NORFOLK
The school division would offer the most widespread elementary school foreign language program in South Hampton Roads under a proposal recently presented to the School Board.
The plan would provide between two and five days a week of instruction for students in all of the city's 35 elementary schools and would cost up to $11 million in the first year.
School officials said they plan to use the proposal to begin discussions about bolstering Norfolk's foreign language offerings. Expansion of the elementary program is not included in next school year's budget, which goes into effect July 1.
"It's the right goal, and we've got a lot of work to do to realize the goal," School Board Chairman Barry Bishop said. "We want our kids - bottom line - to be globally competitive."
In recent years, President Bush and other national leaders have called for enhancing foreign-
language education in U.S. schools, They say familiarity with other languages and cultures will help the country's economic competitiveness and national security.
The Virginia Board of Education encourages foreign language instruction for elementary school students but does not require it.
Still, some Virginia school divisions have been building extensive elementary school foreign language programs. In Loudoun County, all elementary students take Spanish and some have begun studying Chinese.
Currently, just one Norfolk elementary school, Dreamkeepers Academy, provides a Spanish program. In Virginia Beach, one school, Christopher Farms Elementary, features an immersion model, where the regular curriculum is taught in Spanish for part of the day.
Elementary foreign language lessons in Chesapeake are limited to a summer program and a course for gifted students, though administrators are exploring other options. There are no foreign language classes for elementary school students in Suffolk.
The Portsmouth school division had planned to start an elementary Spanish program next year, but there wasn't money for it, said Sharon Harris, a school spokeswoman.
Norfolk's proposal to expand its foreign language instruction came from a committee of teachers, administrators, parents and community members who met over two years.
The most expensive option would cost about $11 million in the first year. It includes about $1.87 million for 34 new elementary foreign language teacher salaries, $170,000 for training and curriculum, and $9 million to lengthen the elementary school week. In that option, the school week would grow by up to five hours to accommodate 45 minutes of foreign language study every day. Other less expensive options don't require a change to school hours.
"The program, as designed, would allow the opportunity for every student in the district to participate," said Lisa A. Harris, the school division's senior coordinator of foreign languages.
In addition to augmenting elementary instruction, Norfolk's proposal calls for changes to the division's middle and high school programs. The recommendations, which would cost about $550,000 annually, include hiring 13 new foreign language teachers, expanding Latin offerings and introducing Chinese and Arabic.
Administrators plan to make some of those adjustments next fall.
Latin will be taught at all middle schools, with the addition of four teachers. At least one high school will offer Arabic through a partnership with Norfolk State University, and if the school division receives a grant, Chinese instruction would be available in at least one middle school.
Norfolk will stop offering high school-level Italian, however, because its Italian teacher is leaving. The division may also lose one of three Japanese teachers due to the end of a grant.
School Board member Jim Driggers said he wants to know more about the benefits of foreign language learning before he commits to paying for an enhanced program.
However, funding for some foreign language expansion might be available through partnerships or grants, Barry Bishop, the School Board chairman, said.
Amy Bishop, a mother of two W.H. Taylor Elementary students, said she would welcome additional foreign language classes because they would help her sons in the future. She is not related to Barry Bishop. "At that young age," she said, "it's the easiest to learn."
Amy Jeter, (757) 446-2730, amy.jeter@pilotonline.com
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Kids love Spanish
I have taught elementary Spanish at Dreamkeepers Academy in Norfolk Public Schools for 3 years and I can testify, "Children love Spanish".
Most of my students look forward to Spanish every week. We sing songs, play games, practice speaking together, learn the Spanish alphabet, etc.
Research has proven that children who know a second or third language understand their first language in a more in depth manner.
I impact the students' understanding of grammar and language structure in English because I reinforce parts of speech and syntax or sentence word order. Also, I make it fun and interesting.
Do I practice what I preach? Yes, I am tri-lingual. I speak English, French and Spanish.
I just read dennis1's comment and need to add this. You said you had 5 years of foreign language in JR. HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL. This is exactly my point. Jr. High is TOO LATE TO START!! English is written with a capit
What's so controversial?
