By Callie Buys
Provo''s rapidly-growing Hispanic community poses a delicate dilemma for local educators - how to teach students English without damaging their cultural identity.
In 1992, there were 250 Hispanic/Latino students in the Provo City School District. Today there are nearly 2,200, representing about 17 percent of the district''s students, according to a January 2002 district performance report.
This is nearly a 900 percent increase over the last 10 years.
As schools become more diverse, the number of students primarily speaking a language other than English increases.
The English as a Second Language program, a nationwide program implemented in school districts, provides instruction for students learning English, said Kathy Bekkemellon, an ESL teacher at Centennial Middle School in Provo.
'It is our desire to have them read and write English, but we do not want them to forget their culture and heritage,' said Don Dowdle, principal of Joaquin Elementary School in Provo.
'It would be a crime if our students from other countries were ashamed of that heritage. We want them to be proud of that and also to learn English,' he said.
In Provo''s ESL program, elementary school students are placed in regular homeroom classes, then they attend an ESL class for 30 to 45 minutes each day to do English building activities.
Middle and high school ESL students attend an ESL class for one period each day. At Centennial Middle School, the ESL program includes sheltered classes that teach a subject such as history or science with ESL instructors on hand to assist students, Bekkemellon said.
'It provides them a way that they feel comfortable using their English and don''t feel stupid asking questions because they know everyone is in the same boat,' Bekkemellon said.
Students qualify for ESL based on scores on a test that assesses English competency. Students with the greatest need are given more instruction in English, Dowdle said.
About 800 students in the Nebo School District qualify for the ESL program, said Wade Menlove, the district alternative language specialist.
The district is currently focusing on certifying teachers in the ESL program, Menlove said.
'Right now our emphasis in the district is to endorse as many teachers as we can with their ESL endorsement,' Menlove said. 'By doing that, students will receive English instruction within the regular classroom.'
The Nebo School District works through the BYU Bilingual ESL Endorsement through Distance Education program to help teachers earn their state endorsement in ESL.
'The whole idea behind endorsement is that academics and English will improve simultaneously,' Menlove said.