As it's not the "offical" language, then why would we be compelled to provide ESL programs to school age emmigrants? Apparently our speaking English in the public school system is arbitrary? Official or not, there is a legal precept called "past practice." It carries great weight in ajudicating such cases. I would be interested to learn what other countries have on the "books," their native tongues as the "offical" language?? Correct me if I'm wrong Canadian PT'ers, but in Montreal, it has been madated that all shop signs be written in French, or at least, with French being the first and most prominent lettering in efforts to preserve their cultural heritage. Hopefully the efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to make English the "official" language of the U.S. will succeed. I detest the idea of ammending the constitution further, but if that be the argument, so be it. Regardless, whether ESL is taught in schools or not, it does not solve the problem of adults, parents of those children, residing in this country who are illiterate in English and choose not to make any effort to learn the language that the vast majority of it's citizens speak. It is a practical impossibility to accomodate the dozens if not hundreds of languages represented by the many immigrant groups that reside in the U.S. re: the banking system, shcool system, govt. offices, etc. My parents did it, my husband and his family did it without any governmentally subsidized program. I am all for some sort of transisitional accomodation to assist children entering the school system. But after speaking with academician friends and teachers who have been frustrated by the present system, I convinced that as it's exists, the ESL program only serves to enable those attempting to assimilate into a linguistacly homogenous society.
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