After reading the article, I could only think what a good idea this is, and cannot understand the fuss. We SHOULD be teaching our children other languages. In light of the current global situation, Chinese and Arabic seem to be absolutely essential. Everything I've read has mentioned the lack of personnel who speak Arabic and how it has hampered our abilities to montior terrorist activities...It just seems to open up a lot more opportunities for youth in the future, as well as being in our own nation's best interests. I was in Iceland once and a woman I spoke to stated that in school they were required to learn their native language, another Sandinavian language such as Norwegian or Swedish, and a language of their choice...they invariably chose English. I wish I had had more language training when I was a lad, as it is so much harder to pick it up on the go now that I am so much older....
Elem. For Lang.
As a retired German teacher, I have had many occasions to read research on early language learning. We are definitely missing the boat by not starting our second-language learning until age 13 or 14. Teach our own language? I'm reading that in many comments, but it has been proven, that learning a second language improves our understanding of our own. I have taught at elem., middle and high school levels, and it is fascinating to see how the young children pick it up so easily. Go, Norfolk - more power to you!
Head Start
Here's a head start for you all in skool. "Do you want fries with that"?
First, teach them English.
I agree, but I would make only one language compulsory: Chinese. Why? Because if we keep going the way we are now, and buying everything from China, while we export zilch to them, they will eventually take over our Country. We might as well get ahead of the curve, for once.
On a more serious note: I agree with those who feel that our kids don't get sufficient grounding and expertise in their mother language: English. I'd rather see more time spent drilling the little darlings in how to read, write and speak English.
If they can't speak proper English, how will they be able to relate to a secondary language?
The earlier the better
Your missing the big picture. Children who learn foreign languages by the age of 8 years old are more critical thinkers. Third world countries speak more languages than we do. It has nothing to do with making everyone speak English in the USA - Wake up! As for the 3-R's - you got that wrong also - the first 3-4 years of school should be 75% art, music and foreign language. Go to the library and study it. Its a scientific fact - these subjects exercise the brain so that when you do learn math, science etc - you use your brain more efficiently. Over and over again our students fall behind many other countries in academics - you'll find that across the board that they have had music and foreign language early in life. Our public school systems got their heads in the sand. Thank God for private education.
I am glad
I am so glad that I no longer have children in school nor live in the Hampton Roads area for them to go to school. I have a real problem with forcing a second language on kids in elementary school when it is not required in high school. Those that come to the USA need to speak our language to communicate with us, not the reverse. And does it stop with just Spanish? Teach the 3Rs first and make sure all students have those down first before looking at forcing a second language. And who is going to help the students with their home work? I seriously doubt most parents will be.
Good Job NPS!
The best time to teach a language is Pre-K to 3rd grade. I know, because I was part of a pilot program in Richmond in 1956-57 to teach French in 2nd and 3rd grade. I can tell you that I cannot remember much from the 3 years of high school Latin I took, but when I went to college I picked up the French again for my required foreign language. I was so suprised to find I still had all my French pronunciation skills from my childhood experience, and remembered most of the grammatical constructs as well. I also think Spanish should be a required subject for at least grades 1-3. Give the children some familiarity with the pronunciation and language flow, and it will go a long way toward mutual respect and cooperation when everyone is older.
Learn ENGLISH FIRST!
How about we try and teach these children proper english first. Too many kids can neither read nor write proper english and a lot of them use it as a second language. All I hear is slang and trash talk from these kids, forget a foreign language focus on english!
Beneficial in every way
Foreign language study is beneficial in every way to students in the elemenetary grades. Those of you who are carping about underachieving high school students are missing the point that foreign language study at an earlier age may have actually helped these students improve linguistically and academically across the board. Studies show that cognitive abilities are stimulated by the study of foreign langauge and that it helps with all other aspects of schooling. Here is a link if you are really interested in knowing rather than just complaining. http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4524#cognitive
Having the opportunity for foreign language study is not a "burden." It improves the mind! As for "time for play," how about have parents see to that AFTER school instead of letting them veg on the couch or at the computer. Other than PE, "playtime" should not be a function of the school.
A Second Language..
