There truly are no hidden agendas here. I am not Hispanic. I don’t live in a Hispanic community. I do not speak Spanish. I may know a few people who speak Spanish but I don’t know them well. There is really no pro or anti Hispanic prejudice, or reason for one, in me . Still looking at the America in which my children and grandchildren will live has convinced me of the need to think seriously about the language arts that we are currently sharing in our public school system. What we primarily hear about is instances where schools are working hard to teach Spanish speaking children, and when possible their parents, English as a second language. That’s certainly important and helpful for the success of those children, but it seems we may be missing the larger picture if we as a society don’t begin to also invest in teaching English speaking children, Spanish as a second language, with the same degree of enthusiasm. Here’s what I consider to be six good reasons for teaching Spanish as a second language in our schools.
Statistics and What They Tell Us.I won’t bore you with the numbers, I don’t have to. In many places all one really needs to do is look and listen and you will realize that the United States is experiencing an explosion of Hispanic immigration. Cubans, Mexicans, Venezuelans, have come over the last few decades seeking a chance at the American dream. Families have brought other families, parents have brought their children , brothers have helped one another. All have come seeking a chance to better themselves and their families.
While the argument may continue to rage in our Congress about how to manage the ever increasing number of immigrants, the need to adjust nationally to this major demographic shift continues to intensify. The statistics can’t tell it all but they can show the trends. The single most obvious trend is that in the next few decades the percentage of the people living in the United States, legally, illegally or on work visas is going to show a vast increase of Hispanic men, women and children. Just looking at the statistics and nothing more should cause American educators and citizens to realize the importance of making certain that we provide the kind of education that can help this country to see change as progress and not as a threat to some traditional way of life. As a country we need to recognize the need to address the language problems this demographic change will bring with it. Teaching Hispanic children English is half the battle, teaching non-Hispanic children Spanish as a second language can also reduce our feelings separation .
Geography Is What It Is. No matter how restrictive our immigration policies may eventually become with regard to Hispanic populations, a quick look at the globe shows you that Americans inhabit that part of the world that is literally full of Spanish speaking people. Subtract Canada, the United States and an occasional anomaly like Brazil and what you have is a Spanish speaking hemisphere. We have the option to improve our relationship with all those Hispanics living in the United States by helping them with their English. But we also have an amazing opportunity to improve our own relationship with all of Latin America by acknowledging the importance of teaching our English speaking children, Spanish as a second language.
Achieving Equality and Building Friendships. Teaching Spanish as a second language in our American public schools would be a challenging but incredibly productive approach to learning about equality and friendship. English speaking children would learn the value and beauty of Spanish as a second language. Hispanic children who are learning English would not grow up feeling somehow that they are inferior because of the language they speak. Both groups of children could really be taught by learning the language of the other, that a person’s value should not be based on the language they speak. Students could also learn how to help one another and experience the joy of learning together. Learning a second language in equal circumstances would help children to see that learning not as a punishment for being born in the wrong culture but as a chance to get to know and appreciate the skills and knowledge of the other.
Watch a classroom of children and note how kids love to teach other kids how to read, or do a math problem or find something on a map. Educators can make use of that love of education by allowing children to share language skills just as they share skills in every other discipline. Teaching Spanish as a second language is a way to achieve equality and build friendships where before there may have only been prejudice and distrust.
Improving Communication Across the Board.One of the six reasons for teaching Spanish as a second language is that improving communication helps to build understanding across the board. We all know that lack of communication and being minus the tools for communication can be frustrating and can lead to fear, prejudice, hatred and eventually even violence. Communication helps people to connect at work, school and in the neighborhood. Being able to communicate both English to Spanish and Spanish to English can help to build up community instead of fragment it. Knowing you can speak in a way that will get you a book from the library, a hair cut, something to eat or a ride to the correct address gives any person at any age a feeling of confidence . Being able to help people to do all of those things because you can speak their language gives any person an experience of community.
Opening the Cultural Doors.There is so much that Americans miss in life because they limit themselves by only knowing a single language. One reason for teaching Spanish as a second language is that it will allow our English speaking children the chance to experience a whole new cultural adventure. Instead of turning away because they don’t know the language, we can learn as a people to explore the beauty and the depth of the rich variety of Hispanic cultures. We can as a nation learn how to broaden our own culture instead of pushing it down the throats of Hispanic immigrants. There is an exciting world of poetry, music, art, literature, food and fun that we could be enjoying. Teaching Spanish as a second language can help us to break down our own barriers and get to the good stuff.
Putting an End to American Arrogance.We are a great nation. We have accomplished great things. But our greatest accomplishment still awaits us. Can we put aside our own national pride and feelings of superiority and begin to see other human beings as our equals? Can we forget about our military ascendancy and recognize our need to be compassionate and kind to the rest of mankind? Can we forget holding on to our possessions and learn to reach out?
President Bush mentioned in a speech after a terrorist attack that terrorists hate us because we are free. There may be some truth to that. But perhaps it is time to be concerned about all those people who may not hate us but certainly find us hard to bear not because we are free, but because we are full of ourselves. It’s well past time to put our oft time unintentional arrogance aside and consider the value to be gained for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren if we commit as a nation to teaching Spanish as a second language in our public schools.
