Question for first generation Americans?

Question

This question is mostly for those who parents come from a Spanish speaking country and were brought up in the U.S. and didnt learn English till you started school. How long did it take you to learn the language?? Were you put in ESL, Bilingual, or regular classes?? Do you think ESL and Bilingual classes help students or hold them back? If you didnt go to ESL or Biligual classes, how are your Spanish speaking, reading, and writing skills now??

Answer 1

this is exactly me! I come from the dominican republic..started 3rd grade when i was 7 here in the USA...was put into the bilingual program and learned so much. Im actually hoping to teach bilingual spanish students. That is how much i was inspired. It took about 2 years to learn some really good english, i learned with school..interaction and lots and lots of cartoons (nickelodeaon) then in 5th grade i was in regular classess. Tthey didnt hold me back at all, they were very beneficial. My spanish skills are excellent because i went to school for 5 years over there and learned to read write and speak spanish , and i still do. its such a good bonus to be bilingual.

Answer 2

Well I was born and raised here (my parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic when they were in their teens). I learned Spanish first, so when I entered school, I did had some problems speaking the language. But since I picked up English very quickly, I was lucky to remain in regular classes.

The only sad part about it is that because I was in a prodomiently white school, my Spanish speaking skills suffered and now I can't really speak Spanish as well as I did when I was very young. I can still understand, read, and write perfectly, but speaking can sometimes be a challange. In other words, I can reply in Spanish but can't really get into a conversation in Spanish. :(

Answer 3

I was supposedly a mute in English until I was four, but I spoke Spanish fluently (for a four year old). A year later teachers found me too chatty for school (in English). I was always described as noisy or a distraction to other kids. Anyways at 14, I moved to Chile and now had to learn Spanish (because it had diminuated since I was four). Thrown into an all spanish school and it started to come back to me. I'd stick with regular classes, because you're exposed to much more, and are given a larger range of vocabulary.

Answer 4

well, i am not hispanic but i'll answer the question anyway because i came to u.s. when i was 14 from asia. I knew abc's, literally and nothing else. english wasn't a primary course to learn back then.

it took me about 3 years to be fluent. i was placed in ESL, there weren't any bilingual classes available. i defininately think it helped because i couldn't understand anything other than math. i've never been in any bilingual classes; however, people living in chinatown learn english at a much slower pace.

i don't think esl classes affect my ablility to speak chinese, but i become less fluent in chinese as i only speak it at home.

Answer 5

In 1st grade i had a regular class after that i think i had 1bilingual class. My spanish skills are pretty good compared to most of my family & friends, i mean really good. I don't know if it holds people back. Like my parents never taught me to write& read in spanish, i taught myself. They just spoke to me in spanish. I also taught myself the spanish swear words...lol. Those are really fun to say, well to me anyways.
p.s. i did know some english (thank you cable tv) before i started school.

Answer 6

well it took me less than 6 months to learn i was not in esl i wass in regular classes .i do think esl helps students. well great! i speak and read spanish every day

Answer 7

First generation Americans? I dont think you will get much of a response from people who have been dead for a thousand years....

Answer 8

No comprendes, senor.