heat, then get out of FreeRepublic.
You just don’t get it, do you? Your arrogance borders on the pathological. You’re an a-hole. You’ve haven’t the brains or wit or decency God gave an ant. Be gone.
You wrote:
“You just don’t get it, do you?”
No, actually I do.
“Your arrogance borders on the pathological.”
Being right is not arrogance.
“You’re an a-hole.”
Your opinion is noted. It is just as baseless, however, as believing Costa Rica is not a country.
“You’ve haven’t the brains or wit or decency God gave an ant.”
I have brains enough to know Costa Rica is a country. How about you?
“Be gone.”
No, I’ll stay. Thanks. If you can’t handle it, feel free to leave any time. If you don’t want me to respond to your posts, then stop posting to me or about me. Problem solved, public school grad!
Done. And ah, I’m a catholic school grad. Adios puto.
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