"Cardinal Chunder" wrote in message
news:fopj0p01jq3@news1.newsguy.com...
> Wayne wrote:
>> "Cardinal Chunder" wrote in message
>> news:fomqnn02o70@news5.newsguy.com...
>>> Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>>>> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23039327
>>>>
>>>> Student, Mother Protest Mandatory Spanish Class
>>>>
>>>> KXAS-TV
>>>> updated 6:23 a.m. MT, Thurs., Feb. 7, 2008
>>>>
>>>> G.VINE, Texas - A mother in the G.vine-Colleyville school
>>>> district said she is refusing to let her daughter attend mandatory
>>>> Spanish class because she doesn't think her daughter should be forced
>>>> to learn the language. "They said sorry you're gonna have to learn
>>>> Spanish," said Ashley Allison a fifth-grader at G.vine-Colleyville's
>>>> Timberline Elementary School. "I was just stunned because I couldn't
>>>> believe they'd actually make me do something like that."
>>> Oh no, the horror! Imagine being forced to learn stuff like a foreign
>>> language.
>>
>> It is great to be able to speak a foreign language. However, much of the
>> US strength depends upon a common language across all the states.
>> Currently we waste millions of dollars to provide content in both english
>> and spanish (everything from school textbooks to election materials to
>> Home Depot signs). That money could be much better used by educating the
>> spanish speaking elementary students to speak english. The money used to
>> teach an english speaking student to communicate in spanish is a waste of
>> money that could very well be used in core subjects, such as math. The
>> language studies should come after a student is competent in the
>> fundamentals, or if the student is good enough to work in language
>> studies in addition.
>
> Your argument is absurd and jingoistic.
>
> Teaching Spanish in schools would not "waste millions of dollars".
> Learning another language is an essential part of a rounded education
> whether its learning French, Spanish, German or whatever. And the earlier
> it is taught, the more likely it is to be learnt. This is a well
> established fact. It just so happens that in the US, that Spanish, French
> or Portuguese are the most relevant languages to learn.
Ok, menso....
There is limited time and money for teaching elementary students. I suppose
you approve of using resources to teach spanish to students, at the expense
of time and money spent on arithmetic? or english? or scientific studies? I
am not at all opposed to speaking a second language. Remember we are
talking about a school district forcing spanish into the elementary school
as a requirement, as opposed to an elective course chosen by the student.
It does students no good to be "well rounded", but unable to make change for
20 bucks.
As for wasting money, how about the money required for duplicating teaching
materials in both english and spanish. You have bought into the politically
correct approach of having all children in the US as bilingual in
english/spanish from birth. My position is that they should be expertly
fluent in english as a priority.
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