Letter: Children benefit from being bilingual

Tuesday, March 28, 2006 | 6:50 a.m.

After reading the Sun's March 20 article about Dual Immersion programs, "Schools bridging the language divide," it makes me incredibly sad and angry to read letters like the ones by Roger Witcher and Lou Garner.

I agree that people who come to live in this country should learn to speak English. However, I am shocked that Mr. Garner professes to be "multilingual" and yet cannot see the benefits that a dual immersion program provides for both sets of students. Perhaps both men need to do their research and actually learn about dual immersion before sharing their negative opinions and "English-only" stances.

My native-English speaking child is enrolled in a Dual Immersion program, so I can see the benefits firsthand. I am thrilled with our child's educational progress. Spanish-language instruction in both kindergarten and first grade has done nothing to "harm" his skills in English; to the contrary it has only served to enhance them.

I am so thankful that my child will grow up reaping the benefits of being academically bilingual, something that most Americans today sadly cannot put on their resumes.

In my opinion, the Dual Immersion program is one of the best new educational opportunities in the Clark County School District. My only criticism is that the program isn't available to all students within the district. As both a parent and a language educator - I'm a Spanish teacher at Silverado High School - I say kudos to the School District for implementing a program that has the potential to provide a much brighter future for the children lucky enough to take part in one.

Carmen Andrews-Sanchez, Henderson