We lose even when we win

Joel Belz, publisher of World magazine looks at presidential elections and more specifically how politically conservative Christians often react to them.

Over those 13 cycles (my ate>2004-07-29 14:02:56
2004-07-29 18:02:56
It is obvious that young children can quickly learn and grasp other languages.  I seen this with my stepson who went, as a four-year old, from an absolutely non-English speaker to one who was conversing in English in a matter of 3-4 weeks.

The problem with children from bilingual families is the support that get at home for studying.  In some cases, the parents are not even well educated in their native tongue.  How then can the child get the support at home to complete assignments?

I worked with a native language Chinese speaker, who speak English though very poorly.  He would call me some evenings because he did not understand his 4th grade daughters homework assignment.

I do not know what the answer is.  Clearly kids are learning machines, but we also know most successful students have a strong family support structure.  In bilingual families, the parents may not be in the position to provide that support for studies in English. 

]]>
1

0
0

14111

dptracy@hotmail.com

65.84.78.178
2004-07-29 14:06:46
2004-07-29 18:06:46
>>I worked with a native language Chinese speaker, who speak English though very poorly. <<

Almost as bad as my writing…ugh.

]]>
1

0
0

14112

fr.jimc@verizon.net

151.199.45.165
2004-07-29 15:32:30
2004-07-29 19:32:30
duh-uhhh!  the reason that teachers are so opposed to English immersion is two-fold:  first, ideology, second, job-security.  let’s face it, if everybody has to learn in English, there will be a whole lot of “bilingual” teachers out of jobs—and if you’ve ever gone one-on-one with one of the latter, you realize quickly that they themselves don’t speak English well enough to qualify as a teacher in our language.

Oddly (or not so oddly), parents are insistent that their children learn the language of politics and business in their new country.  so much for libs “speaking for the people.”

]]>
1

0
0

14113

brian.crane@cranemills.com

207.42.26.70
2004-07-29 16:14:44
2004-07-29 20:14:44
Right Father.  Bilingual education is a fraud, endorsed by the usual suspects who would be out of jobs if young non-english speakers quickly learned the official language of our country.  Immersion has been proven to work better.  But immersion, and language proficiency,  would mean assimilation, and who wants that (sarcasm).  Not the teachers unions, not politicians who want to keep uneducated minorities under their thumbs, not race hucksters. 

]]>
1

0
0

14114

dptracy@hotmail.com

65.84.78.178
2004-07-29 18:24:26
2004-07-29 22:24:26
Let me add that since English was not my son’s first language, I had to take him to the school district headquarters for language testing before he entered kindergarten.

Nevermind that he had been speaking English almost exclusively during the prior two years.  The bureaucrats demanded the testing.

Of course he tested fine, and even spoke English better than the person who administered the test.

]]>
1

0
0

14115

oreilg@aol.com

205.188.116.17
2004-07-30 12:41:19
2004-07-30 16:41:19
Gee, you wonder what did the non English-speaking immigrants of the last 150 or so years do without where he could continue to molest boys, long after they knew of allegations of molestations, including against Danny and his brothers.