Jonathan Paul Loomis

February 11, 1999

Psychology of Education

Doctor Fox

Of the three articles, the one written on bilingual education interested me the most. My second major (after Secondary Ed) will allow me to teach both social studies and Spanish, and I see the growing Hispanic educational need in the United States as both a great challenge and opportunity, both for myself and of the nation.

I appreciated the article's point of view in that it did not criticize students for not succeeding, but only look for way to help them improve. For example, I would agree with the author that placing an equal amount of respect on the language and culture of the students is a major step towards furthering their education. Naturally, I would like to see teachers who speak the language in those schools where Spanish is a language of common use. I also liked the fact that the article presents research proof that using Spanish in the classroom is helpful to the child, both in learning to use Spanish and English. I was further pleased to read that there are some schools that offer courses in Spanish through high school.

I often wonder if the United States isn't shooting itself in the foot when it comes to educating its Hispanic population. We have stomped on their culture and their language for so long that the results are becoming evident. Too many Hispanic students drop out and a rise in Hispanic crime is a direct result. The United States is ultimately going to become a giant among the Hispanic world, simply because of its proximity to Latin America and its growing population, not to mention the fact that Puerto Rico may become a state. We in education must find ways of educating these Hispanic-Americans so that they will meet with success.

The principle question I have after reading this article is that I would like to know what schools in the DC metro area teach in Spanish? We have a very large Hispanic population ourselves and it would seem to me a good idea if this were taking place. Are there any high schools with Spanish in the classroom?