It’s that simple. Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the US, and 30 countries speak Spanish. English is, of course, the dominant language in the world. “So, if you speak both of those languages, you have much more opportunity to make your way, whatever your job is. And new opportunities can be open to you,” says Rebecca Blum Martinez, PhD, professor emerita at the University of New Mexico and one-time professor of Bilingual and ESL Education at UNM.

The main challenge to those who speak English and Spanish, regardless of their native language, is to be skilled in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding proficiently in both languages. This translates into a significant challenge for native Spanish speakers who don’t have access to quality bilingual programs. “They may well retain the ability to speak Spanish in their homes and neighborhoods, but may not have the vocabulary and discourse they might need for higher-level positions. This is true of native English speakers as well,” says Dr. Blum Martinez.

The Sooner the Better

The age at which an individual learns a second language plays a key role in the individual’s proficiency in that language. Studies show that those who learn a foreign language at a younger age demonstrate better pronunciation than those who learn the language later in life. “(Their speech) will be more native-like,” says Dr. Blum Martinez. Children learning a new language lack the inhibitions adults have. “They make mistakes all the time, little kids do, so they are used to being corrected and don’t think it’s a big deal,” Dr. Blum Martinez adds.

Although younger language learners become better at pronouncing words in their new language, adolescents, in general, have greater abilities to learn the language but lack perfect pronunciation. Adolescents understand language structure, rules, and sounds, making the process easier. “Someone as an adult will rarely learn a second language and be mistaken for a native speaker of that language,” says Dr. Blum Martinez.

It’s the Law

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there were 5.1 million English learners (ELs) in US schools in the fall of 2019, representing 10.4 percent of US students, an increase from 4.5 million students (9.2 percent) in 2010. These students represent the fastest growing demographic in US schools. Dr. Blum Martinez says it’s interesting to note that most children who speak a language other than English were born here.

According to Dr. Blum Martinez, bilingual programs in US schools are underserving ELs. Quality bilingual programs have two things in common: quality teachers and rigorous course materials. A bilingual program needs teachers who can deliver instruction in the native language of the learners, and those teachers need rigorous course materials. There’s no shortage of English-language curricular material; however, there’s a dearth of material in Spanish. “For the most part what’s available in Spanish is not as rigorous,” says Dr. Blum Martinez.

Course materials aside, there’s a disparity in bilingual programs that, oddly enough, works in favor of the Spanish speaker learning English. Teachers in bilingual programs tend to hold Spanish speakers to a higher standard in US schools. “You have to achieve at the same levels that English speakers achieve,” says Dr. Blum Martinez. Native English speakers learning Spanish, however, are not held to that same standard, garnering praise from teachers for speaking the language with errors or without reading or writing it proficiently.

Location, Location, Location

A student’s home address determines whether they receive a quality bilingual education. Because of their access to teachers fluent in both English and Spanish, New York City bilingual programs are some of the best in the nation. Likewise, districts in California serve ELs well because of the state’s growing Hispanic population and an influx of Spanish-speaking teachers.

But it’s not the same in other states. ELs are now populating districts that are ill-equipped to serve them, and the number of ELs in these states is growing. In Mississippi, the EL population grew by 236 percent between 2005 and 2015. In South Carolina, it grew 196 percent, in Kentucky 118 percent, and in Kansas 114 percent. South Carolina, where Dr. Blum Martinez advises a school district on bilingual education, has one or two bilingual programs in the entire state, with few teachers certified to teach ELs. “There are federal laws about the rights of English learners and what they need in schools. Are they meeting those laws? The answer would probably be not,” Dr. Blum Martinez says. “It’s the law. We have to abide by the law that protects the rights of English learners in schools and too many schools are not doing that.”

Learning Through Osmosis

US schools have a long, tortured history of teaching English to those who speak a different language at home. Years ago, educators ill-advisedly assumed Spanish speakers who associated with native English speakers in classrooms would learn English through osmosis, treating them like Pavlov’s dog. “If you said something right, you got a pat on the back. If you didn’t, you got some punishment,” says Dr. Blum Martinez. Educators have abandoned that strategy, but have a long way to go to improve bilingual programs.

According to Dr. Blum Martinez, one of the biggest mistakes the US educational system made regarding bilingual programs was creating a bi-lingual curriculum that was not rigorous. Learning a new language is exhausting and teachers have often tried to make it easy for their students. But this hurts the children. They need access to complex and compelling material so that they can learn how to use the language in diverse ways. “These are our future doctors, teachers, and engineers. What happens if we don’t give them the quality education they’ll need to be successful? It’s going to affect us all,” says Dr. Blum Martinez.