Thread: ESL programs;

Some children of illegal aliens before starting school do not hear English spoken at all. So there is not way they can learn by association. They live in neighborhoods that are mostly Hispanic and their older siblings, when they are home speak Spanish in order to communicate with their parents. It is a sad and costly situation.

Dyehard-You hit the nail on the head.

When children of illegal aliens go to school many times they are living in a completely invaded city or neighborhood. So the teacher and only a few children with English as their first language are in the classroom. Usually the teacher has a bilingual aide whose first language is spanish if the teacher doesn't know spanish. The only time the kids are required to speak English is when the teacher is teaching. When they go to recess, eat lunch or breakfast, wait in the hall between classes, go to the bathroom etc. the kids speak spanish.

Most of these kids have never been read to when they start school, they don't know how to tie their shoes, they don't know how to write their names, they don't know their parents names and they have no idea what their address is. Can you imagine having to try to teach these kids? It is very, very, very frustrating.

It is not only the illegal kids that start school not speaking English but also legal immigrants. The excuse is that they want their kids to be able to speak Spanish but in reality many parents themsleves can't speak English.