Starting another language young, no matter which one, a good idea

A mother in Community Unit District 300 called me with an interesting idea the other day.

Sharon Fetting suggested that the district offer Spanish classes for English-speaking kindergartners.

Fetting made her case at the district's school board meeting this week, urging the board to devote some of its projected surplus to the new language classes.

"In today's society, it is essential for our children to learn another language, especially Spanish," Fetting said Monday.

"I'm only looking for a foundation for students … then in high school, they can learn (more easily)," she said.

Fetting told me she pays for her young daughter to take Spanish classes after school.

She argued that children from English-speaking homes should have the same benefits as kids from non-English homes who are receive instruction in English.

"If we want our children to be bilingual, if we can have everyone else learn our language … I just think our kids should have the same advantage," Fetting said.

The board approved the surplus spending on Monday, so Fetting's suggestion to spend the money on the classes is a moot point.

But I think she raises some interesting issues.

Chiefly, she's right that children learn languages much more easily if they are exposed to them at a young age, rather than encountering unfamiliar sounds and grammar in middle school or even high school.

But if the district were to adopt such a program, I don't know why Spanish should be the only language offered.

I also take issue with what seems to be Fetting's suggestion: that is, that the district has an equal obligation to teach English to kids from non-English homes and to teach Spanish or any other language to children from English homes.

English is the language of our educational system and standardized tests; knowledge of the language is a prerequisite for most jobs; and as George Will points out, it is the language of our national discourse.

True, Spanish in particular confers some benefits, enabling English speakers to interact more easily with a large and growing Hispanic population, and improving access to some (a minority) of jobs.

But you'd be hard-pressed to argue that in this country, knowledge of Spanish is as essential as the ability to speak, read and write English.

That being said, I think Fetting's general argument, that serious instruction in foreign languages ought to be offered to children at a young age, still stands.

I think many in District 300 may even agree with me. But they'd also agree that the problem is how to pay for it.

The district is now rightly focused on improving performance in core subjects at its high schools to avoid state and federal sanctions.

But when the district has figured out how to stay on top of the No Child Left Behind Act, as well as solved overcrowding issues on its east side, I think Fetting's idea merits another good look.

• Jameel Naqvi covers school districts 300, 158 and the village of Huntley. He can be reached at (847) 608-2718, or via e-mail at jnaqvi@ dailyherald.com