Los Angeles Times

Sunday, August 24, 1997

Learning in Language Pupils Understand

Education: Teaching in Tustin provides a chance to see results of its English-only policy--low scores.
By GWEN FERGUSON

Students learn best when they understand the language in which a lesson is taught. The recent brouhaha about Orange placing a bilingual education referendum on a ballot, and the recent article on Gloria Tuchman's crusade ("Testing the Limits of Bilingual Education," Aug. 8) are troubling. Decisions on teaching methodology should be made by experienced educators, and based on research, test results and needs of students. I see no reason whatsoever to further politicize educational policy.
     Have voters taught in bilingual classrooms and seen eyes light up when a 6-year-old understands how to read for the first time? I have. The Santa Ana Unified bilingual program in a few schools in the 1970s had children reading first in their native language, and then making the transition to English reading usually in the third grade. Other subjects were taught bilingually, with both languages in use.
     The program was very successful: It's quite amazing that Gloria and I had such different teaching experiences in the same grade level just a few miles apart.
     Now teaching in my neighborhood school in Tustin, I see the results of Tuchman's English-only policy implemented during her years on the Tustin school board.
     Some of my bilingual students are frustrated 13-year-olds with very low scores in English reading and no reading skills in Spanish. These students have never been in a bilingual program, received only English instruction throughout elementary school, yet are doing poorly. Why?
     My thesis is that they did not understand beginning reading and math because they were being taught in a language they did not understand. They fell further and further behind as the years passed. (Research shows that it takes five to seven years to become fully fluent in cognitive language skills in a second language.) Years of academic difficulty take their toll.
     In Orange County, it is not politically correct to support bilingual education, yet open-minded citizens need to know that it can be very successful. I saw it work well in the eight years I taught at Monroe School in Santa Ana.
     In Tustin the last six years, I have seen the results of English only. I have talked in Spanish with elementary students that are sad they can't communicate well with their teacher. Some said that they don't understand very much of what goes on in class. I have helped students at my school who don't understand their assignments in math or science; they want to do their best, but are limited by their level of English.
     No one is trying to do away with English! Quite the opposite. These children should be keeping up with academic subjects at their grade level in a language they understand, while at the same time taking classes in intensive English.
Gwen Ferguson Writes From Tustin