News (Noticias) Tagged ‘dual-language’

It’s striking to hear a room full of eighth graders talk about the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812 in fluent, unbroken Spanish.

The non-bilingual ear could pick out names, like Lewis and Clark, and simple Spanish phrases, but the rest would be a mystery. Not a word of English is spoken in this lesson, except for maybe a whispered joke between a couple students. It’s the sort of conversation you’d expect to hear in a college level Spanish-history course.

Most of these students in the Berry Creek Middle School dual-language class have been in the same class together since second grade — and many have been together since kindergarten. “*

Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA) will be the honorees at the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) 2008 Capital Awards gala. NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will hold its 21st Annual Gala at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW in Washington, DC on Tuesday, March 4 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

NCLR, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is honoring Representative Diaz-Balart and Representative Solis for their leadership on issues of concern to the Hispanic community. NCLR will also present the Public Service Award to Univision Communications, Inc.

“Representative Diaz-Balart is a longstanding champion of the ‘Legal Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act.’” He was among the first members of Congress to step forward and demand fairness for hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants who lost access to public health and other services in 1996 as a result of welfare reform,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “He has demonstrated extraordinary courage and has emerged as one of our community’s strongest leaders.”

“As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health Task Force, Representative Solis has demonstrated critical leadership in eliminating health disparities for Latinos,” added Murguía. “She also has a strong commitment to educating low-income and Latino children and has sponsored legislation which would provide minority communities with high-quality dual-language education programs.”

Murguía continued, “Univision has been an important partner of NCLR’s in the ya es hora campaign, mobilizing thousands of eligible Latinos to become U.S. citizens and encouraging the civic participation of many more. We applaud Univision for its contributions as it continues to promote naturalization and voter engagement efforts that inspire so many to participate in the democratic process.””*

*From: http://www.nclr.org
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Elgin 1st grader Isabella Pierce spends the first 90 minutes of her school day learning vocabulary words in her native English, writing in a journal and working on calendar lessons.

Then she and her classmates at an Elgin elementary school switch rooms, teachers and languages. They repeat their lessons, this time in Spanish, while another group of 1st graders, who started the day learning in Spanish, switches to English.

The two classrooms participate in an innovative dual-language program at Channing Elementary School in Elgin-based Unit District 46. More than 200 of Channing’s 580 pupils are enrolled in the program, which has proven popular with them and their parents.”*

*From: http://www.chicagotribune.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Vista magazine, the country’s most widely distributed, ABC audited Hispanic magazine, announces the new hire of Delio Nuñez-Menocal as General Sales Manager.

Delio brings with him 14 dynamic years of management in marketing and advertising, with vast experience in publishing and sales at a national level with focus in revenue growth for both magazines and newspapers. Most recently, he served as the business development director for the Kiwanis Little Havana, where he created and implemented the national marketing plan to position Carnaval Miami as the largest Hispanic series of events in the country. In 2002, Delio served four years with Knight Ridder’s Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, also as business development director, where he spearheaded all Hispanic national advertising sales efforts. In 2000, Nuñez-Menocal worked two years as advertising director for the Ideas Publishing Group of Conde Nast.

“Vista welcomes Delio Nunez-Menocal as its new General Sales Manager with open arms. Delio’s extensive experience in business development, community outreach marketing and his leadership as in sales management provides a positive outlook for meeting our future sales goals while maintaining our acclaimed status as the preferred dual-language magazine for U.S. Hispanics,” said Gustavo Godoy, Publisher of Vista magazine.
“*

*From: http://www.hispanicprwire.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

“”Being able to speak Spanish and English, it will open up doors for you,” 38-year-old Guillermo Martinez said in English. “It’s very important.”

And it’s increasingly common as immigrant parents with varied levels of English skills enter Kansas and their kids grow up in a dual-language world.

More than 10 percent of Kansas residents speak a language other than English at home, Census figures released this week show. Nationally, it’s nearly 20 percent.”

