I'm not an expert, but I can speak from personal experience. At my school we have many students from Mexico who come in speaking only Spanish. They are placed in a bilingual class where the instructor speaks Spanish. Many of them are still having trouble with English after 4 or more years. On the other hand, we have also had several Russian, Bosnian, etc. children who enrolled without any English, and were forced to learn the language through total immersion. Overall, they have mastered English quickly -- in fact, several of these kids are among the best students and most voracious readers in the school. Of course, every child has different needs and abilities, but this has happened enough times in my school that all of us have noticed the trend. However, it's not politically correct to act upon this knowledge, or even admit it.

Debbi Richard
Librarian,
Lake Highlands Elementary
Texas

Debbi Richard
Assistant Professor, Library Science
Dallas Baptist University