Dual-language learning taking hold

"The [languages] are the same," Maria said. "When you say something like 'hola' it means 'hello.'"

Kindergarten teacher Susana Arevalo had her own version of dual immersion as a child. Her parents spoke Spanish but her older siblings and classmates spoke English. She believes learning the two languages will benefit her students as it benefited her.

"They will be able to read and write in both languages and that will be a great advantage for them as they go on in their education," said Arevalo, who taught at Edison for eight years teaching the dual-immersion class this year. "There's also an appreciation of other cultures, and their attitudes are more positive about what's around them."

Some board members would like to extend the Spanish-English dual-immersion program all the way through 12th grade, school board President Mary Boger said, adding that many studies have shown that learning more than one language enhances a student's ability to learn and broadens their vocabulary.

Although Edison is the only school in the district offering the program, staff members at Jefferson Elementary School are researching the possibility of creating a dual-immersion program for Armenian and English, Boger said. That program could start as soon as the 2006-07 school year, Boger said.

Conover is especially excited about students' prospects in the program when a student's first language is something other than English or Spanish. Some of her students speak Armenian and Tagalog, which is spoken in the Philippines. Those students will emerge from the program fluent in three languages, she said.

* VINCE LOVATO covers business and politics. He may be reached at (818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at vincent.lovatolatimes.com.