“Students in the kindergarten classes at Carrboro Elementary School walked away from their first day of school Monday with some interesting reading material.

“La Oruga Muy Hambrienta” might not ring a bell, but perhaps “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” does. Each student received both an English and Spanish edition of Eric Carle’s children’s book, which has sold 12 million copies since 1969.

“If you get presented with a Spanish book that you’re not fluent enough to read, it opens up a whole new world,” said parent Kirsten Barker, who first brought the idea to the school last spring.”

“With an eye on the people, not the produce, Julia Barrientos recently went shopping for students at the Super Mercado de Las Americas.

As director of the states first dual-language immersion charter school, she was trying to spread the word to Spanish-speaking parents that the school was public, free and a way for students to flourish in two languages.

Near the carniceria and a magazine rack with People en Español, Barrientos made her pitch to moms for whom charter schools are a foreign concept in a foreign language. But learning Spanish at school is not always what parents want for their children. “

“Lectura Books has been publishing and distributing bilingual English and Spanish childrens books since 2001. The press focuses on quality bicultural and bilingual literature to offer Latinos a reflection of their diverse cultures and histories through relevant stories. The dual-language focus allows for Spanish-speaking parents and their children – who are learning English at school – a way to learn language together and be inspired by life-changing literature. Lectura Books partners with some of the best writers and artists from the Latino community to create books that inspire reading and dialogue. For more information, vist Lectura Books website.”

“District leaders said it needs to revamp the bilingual program so it can better educate Spanish-speaking students, meet state and federal guidelines, and better prepare students for the future.

“If we are talking about a global community, then we need to reflect a global teaching community,” said Juan Rangel, a school board trustee.”

“The Nampa School District is gearing up to begin two new programs for students this fall.

During a Tuesday board meeting, coordinators for a future alternative high school and a dual-language program informed trustees about the programs’ goals.”

“Some of the toys in Santas bag this year feature playthings in both English and Spanish, but not because the jolly old elf is trying to be politically correct.

The toys aim to be fun and educational and could help develop dual-language skills in youngsters, literacy experts say.

“What these toys do is help expose young children to a foreign language early on, which is the best way for them to acquire a second language,” said Helmer Duverge, a senior ESL training specialist with the National Center for Family Literacy.”

“Bilingual toys - including snugly dolls and old-school board games - are flooding the market this holiday season. The dual-language items rank among the five biggest trends at Toys “R” Us stores, and industry watchers expect the momentum to grow.

The toy companies are mainly trying to woo Hispanics, the country’s fastest-growing demographic. They ha ve also found a market among non-Hispanic parents who see playtime as a chance to teach the value of another language.”

“For the first time, Spanish-speaking kindergartners can enroll in a new bilingual program at Andrew Cooke Magnet School, an elementary school with a focus on fine arts and science.

The addition of the bilingual program could pave the way for a dual-language program in future years in which Anglo and Latino students would be taught in English and Spanish together in the same classroom, learning each other’s language.”

“The youngsters are part of a dual-language immersion program whose aim is to have non-English-speaking students and their English-speaking counterparts help each other become bilingual.

During the school day, Mahler teaches children only in Spanish; Holmes speaks to them only in English. In fact, Mahler said, because the kids have never heard him speak English, some are not aware that their ponytailed instructor knows how to speak it.”

“The Mount Vernon School Board has voted to make Madison Elementary a dual-language school next September.

Both Spanish and English will be taught at the school, where 55 percent of the student population was listed as transitional bilingual during the 2006 school year.”

“Lupita Girard’s first-grade classroom at Central Elementary is typical, with posters showing days of the week, months, shapes and the class rules. Rule No. 1? “No interrumpir a Maestra.” (Loose translation: Don’t interrupt the teacher.)

