Hola muchachos!  I figured I’d get a head start in writing in Spanish, since that seems to be the way we’re heading as a country. In fact, even officials from Princeton are mulling the idea of offering a dual English-Spanish immersion program at the Community Park Elementary school.  

college textbook
Adam Berry, Getty Images
loading...

According to Nicole Mulvaney’s artricle in the Trenton Times, students would spend half their day learning language arts and social studies in English, then switch to another teacher who would instruct them in math, science and Spanish literacy — all while speaking Spanish. Right now this program is optional, and could start as soon as September.  But this this isn't only happening in Princeton.

In the Englewood Public School District, 200 of the district’s 3,200 students are enrolled in a Mandarin immersion program, and about 400 students are enrolled in a Spanish-English dual language program. Half of the children in the dual program come from non-English speaking homes, and the other half from non-Spanish speaking homes.

Is this something you would enroll your children in? Is bilingually a good way for students to learn? Are we putting too much pressure on 5 year olds? My 7 year olds have enough trouble with English. It’s one thing to teach a language class, but to teach a second language for half the school day? That's a little much. Once upon a time in this country, everyone had to learn to speak English, now not so much.

What will this do to the standardized test scores in New Jersey?  Can a nation really be indivisible with 2 languages being predominantly spoken, or will we soon teach our children to finish the Pledge of Allegiance by saying: 'con libertad y justicia para todos,' which means 'with Liberty and Justice for All.'

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM