Kindergartens see more Hispanic, Asian students

Local_Historian wrote: Well I'm blind today - he did give us this stat -

• Schools face linguistic challenges. The share of 5-year-olds who speak English at home slipped from 81% in 2000 to about 78%. The share of Spanish speakers grew from 14% to 16%.

Sorry Viking.

It;s not a huge amount, but enough, IMO, to teach both at the same time.

16% is 1 out of every 7 students. so in the average class of 20 or 21, that is 3 that can only speak Spanish. So you think that the other 17 or 18 have to learn everything in both English and Spanish? Or should we teach the 3 how to speak English and teach everythign in the main language of our country that we have always been taught in? And what happens in 20 years when they are the Majority? Then do we all have to learn Spanish? Just curious as to your thoughts.

I have opposed so-called "bi-lingual education" for 20 years. I think it ends up marginalizaing non-English speakers. I'd much rather see all classes taught in English, and give the non-English speakers a tutor to learn English if need be.

Too bad Spain and Portugal were such major sea powers when the Americas were discovered and colonized. It could have been a whole different story as to the language spoken.

Wayne Harrison wrote: Too bad Spain and Portugal were such major sea powers when the Americas were discovered and colonized. It could have been a whole different story as to the language spoken.

Are you saying that you wish we would all be speaking Spanish?

I wouldn't object to being a Spanish-speaking country but I draw the line at Portugese!

Most of the Hispanics I work with don't know any more Spanish than I do. And the ones who do, and grew up with it spoken in the home, know a low form, and few of them can read and write it.

Jesse Jackson and the like are upset that Hispanics are replacing them as the biggest minority. Maybe because of years of access to cheap birth control and abortions?