Girard’s class, taught 90 percent in Spanish, is part of Central Elementary’s dual-language immersion program. Now in its ninth year, the program instructs students in Spanish and English in the same class. Supporters of “two-way” language programs say they augment children’s language, social and cultural skills. A critic of bilingual education argues that dual immersion programs create an imbalance between Latino and Anglo students.”

“Housed in one wing of Hendrix Drive Elementary School, the charter school offers instruction in kindergarten and first grade. Each year another grade level will be added up until the school offers instruction in kindergarten through fifth grade by 2010. Hendrix Drive Elementary continues to operate and both schools share activity areas in areas of art, music and p.e.

Down one corridor at Hendrix Drive, students enter and exit charter school classrooms filled with wooden tables where students gather to work in groups. Walls are decorated with signs for instruction ”” in Spanish and English ”” of subjects ranging from mathematics to language arts.”

“Greg Wyatt realized the financial power of the Hispanic market when conducting a dual-language broadcast from the Sunrise Ford auto dealership in Fort Pierce.

“This guy came up and he was working in construction making about $900 a week. He forked over $32,000 in cash (for a car),” said Wyatt, vice president and general manager of three local radio stations including La Gigante 1330 AM. “The market is definitely there. We haven’t even scratched the tip of the iceberg yet.”"

“The state’s first dual-language charter school has cleared its last official hurdle and will open in August in Hendrix Drive Elementary School in Forest Park.

The Georgia Board of Education has approved the charter petition for Unidos Dual Language Charter School for a five-year term from Aug. 1 through July 31, 2011.

Residents seeking to operate new schools in Georgia are required to gain approval from local school boards as well as the state board, according to state law. The Clayton County Board of Education approved the dual-language school’s charter last year.”

”

The study, entitled “Examining the Impact of Parental Involvement in a Dual Language Program: Implications for Children and Schools,” was started almost three years ago when Kelly-Vance met with Collette Nero, coordinator of psychological services with Omaha Public Schools, and began discussing where research would be beneficial. They then realized the largest growing population in Omaha was English learners, so they decided to focus on the dual-language classrooms from kindergarten to fourth grade in OPS, Kelly-Vance said.

Dual-language classrooms are taught in both English and Spanish. The classrooms are made up of half native-English speaking students and half non-native, English-speaking students. They have two instructors who switch off every other day; one day the lesson will be taught in English, the next day in Spanish, and they don’t review the same materials, said Carey Ryan, associate professor in the psychology department.

“

“Administrators from the Dallas Independent School District were in El Paso on Thursday to study how two Lower Valley schools educate their students in both English and Spanish.

The Dallas officials toured the Alicia Chacón School and Del Valle High School, both in the Ysleta Independent School District, to ask questions about their dual-language programs, which aim to graduate fully bilingual students….”

Please note some (many) sites require registration. Many times it is free.

“Those kids, now in kindergarten, are part of the first wave of students at Edwards Elementary School to be a class that is all part of the school’s “dual-language” program.

The program, now in its fifth year, teaches kids in both Spanish and English. Students spend about half the year learning exclusively in each language. The goal is to turn out kids who are able to not just speak, but write and learn, in another language….”

Please note some (many) sites require registration. Many times it is free.

“Two of Portland’s easternmost elementary schools would gain their area’s first Spanish-language immersion programs next year if the Board of Education approves a plan outlined this week by Portland Public Schools.

At a public hearing Monday night at Kellogg Middle School, the district presented a plan to add dual-language Spanish immersion classes at Lent and Bridger elementary schools, both of which feed into Binnsmead Middle School and are in the Marshall High School cluster. Binnsmead and Marshall do not have Spanish-immersion programs.”

Please note some (many) sites require registration. Many times it is free.

“A school board has voted to open a public elementary school where students will be taught to be equally proficient in English and Spanish by fifth grade.

Unidos Dual Language Charter School, which is scheduled to open next fall, is believed to be the first of its kind in the state.”

Please note some (many) sites require registration. Many times it is free.