..in high school is good. A second language in elementary school is a little on the extravagant side, but worth it in the long run! Besides, you won't have a lot of students staying the extra time anyway. The GPA was lowered to 2.0 or is being abolished? Can't see why a student who is at 2.0 and a "good jock" would find the incentive to study a foreign language. Good job Norfolk. Globalization is the "cure all"! Who knows, if you catch them young, you might not need to abolish the 2.0 GPA and you would get to pocket the money. De Whonited States es me bario!
Where did this money come from
Where did this 11 million come from..I understand the need for a foreign language BUT the 3 R's should come first..I would consider this an extra burden on most of the normal kids..Lets make sure they can read,write and speak proper English first befor we make them tackle an extra language...back to my frist question where did this money come from????
atrocious
What is truly atrocious is a parent blaming the schools for a HS graduate unable to spell that word. My 4th grader is capable of spelling the word. It seems the poor young person unable ot spell the word wasn't exactly getting any assistance at home, if the parent didn't realize the child couldn't spell until AFTER graduation.
Most children in other countries are taught English along with their own language and it has never ceased to amaze me why Americans are so averse to teaching children other languages.
If your child can't read or write you need to be looking in the mirror and ask how much attention are you paying to their education and stop laying all the blame on the schools.
Well why not?
Spanish will soon be our first language in this country! I agree w/Fergus. Shouldn't we make sure the kids can speak/write/understand English before we burden them w/another language? How about teaching kids how to spell correctly or write a paper that has continuity? My daughter graduated from Granby, Class of 2005 and she can't spell worth .02. Is that a statement about her or the school? How do you graduate when you can't spell? I shook my head after reading a poem that she wrote recently...the poem was good..the spelling was atrocious(a-t-r-o-c-i-o-u-s..my high school graduate child couldn't spell that word). So by all means let's burden the young kids with even more pressure and totally fill their days so they can't play or do anything other than study. They implement all these wonderful programs to keep our kids "globally competitive" and then wonder why they're all overweight and can't pass the President's Physical Fitness Challenges anymore! Spanish in kindergarten..what a novel idea! That way they'll be fluent in Spanish and know nothing about English! Only problem there is..WE LIVE IN AMERICA, which used to be an english speaking country! I hate globalization
i be axing u
Well now why would they waste time teaching a foreign language when these kids can't even speak or write a grammatically correct sentence in ENGLISH? How are these kids who speak "ebonics" going to be able to construct sentences in Spanish if they don't have a grasp on English? I be puzzled. Don't axt me to be anwering u jive turkey
Spanish should be mandatory!
All Norfolk students from day one of instruction in addition to english should be introduced to spanish. not chinese, arabic or other foreign languages not similar to spanish. It's bad enough that Norfolk H.S. students can't read or perform higher than a national average of fifth grade level, if introduced to spanish at least they would have an even playing field when it comes to unemployment. Stop wasting everyone's money on frivolous objectives to placate the few or charge them extra for the french lessons.
Hey thats great. America is
Hey thats great. America is behind the power curve in regards to teaching different languages. However, it would be nice to make sure kids can actually speak proper English before trying to learn someone else's language. How they gonna learn to speak another language when they ain't got no clue how to speak their own....opps, was that a double negative?
Are You Serious?
Although I don't have concrete proof, I understand that we still have a large number of kids in high school that can't read or write (much less do math problems)...until we get all children proficient in the "3 R's" (Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic), we don't need to expose them to foreign languages in elementary school. Middle/Jr. High school is soon enough "after" they've mastered the 3 R's. Please don't tell me it will help them learn to read and write English; I had 5 years of foreign languages in Jr. High and High school and certainly don't agree.
Language
How about we concentrate on making them USE and master English first? Teachers, this starts with YOU! I'm not talking about inner-city, slang, urban, or southern English. When I go to my daughter's school I am dumbfounded to hear some of the grammatical garbage that comes out of the students' mouths. Do you think they are corrected? Nope. I'm all for learning foreign languages, but you must learn to crawl before you can walk. Teaching a second language before they master the English is silly. Students then could then open their mouths and sound like idiots in TWO languages!