A few choice words for Gingrich

Re “The pursuit of happiness -- in English,” Opinion, April 7

Newt Gingrich thinks that replacing bilingual education with intensive English instruction will help minority-language children acquire English. It won’t.

Studies show that bilingual education does a better job of helping children acquire English than English “immersion.” In the last two years, four major reviews have been published confirming that children in bilingual programs do better on tests of English reading than those in all-English programs, including one report from the U.S. government. Gingrich is free to disagree with the research, but he is not free to ignore it.

STEPHEN KRASHEN

Los Angeles

The writer is a USC professor emeritus who specializes in theories of language acquisition and development.

*

As a liberal, I hate to agree with Gingrich, but I have to voice unequivocal agreement with his argument for intensive English instruction for immigrants. The problem with bilingual education as it exists today is that students are not only not educated in English, they also receive no formal instruction in their native language. As a result, they grow up biculturally shortchanged.

One need not repudiate a child’s native tongue to impress on him or her the value of learning the language of their new home.

ROBERTO BACALSKI

Los Angeles

*

For a politician who claims to understand diversity and the lessons of history, Gingrich’s vow to end provisions of the Voting Rights Act that empower citizens with limited English in casting ballots is a glaring sign of ignorance.

His position appeals to anti-immigrant conservatives and would effectively silence thousands of Americans at polling places across the country. His stand smacks of political opportunism, given the general tilt of voters with limited English toward Democrats. But Republicans too would feel the sting of his misguided move. Gingrich, who recently insulted people of color by referring to “ghetto” neighborhoods, keeps sounding less like a modern alternative in the GOP field and more like a throwback to an era of intolerance.

HANS JOHNSON

Silver Lake

*

Gingrich believes that all immigrants should use primarily English. Because he is eager to learn Spanish, he could find out what this would be like by completely forgoing the use of English.

He would get all his current affairs information from Spanish newspapers and Spanish television, conduct all his financial and legal affairs in Spanish, describe his symptoms to his doctor in Spanish, query his utility bills in Spanish, write articles in Spanish, give lectures in Spanish, make travel arrangements and get directions in Spanish, and so on. That way he would have a clearer notion of what his policy would mean.

RONALD MACAULAY

Claremont