>>I think the victory [the anti-bilingual education measure] represents
>>two things. One is the strength of nativism,
>>opposition to public schools, and other conservative tendencies. The other,
>>far more important, is the difficulty in explaining things like children's
>>cognitive development in a political atmosphere of sound bites.
Wojtek Sokolowski notes:
>In the April 20, 1998 issue of The Nation there is an article ('English
>Lesson in California 'by Gregory Rodriguez) arguing that opposition to the
>bilingual programs in CA stems largely for the fact that these programs are
>lousy and ineffective by all imaginable measures.
Su servidor:
This is an issue of interest to me. My wife is working on a big multi-lingual ed. program here in Bolivia (Aymara, Quechua, Guarani, Spanish principally). Here one the major sources of *opposition* to multi-lingual ed are indigenous/rural peoples themselves, who want their kids to be able navigate the modern world better. For this, mastering Spanish is the first task. Of course they're right.
Any idea out there if this is the case in CA (USA) too? Waddya think?
Tom
Tom Kruse / Casilla 5812 / Cochabamba, Bolivia Tel/Fax: (591-42) 48242 Email: tkruse at albatros.cnb.net